Why do most homebrewers make really hoppy beer?

[seethe303]

It says about 25% of the population are "super tasters" meaning that they have many many more taste receptors than the rest, which means they are very sensitive to the bitter compounds in things like coffee or some green vegetables. There is even a simple test you can do with blue food dye on your tongue to see if you are one of these people or not! I seriously have to try this, and I would love to see the results on some of you...perhaps with your beer preferences listed as well?

in high school in one of my science classes while talking about genetics we did a simple test to see if we had the genotype for a certain type of taste buds that were especially related to tasting bitterness. the test involved putting a small slip of paper with a chemical on it on our tongues. if it tasted horribly bitter, you had the genotype that allows one to taste bitterness more acutely.

the teacher said that if it didn't taste horribly bitter a person would be more likely to enjoy coffee and dark chocolate. of course he didn't say beer, but I am sure it applies as well.

I couldn't taste anything, btw, and I love hoppy beers.

 

[IrregularPulse]

When i first stepped away from BMC beers I made probably the obvious step toward Guiness. I really liked the creamy beers, Boddingtons being my first "My Beer" that I tried to find and everyone was always asking what it was. Kinda hard to find here and not common. I then started traveling for work and visiting Micro Brews 2-3 times a week on the road. Thats when I fell in love with hops. Been at that strong for 2 years now and it is my favorite style. Love IPAs and barley Wines. But since I've joined this forum and started brewing, only got 2 batches still yet to be bottled, I've learned about tasting beers. Letting certain things warm up to certain temps. Let me tell you. Pulling a porter out of the fridge and drinking it right away, not nearly as good as letting it sit in the glass a while. I just hope I can get a friend or two as into it as I am so I don't feel like such a snob when drinking with them.
All in all you're tastes will change, go back, and change again. Enjoy them all and what makes each style good. Don't just enjoy and expect one taste, enjoy the taste that that particular style offers.

 

[Donasay]

You can make whatever you want, but you should try and aim for balance. In addition to scottish, you can also make a nut brown or a red ale for a nice malty and hoppy balance, some of my favorite beers.

 

[malkore]

You are not alone. I find there is nothing worse than a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. i just cannot drink or enjoy a high IBU beer.

 

[karbinator]

You might be interested in the Kit - brewers Best - makes for
Continental Pilsener. There was Saaz throught the 60 min
boil, but turned out low on the bitter end. You mentioned
Malty, and this really has a nice foreground of a honey like
malt. You barely get the 9 volt zap of the saaz, and it appears
after you exhale. Ceratinly not a hops bomb.

Just a thought.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I don't. I can't stand really hoppy beer.

 

[Bearcat Brewmeister]

Yes, I am only 22, but I don't think that has much of an impact unless most of you out there are close to 50.

Some of us are working on 50.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I'm not a hophead, never have been. And if 10-some-odd years of homebrewing hasn't changed that, nothing will. But I also know that I am in the minority among homebrewers in that regard.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, I am only 22, but I don't think that has much of an impact unless most of you out there are close to 50.

WTF? What's wrong with being close to 50?

 

[Revvy]

WTF? What's wrong with being close to 50?

LOL!

What she said! Are you saying our tastebuds are shot you, young whippersnapper you? Why I outta hit you with my cane.

 

[RICLARK]

I like IPA's and IIPA's but I have not made one yet, The Hops are hard to find for me and I think it would take me forever to drink 5 gallons because im the only one around here that likes them. But I dont like them So much to where Ill sit around and drink 4 or 5 a day like I do with my other brews.

 

[Brewtopia]

Originally posted by Bernie Brewer
I'm not a hophead, never have been. And if 10-some-odd years of homebrewing hasn't changed that, nothing will.

I don't know about that Bernie...maybe you should talk to Yooper.

 

[shafferpilot]

IMO the IBU system of measuring hop presence in beer is seriously flawed. A GOOD IPA may have 100IBU and taste fabulous, but one made with the wrong hop variety could have 50 IBU and taste horrible. IMO the IBU content should be matched to the style, but the variety of hop used has WAY more to do with whether or not the hops overpower the malt.

 

[Yooper]

IMO the IBU system of measuring hop presence in beer is seriously flawed. A GOOD IPA may have 100IBU and taste fabulous, but one made with the wrong hop variety could have 50 IBU and taste horrible. IMO the IBU content should be matched to the style, but the variety of hop used has WAY more to do with whether or not the hops overpower the malt.

Yes, I think that's the key. Even though Brewtopia started me on the path to hopheadness, every hoppy beer that I love has balance. An IIPA has a malty backbone, for example. I would not like a flawed beer that covered the flaws with hops.

But, I really think you are on to something with the tasting. I LOVE spicy food. Thai food, African food, Indian food. I adore coffee. I can't stand anything sweet or creamy- I hate ice cream, chocolate, puddings, cake, frosting. So, the sweet-ish syrupy beers are not my thing at all. That's why I've gravitated toward the hops- it's a blast of things going on in the bitterness, the flavor, the aroma and the balance of malt that I love. Wow- it's not even 8 AM and I'm talking myself into an IPA!

 

[rocketman768]

WTF? What's wrong with being close to 50?

Haha! Nothing wrong with it at all. It's just that around age 50, ye olde tastebuds start to die off and differentiating tastes begins to get more difficult. Sorry for any confusion!

