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HOPS FAQ, Revision 3, 11/11/93

Compiled/edited by Norm Pyle (npyle@n33.stortek.com)

Reviewed/edited by Mark Garetz (mgaretz@hoptech.com)

Reviewed/edited by Al Korzonas (korz@iepubj.att.com)



I do not have the means to credit each passage individually, nor do I think it

would make for good reading were I to do so.  The following people (and

probably many more, sorry if I miss crediting you!) have contributed to this

FAQ (some of them don't even know they contributed!):



Glenn Anderson   (gande@slims.attmail.com)

Scott Barrett    (adiron!partech.com!scott@uunet.UU.NET)

Jeremy Bergsman  (jeremybb@leland.Stanford.EDU)

Jim Busch        (busch@daacdev1.stx.com)

Nick Cuccia      (Nick_Cuccia@talamasca.berkeley.ca.us)

John DeCarlo     (jdecarlo@mitre.org)

Alan Edwards     (rush@xanadu.llnl.gov)

Bill Flowers     (waflowers@qnx.com)

Mark Garetz      (mgaretz@hoptech.com)

Russ Gelinas     (R_GELINAS@UNHH.UNH.EDU)

Al Korzonas      (korz@iepubj.att.com)

Rick Larson      (rick@adc.com)

Don Leonard      (don@tellabs.com)

John Palmer      (palmer#d#john@ssdgwy.mdc.com)

Bob Regent       (b_regent@holonet.net)

Peter Soper      (?)

Spencer Thomas   (spencer@goodman.itn.med.umich.edu)

Glenn Tinseth    (danc@cac.washington.edu)

Patrick Weix     (weix@swmed.edu)

Carl West        (eisen@kopf.HQ.Ileaf.COM)

Ed Westemeier    (westemeier@delphi.com)

Dave Wiley       (wiley@wiley.b11.ingr.com)

Gene Zimmerman   (EZIMMERM@UWYO.EDU)



Business catalogs referenced:

The Hop Source   Silverton, OR

HopTech          Danville, CA

Hopunion USA     Yakima, WA



Authors referenced in the text:

Jackie Rager

Quentin B. Smith



Also, Messieurs Miller and Papazian should not be overlooked.  They have both

contributed indirectly to this FAQ.



I thank you and the HBD thanks you.  Here 'tis:



--



TABLE OF CONTENTS OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOPS (TOCOFAQAH)



The following general topics are presented in this FAQ:



Definition of Hops

Description of Important Compounds

Forms of Hops

Bittering Units / Formulae

Storage

Growing Hops

Dry Hopping

Hop Back

Using Fresh Hops

Hop Varieties (Aroma)

Hop Varieties (Bittering)



--



Q:  What are hops?



A:  Hops are cultivated flowers (humulus lupulus) used for preservative and

flavoring characteristics in beer.  The bitterness of the hop is used to

balance the sweetness of the malt, and the essential oils add a flavor/aroma

which cannot be achieved by any other plant.  The hop plant is a perennial

spiraling vine which will grow in almost any climate given enough water and

sunlight.  It can climb either string or poles and can reach heights of over

25 feet.  The flowers (or cones as they are called sometimes) are usually

dried before use.



--



Q: What are the compounds which provide the bittering?  What about the aroma

compounds?



A: Read on:



Bittering Compounds



One of the major contributions hops give to beer is a characteristic

bitterness that provides a counterpoint to the rich sweetness provided by the

malt.  This bitter flavor is extracted from the hops during the boil.  It is

during this time that virtually insoluble alpha acids are isomerized

(rearranged without changing their composition) into more soluble and stable

iso-alpha acids, the main bittering substance in beer.  Five different

naturally occurring alpha acids have been isolated from hops which are:



humulone

cohumulone

adhumulone

prehumulone

posthumulone



Although isomerized alpha acids are the biggest contributers, hops contain

beta acids which also add bitterness to beer.  The beta acids are similar to

alpha acids both in structure and abundance.  In contrast to alpha acids, it

is not isomerized beta acids that add bitterness, is the oxidation products

of the beta acids, which are bitter and soluble, that make their presence felt.



Both the alpha and beta acids are very susceptible to oxidation, especially

at temperatures above freezing.  Theoretical losses of alpha acids of up to

60% have been calculated for hops which are packaged and stored poorly.  This

is important because once alpha acids have been oxidized they can no longer

be isomerized into iso-alpha acid, thus decreasing the hop's bittering

potential.  As stated above, oxidation components of beta acids contribute to

bitterness, thus the bittering potential of oxidized hops may not decrease as

much as is commonly thought.  This does not, in any way, argue against

storing hops well, since essential oil is dramatically altered by oxidation.



For these reasons, the "storageability" of each hop variety is often provided,

along with the alpha and beta acid levels, by the hop broker. This parameter

is usually given as a percentage of the alpha acids present after 6 months

at 20C.  Some good storage hops (usually high alpha acid) lose only 15-20%

of their alpha acids:  Cluster, and Galena are among the best.  Most high

quality aroma hops lose anywhere from 35-65% of their alpha acids unless

anaerobic conditions and cold storage (<0c) are provided.



This is why it is imperative for brewers to buy the freshest hops available

and store them in the freezer, properly packaged.



Essential Oils



Hops bring a lot more to beer than bitterness.  The volatile oil, usually

0.5 - 3.0% (vol/wt) of hop cone, is an important part of many types of beer.

Brewers seeking to maximize hop flavor and aroma generally make late kettle

additions (0-15 min.  before cooling) with high quality "aroma" hops.  Dry

hopping, i.e. the addition of hops to the secondary fermenter or serving tank,

is another way to add hop character to a beer although the aroma components

retained by this method differ from those obtained in late kettle additions.

The maximum oil utilization is about 10 - 15% which decreases with increased

boiling time.



The essential oils are what give hops their unique aroma; each variety has

its own distinct profile.  The smell of hops freshly crushed in your hand is

quite often different than that in a finished beer.  This is due to the fact

that the major components in hop oil, beta-pinene, myrcene, beta-caryophylene,

farnesene and alpha-humulene, are not usually found in beer.  However,

fermentation and the oxidation products of these compounds, especially

humulene epoxides and diepoxides are considered contributors to "hoppy"

flavors and aroma.  The exception here is with dry-hopping, where some of

the hop oil components do survive into the beer intact.



Researchers have not been able to duplicate the complexities of hoppy

character by adding pure chemicals in any proportion or combination.

Consensus is that there is a synergistic blend of several compounds, some

of which may have not yet been discovered.



Hop researchers, using capillary gas chromatography, have detected and

identified more than 250 essential oil components in hops.  Twenty two of

these have been pinpointed as being good indicators of hoppiness potential.

They are subdivided into 3 groups, humulene and caryophyllene oxidative

products, floral/estery compounds, and citrus/piney compounds, as listed below:



Oxidation Products:



caryolan-1-ol

caryophyllene oxide

humulene diepoxide a

humulene diepoxide b

humulene diepoxide c

humulene epoxide I

humulene epoxide II

humulene epoxide III

humulenol II

humulol



Floral/Estery Compounds:



geraniol

geranyl acetate

geranyl isobutyrate

linalool



Citrus/Piney Compounds:



delta-cadinene

gamma-cadinene

citral

limonene

limonene-10-ol

alpha-muurolene

nerol

beta-selenene



--

 

Q: Should I use pellets, or plugs, or loose hops?



A: Much has been written about what form of hops should be used. Loose hops are

just that:  loose cones which have been dried after picking.  Plugs are loose

hops which have been subsequently pressed into a bung, generally in 0.5 oz.

sizes.  Pellets are loose hops which have been ground to a fine powder and

then pressed into rabbit-food-sized pellets.



LOOSE HOPS

Advantages:  They are the most natural form of the ingredient.  They float,

which is good for siphoning out from under, and form a natural filter bed.

When they are fresh, they beat all others in terms of aromatic hop oils.



Disadvantages:  They float, so some contact with a still wort (as in dry

hopping) is lost, when compared to pellets.  This problem can be overcome,

though by using weighted hop bags, or it can be ignored.  Since they are loose,

exposure to air is the greatest and they lose quality quickly when compared to

the other forms of hops.  When stored in vacuum-sealed or CO2 or nitrogen

purged Oxygen barrier bags or jars, this problem can be avoided.  They are

bulkier than other forms.