 

[Bernie Brewer]

WTF? What's wrong with being close to 50?

Whoa There!! Back up the f-ing truck. You are MY age, and I am NOT close to 50!!!! I am still on the low side of the forties, dammit!!!!

for a few more months, anyway.........

 

[Yooper]

Whoa There!! Back up the f-ing truck. You are MY age, and I am NOT close to 50!!!! I am still on the low side of the forties, dammit!!!!

for a few more months, anyway.........

Well, you're right- I'm 44 (in a couple of weeks). But my husband is 53. And, actually, he's pretty hot! But, 50 is creeping up on me too! I have about 2 years until retirement, though- so getting older rocks!

 

[Revvy]

Well, you're right- I'm 44 (in a couple of weeks). But my husband is 53. And, actually, he's pretty hot! But, 50 is creeping up on me too! I have about 2 years until retirement, though- so getting older rocks!

LOL...I'm 43 myself.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

But, 50 is creeping up on me too!

I used to think it was creeping up on me...now it seems like it's running straight towards me, at Jesse Owens speed!

I'm just a touch older than you Yoop, turned 44 last September. At least I got to turn 44 in Paris, that took some of the sting out of it. Tell your hubby to take you to Paris for your birthday!

 

[barnettcb]

I am completely new to homebrewing but I have to agree that I am not a huge fan of super-hoppy beers. I have been trying to increase my appreciation of hoppy microbrews for years, but I still find myself coming back to the maltier varieties.

In another thread, I came across this chart:
Hops-Gravity Relationship

You could use this chart to ensure that your beer ended up on the maltier side, even if you are brewing a higher gravity beer.

 

[karbinator]

I am completely new to homebrewing but I have to agree that I am not a huge fan of super-hoppy beers. I have been trying to increase my appreciation of hoppy microbrews for years, but I still find myself coming back to the maltier varieties.

In another thread, I came across this chart:
Hops-Gravity Relationship

You could use this chart to ensure that your beer ended up on the maltier side, even if you are brewing a higher gravity beer.

Good to Know Barnettcb !! Thanks for the link !!

 

[Junebug]

I tend to brew on the hoppier side, but I can make concessions. I brewed an Irish Ale for my girlfriend yesterday with an IBU of 17.0. Got to keep others happy!

 

[Beerthoven]

I brew hoppy beers because my wife is a hop head.

For myself I make bitters, porters, and low/med IBU Pale Ales.

 

[Homercidal]

While still a teenager, I drank Coors Light, and though it was strong! But, after turning 21 (And it became easier to acquire more different beers), I started tryign different things. About the time I tried brewing myself, and started knowing more about different beer styles, I got hold of some "real" beer.

At first I had to drink them slowly, and carefully. I'd try and pick out the different flavors and aspects. Eventually, I got used to stronger beers, both malty and hopped, and have not been able to enjoy a light American style since.

I don't prefer a IPA in general, but sometimes they hit the spot. That is all my friend ever brews. He's a real hophead. He is always trying to find a more hoppy beer! I like variety. I just got done brewing an IPA, just to see how it goes (and I love the smell!) But I like Bass Pale Ale, and Nut Browns. Really it's what sounds good at the time.

There are plenty of different beers to brew, and nobody says you have to enjoy an IPA to enjoy brewing. This IPA I just made was my first. Now that it's done, I'll likely move on to something completely different.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I thought I would be a hop man forever after these past two years. but this past week (with a dry hopped Ale ready for bottling) I am starting to steer back into porters and stouts. That is my next extract kit. Any recommendations for a good heavy strong Stout. Don't really want an oatmeal stout though.

 

[Revvy]

Oops wrong thread. :0

 

[raceskier]

I like a wide range of beers. (Still trying to wrap my senses around Belgians though) As the ready availability of small craft beers increased over the past 10 yers or so, I've sampled a lot of beers. Bad mouth them all you want, but I believe Sam Adams really opened a lot of people's minds to the fact that beer could mean something other than BMC. I certainly agree that balance is essential. I find that the balance I like in a beer varies. Most of the time I really don't care for SNPA, but I know it was sampling things like Stone IPA and DFH IPA that got me into home brewing.

 

[BeachBumDeac]

I'm not reading through this whole thread, but just because someone doesn't like really hoppy beer, does not mean they're a BMC beer noob... they might just not like the taste of really strongly hopped beer.

 

[SteveM]

I am not that the original premise is correct. Every few months, my LHBS has beer tastings, and in general. I'm the only person that brings really heavily hopped brews. Everyone speaks respectfully of Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA and Hop Devil and all of those, but most people bring along stouts and porters and Scottish ales and stuff like that.

There's no deep dark secret about why I brew heavily hopped beers - I just like them best is all. Others like malty brews. It's not a matter of which is better - it's all about what you like.

 

[menschmaschine]

I think what's important is the integrity of your beer. If you know what beer style you're trying to brew (or a lack of style) and are happy with how you want it hopped, then great... it's your creation. I also think that our culture and environment helps determine how we taste bitterness. This is improving, but we in America (but not just America) are brought up on a lot of sweet and savory foods (soda, fast food, etc.). Bitterness is the antithesis of that and it takes an open mind to make the change.