PLUGS

Advantages:  Are nearly the same as loose hops, in that, when hydrated, they

become whole hop cones again.  Like loose hops, they float.  Unlike loose hops,

they are better protected from air.



Disadvantages:  Few hop varieties come in this form.  Currently, any domestic

varieties are first shipped to England where they are made into plugs and then

shipped back to the U.S.  This may negate any freshness advantage they have

over loose hops (for U.S. varieties)  It is difficult, but not impossible to

separate into increments smaller than 0.5 oz.



PELLETS

Advantages:  Convenient to measure and have the best protection from air.  They

sink, so they get maximum contact in a still wort, as when used for dry

hopping.  This advantage may be mitigated though, if they are subsequently

covered with dead yeast, so later additions are recommended.  They reportedly

contribute 10% more alpha acids to the wort because of maximized surface area,

so are a more efficient use of this relatively expensive ingredient.  They are

generally available in more varieties and are generally a more consistent

product.



Disadvantages:  They sink, so it is sometimes difficult to avoid them when

siphoning.  The extra processing may reduce/change hop aromatics.



Given the pros and cons listed, the choice of which form of hop to use in a

certain application is up the individual brewer.



--



Q:  What are AAU, HBU, and IBU's?



A:  Alpha Acid Units (AAU) and Homebrew Bittering Units (HBU) are the same.

For the sake of discussion we will use AAU's, which are calculated as follows:

AAU = AA * W



where AA = alpha acid % provided with the hops

       W = weight of the hops in ounces



AAU's are literally hundredths of an ounce, so the units would be ounces.

This is a bit awkward, and they are usually discussed as if they are

"unit-less".  It is generally assumed that, when using AAU or HBU, the batch

size is the standard homebrewing unit of 5 gallons.  If a beer is said to have

10 AAU's of bitterness in it, and it is a 5 gallon batch, there would probably

be no confusion.  On the other hand, if it is a 10 gallon batch, there is

actually half the AAU's per gallon when compared to the 5 gallon batch and the

beer would be quite different.  Another drawback to using AAU's is that they

don't consider the utilization obtained from long, intermediate, or short boil

times.  Fudge factors are sometimes added but at best they offer a rough

approximation.



To help solve these problems, the International Bittering Unit (IBU) may be

used.  With it, the brewer can get a more accurate approximation of the

bitterness given up by a given quantity of a given AA hop for a given boil

time.  It is independent of batch size so that a 5 gallon batch with 29 IBU's

has the same bitterness as a 50 barrel batch with 29 IBU's.  The equations are

commonly quoted from Jackie Rager's article in the Zymurgy "Hops and Beer"

Special Edition published in 1990.  The tables and formulae follow:



Boiling Time (minutes)   % Utilization

----------------------   -------------

less than 5                  5.0

 6 - 10                      6.0

11 - 15                      8.0

16 - 20                     10.1

21 - 25                     12.1

26 - 30                     15.3

31 - 35                     18.8

36 - 40                     22.8

41 - 45                     26.9

46 - 50                     28.1

51 - 60                     30.0



Utilization can be reduced to the following smooth function, as opposed to the

table, which produces many discontinuous lines.  Either can be used with

sufficient accuracy for the homebrewing operation.



%UTILIZATION = 18.10907 + 13.86204 * hyptan[(MINUTES - 31.32275) / 18.26774]

(Of course, you can drop some of those significant figures.)



    If the gravity of the boil exceeds 1.050:

ADJUSTMENT = (BOIL_GRAVITY - 1.050) / 0.2

    otherwise,

ADJUSTMENT = 0



IBU_PER_OZ  = %UTILIZATION * %ALPHA * 7462 / (VOLUME * (1 + ADJUSTMENT));

    UTILIZATION is the percent alpha acids expressed as a decimal fraction

    ALPHA is the percent alpha acids expressed as a decimal fraction

    VOLUME is the final number of gallons in the batch (usually 5).



    To calculate IBU's if you know the number of ounces of hops to be used:

IBU = OUNCES * IBU_PER_OZ

    To predict the number of ounces needed to hit a target IBU:

OUNCES = IBU / IBU_PER_OZ



Jackie Rager's numbers have been used successfully by hundreds of homebrewers

and provide a consistent base with which to work.  It is apparent that his

constant 7462, derived from metric to US conversion, is actually closer to

7490.  The ADJUSTMENT factor could be questioned as well, as it is

intuitively obvious that a gravity of 1.049 does not affect utilization

exactly the same as a gravity of 1.000 (water).  It is assumed that the

utilization table is corrected for this assumption and/or the difference is

small enough that it has little effect on the final bitterness of the beer.



Note also that Mr. Rager's numbers are often used for pellet hops thrown loose

in the boil.  Al Korzonas suggests adding 10% more hops if used in a hop bag,

and 10% more than that if loose hops or plugs are used.



It has been reported that since iso-alpha acids possess a slight electrical

charge, they can be lost in many ways.  Among these are absorption into the

yeast cell walls (and subsequent removal of the yeast), attachment to

coagulating proteins (and subsequent removal of this trub), attachment to

filters, etc.  It is unclear if Mr. Rager's utilization numbers have assumed

these losses.  A revised utilization table has been presented by Mark Garetz

and can be used if desired.  It is shown below for reference.



Boiling Time (minutes)   % Utilization

                         (adjusted for

                         average yeast)

----------------------   -------------

less than 5                   0.0

 6 - 10                       0.0

11 - 15                       1.0

16 - 20                       4.0

21 - 25                       6.0

26 - 30                      11.0

31 - 35                      13.0

36 - 40                      19.0

41 - 45                      23.0

46 - 50                      24.0

51 - 60                      25.0



The same IBU formulae from above can be used with this table.  It represents

one of the many arguable topics of hops in homebrewing.



--



Q:  How many IBUs should I shoot for in a beer with XXX original gravity?



A:  The AHA and probably other organizations publish (large) charts which

define the range of IBUs expected in a given style.  It is outside the scope of

this FAQ to go into that much detail on beer styles.  The following table

from an article titled "Matching Hops with Beer Styles" by Quentin B. Smith

in the 1990 Zymurgy Hops Special Issue may help.  The beer style has much more

to say about what the goal IBUs should be for a given beer, but this is a good

starting point:



Balanced Beer Hop Chart



Wort OG             IBU

-------             ---

1.010                4

1.020                8

1.030               12

1.040               16

1.050               24

1.060               32

1.070               40

1.080               48

1.090               56

1.100               64



--



Q:  How do I store my hops?



A:  At as low a temperature as possible, likely to be in your freezer.  Also,

attempt to remove as much air as possible from the package and use airtight,

preferably oxygen-barrier packages.



--



Q:  Can I grow my own hops?  How?



A:  Read this...



Hops for beer-making grow from the rhizomes of female hop plants.  Rhizomes

look like root cuttings but have buds growing from them that will become new

vines.  Rhizomes also contain stored nutrients to support initial growth.



Hops grow vertically as one or more vines that spiral up a twine or other

support.  Depending on latitude, location, and variety, they sprout from March

or April and grow through the summer and early fall.  A single plant can

easily grow 40 feet tall when it is mature but growth in the first year is

usually much less.  In most instances by the second or third year the plants

will exhibit full growth.  Height is very closely linked to the amount of

sunshine the plant gets.



Hops grow best in full sun and you should pick a spot with the best possible

southern exposure.  Hops grow best in loose, well drained soil.  Blended peat

moss and sand make a good growing environment.  In cases of poor soil

drainage, it can be helpful to create a mound of soil a foot or so tall which

will aid drainage.



Hops need lots of water.  As they grow be sure to give them a very good soaking

at least once a week.  There are reports that once-a-day waterings (up to 6.5

gallons per mound) give greater growth and yield.  Mulch in the summer helps

with weed control and also holds water.  Hops also have big appetites;

composted cow manure is an excellent well-balanced fertilizer for them.



Once a bed has been prepared the rhizomes are planted about 4 inches below

the soil surface with any obvious buds coming from the rhizome oriented to

point upward.



After several inches the new vines should be thinned so that just the most

healthy and vigorous three vines are left to continue growing.  This will be an

ongoing process as new shoots may show up later, but the initial thinning is

important.  It's been reported that the young shoots that are culled may be

steamed and eaten like asparagus.   On the other hand, some growers espouse

cutting the new shoots at all, allowing all vines to grow to full height.



As the vines grow over a foot tall they should be trained to grow up a twine.

This can be done by twisting the vine around the line.  This may have to be

repeated for a few days before the vine gets the idea.  Hops will have a

natural tendency to wrap clockwise looking down.



The most common hops trellis consists of strings running from the roof of a

building down to stakes driven into the soil near the plants.  Another option,

often used by commercial growers, consists of a large central pole, with

strings running from the top of the pole down to the foot of each plant,

similar to the spokes on a wheel.  Expect the string or twine to hold a lot of

weight as the vines grow tall.  A 25+ foot plant may weigh 20+ pounds.



Hop blossoms start out looking like large sand burrs, and then take on a

characteristic cone shape as they grow in size.  The size of a fully developed

cone depends on the variety, varying from 1 to 2 inches long by 1/2 to 1 inch

in diameter.



The hops are fully mature and ready for picking when two changes take place.

First, immature hops have a damp, soft feel and when squeezed slightly tend to

stay compressed.  Mature hops feel more like paper, spring back when squeezed,

and feel noticeably lighter.  The second key test is to pick an average example

hop and cut it lengthwise down the center with a knife.  When ready to pick,

the yellow powder (the lupulin sacs containing the essential oils and bitter

compounds) will be a dark shade of yellow, like the stripes on a highway, and

it will be pungent.  If a light shade of yellow then its likely the hops are

immature.



When ready to pick it is best to snip the stems of the cones with scissors or

a knife to avoid jarring the hops and knocking lupulin powder out or worse,

pulling the center of the cone out with the stem, causing a great loss of

lupulin.  Touching hops plants can cause skin irritation in some people;

gloves and long sleeves can help in this matter.



Just-picked hops are roughly 80 percent water; if left alone they spoil

rapidly.  For proper storage most of the water is removed by drying.  A good

drying method is to lie the hops on a card or screen in an attic.  Just a few

hours during the heat of summer or a few hours more in cooler weather is

enough to dry the hops.  Use a before and after weighing (and trial and error)

to try to achieve about 7-10 percent residual moisture after drying.



After drying, hops keep best at low temperatures and away from oxygen.  A

kitchen freezer easily takes care of temperature but to get the hops away from

oxygen is difficult.  Tightly packing hops in canning jars will minimize the

trapped air but be careful not to use too much force and break the all

important lupulin sacs since this accelerates oxidation.  Purging the canning

jar of oxygen by blowing in carbon dioxide from a kegging system will also

help prolong freshness.



It's common to get 4 or 5 harvests per year by picking the biggest, most

mature hops every 2 weeks or so as the flowers ripen.  Patience and judgement

are important since cones left on the vine too long turn brown and begin to

oxidize and spoil, while immature hops have little lupulin to give.



At the end of the growing season when the leaves have fallen or turned brown,

cut the vines at the surface of the soil and if possible remove the twine.

After cutting back the vines a layer of 3 or 4 inches of mulch and composted

manure can be put over the exposed vines for insulation and nutrition during

the winter.



Japanese beetles are the number one nuisance in many areas.  A common remedy

is to position a "Bag a Bug" type beetle trap about 30 feet directly up wind

from the hop vines.  There is some concern that the "Bag a Bug" traps may

actually attract more beetles than they catch, but that probably depends on

the situation.  Certain plants such as rose bushes may also attract the

beetles, so it's best to keep those plants away from your hops.  Also, the

beetles' larvae live in the ground, and in cases of extreme Japanese Beetle

infestation the surrounding lawn may need to be treated accordingly.  A

number of other pests, such as aphids, can harm hops, and can be treated with

any number of pesticides.  Since you will be consuming these hops, you should

use low toxicity natural pesticides, such as 1% Rotenone dust, for direct pest

control on the plants.  As with any consumable, you should ensure that any

pesticide is well washed before using the hops.



Ladybugs are the best, most natural way to get rid of aphids and a lot of other

bugs.  However, it can be difficult to keep them on your hop plants once you

run out of food for them.  A good idea is to plant some cilantro/coriander

between your hop hills.  Ladybugs are attracted to this plant and it will keep

their attention between feedings of aphids.  You can even harvest the cilantro

(the leaves) for cooking and use the coriander (the seeds) in Witbier.



One other hazard is animals.  A short fence of rabbit wire will keep cats,

dogs, rabbits, etc. at bay, but won't do much against deer.



Rhizomes are available from an increasing number of sources.  American

Brewmaster in Raleigh, NC and Freshops in Philomath, OR are two well-known

suppliers.  Cost is usually a few dollars each.  They should be kept in plastic

bags, moist and cold in your refrigerator until they are planted.



Additional information about hop growing can be found in "Homegrown Hops" by

David R. Beach.  Also, the 1990 special issue of "Zymurgy" is devoted to hops

and contains an article about growing hops by Pierre Rajotte.  The AHA also

has additional hops-oriented publications.



--

 

Q:  What is dry-hopping?  How do I do it?  How much do I use?  What variety?

What form of hops?



A:  Dry hopping can be defined as adding hops to a cooled wort at sometime

during the fermentation process.  It adds a fresh hops aroma/flavor to the beer

which cannot be matched with hop additions into hot wort.  It is not to be

confused with finish/aroma hopping, which is done on the hot wort while still

in the kettle.  The use of a hop-back, where hot wort is passed through the

hops, is another form of finish hopping; it is not dry hopping.  Dry hopping

gives little or no alpha acids to the wort, so it contributes little or no

bitterness to the final product.



There are several ways to dry hop, if one considers the variations of making

hop teas, etc.  The best time to dry hop is generally considered to be after

primary fermentation has slowed and little CO2 is being driven off the wort.

Dry hopping earlier than this point is inefficient as the volatile hop oils

are scrubbed away by the exiting CO2.  Also, if using pellets, dry hopping

early in the fermentation phase may result in the hops (which will sink to the

bottom) being covered with yeast and inefficient extraction of aroma.



The proper length of time for dry hopping is dependent on the temperature.  At

ale temperatures, 7-14 days of contact time is widely used.  At lager

temperatures, although little data is available, it seems obvious that longer

contact times, on the order of 14-21 days, are called for. It is common to use

0.5 - 2.0 oz. or more in a 5 gallon batch, but as always it is up the

individual's preferences.



Fuggles, Northern Brewer, Saaz, Cascades, all Hallertauer variants, and many

other hops have been used successfully.  It should be noted that the aroma of

the beer greatly influences the profile, and that the "correct" aroma hop should

be used to match the style (i.e. English hops for English ales, German hops for

German lagers, etc.).  American brewers have traditionally used hops from all

over the globe so European hops, for example, can be used without much fear of

an ungodly mismatch.  It should be noted that traditionally, German beers are

not dry-hopped but that American versions of German styles are sometimes dry

hopped.



The first and foremost way to dry hop is to simply put the hops into the

fermenter.  The most common worry with this method is about infecting a beer

which is nearly ready to bottle/keg.  Hops are natural preservatives, and

infections from this method are unheard of.  If loose hops or plugs are used,

they will float, and many use a sanitized hop bag and marbles to sink the hops

for maximum contact.  If pellets are used they will sink, but may be difficult

to avoid when bottling/kegging.  Also, the pellet hops can be easily covered by

yeast falling out of suspension, so they should be added after virtually all

fermentation activity has ceased, and a good amount of the yeast has fallen.



Another method used to dry hop is to steep the hops in a warm white alcohol

(grain, vodka, etc.) and sometimes water solution for hours or days, then pour

this solution into the fermenter.  This is a common practice among those who

want to protect against the remote possibility of infection with normal dry

hopping.  It should be noted that as the temperature of the alcohol/water/hops

mixture is raised, the effect approaches that of finish hopping, as the most

volatile hop oils are driven off.



Adding hop oil, a product recently introduced to the homebrewing market, is

another way of "dry-hopping".  It should be done after primary fermentation has

slowed for the same reasons.



These dry hopping methods, and others, will produce different results, mainly

because the desired compounds are so volatile.  The variety of reactions taking

place duration processing and fermentation will affect the results.  The "best"

method is the one which gives the desired result to the individual homebrewer.



A final note about dry-hopping:  the volatile hop compounds will react quickly

with oxygen.  For this reason, extra measures should be taken to avoid mixing

with air during bottling, in order to retain the hop aroma in the bottle for

extended periods of time.  These extra measures may include the use of CO2

purging the bottling vessel, very quiet siphoning, oxygen scavenging caps, and

possibly delayed capping (up to one hour).  This method allows any CO2 coming

out of solution during the bottling process to push the oxygen out of the

bottle before the caps are secured.  This method is used by some homebrewers

but the results are inconclusive.  The simplest method is to use the oxygen

scavenging caps, which requires no extra effort and little extra cost.  For

further reference, the Summer 1993 Zymurgy contains an article by Mark Garetz

on this subject.



--



Q:  What is a "hop-back"?  How is it used?



A:  A homebrewer's hop-back is a reservoir connected in-line between the kettle

and counter-flow chiller.  It is filled with fresh hops before the flow is

started.  The hot wort flows through the fresh hops and is quickly chilled by

the counter-flow before entering the fermenter.  Many of the volatile hop aroma

compounds are extracted and brought into the fermenter with this process.  It

is generally thought to produce a flavor/aroma profile somewhere between late

kettle additions and dry-hopping.



--



Q:  Can I use fresh hops rather than dried hops?  How much do I use?



A:  Yes, you can but at best it is a rough guess as to how much.  The rule of

thumb is to use 6 times as much (by weight) as you would dry hops.  A safer

rule would be to do this and to only use them for finish/dry hopping.  This is

because the AA% is unknown, and later additions are less sensitive to AA%.  It

should be noted that homebrewers have had mixed results when using fresh hops

(poor AA approximation for bittering, grassy aroma for finishing).



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Q:  What varieties of hops are available to the homebrewer?  Where are they

grown? What do they taste/smell like?  Who uses them in commercial beers?

How much bitterness do they contribute?  How do I use them?  What are good

substitutes?



A:  The following table lists many common hop varieties available to the

homebrewer:



DISCLAIMER:  Hop substitutes should generally be thought of as "last resort"

options.  Some of them work better than others, and of course, the individual

brewer must decide which substitutes are best.  No attempt was made here to

label "good" and "not-so-good" substitutes, because the opinions vary wildly.




The following hops are generally considered aroma hops although in recent years

they have started to gain a following in the homebrew community for bittering

as well:




Name:         CASCADE

Grown:        US

Profile:      spicy, floral, citrus (esp. grapefruit) aroma

Typical use:  bittering, finishing, dry hopping for American style ales

Example:      Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale & Old Foghorn

AA Range:     4.5 - 7%

Substitute:   Centennial



Name:         CRYSTAL (CFJ-HALLERTAU)

Grown:        US

Profile:      mild, pleasant, slightly spicy

Typical use:  aroma/finishing/flavoring

Example:      ???

AA Range:     2 - 5%

Substitute:   Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mount Hood,

              Liberty.



Name:         EAST KENT GOLDINGS

Grown:        UK

Profile:      spicy (candy-like?) flavor;

              spicy/floral, earthy, rounded, almost pungent aroma

Typical use:  bittering, finishing, dry hopping for British style ales

Example:      Young's Special London Ale, Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Fuller's ESB

AA Range:     5 - 7%

Substitute:   BC Goldings



Name:         FUGGLES

Grown:        UK, US, and other areas

Profile:      mild, soft, floral aroma

Typical use:  finishing / dry hopping for all ales, dark lagers

Example:      Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Old Peculier, Thomas Hardy's Ale

AA Range:     4 - 5.5%

Substitute:   East Kent Goldings, Willamette



Name:         HALLERTAUER HERSBRUCKER

Grown:        Germany

Profile:      pleasant, spicy/mild, earthy aroma

Typical use:  finishing for German style lagers

Example:      Wheathook Wheaten Ale

AA Range:     2.5 - 5%

Substitute:   Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal



Name:         HALLERTAUER MITTELFRUEH

Grown:        Germany

Profile:      pleasant, spicy, mild herbal aroma

Typical use:  finishing for German style lagers

Example:      Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sam Adams Boston Lightship

AA Range:     3 - 5%

Substitute:   Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal



Name:         LIBERTY

Grown:        US

Profile:      fine, mild aroma

Typical use:  finishing for German style lagers

Example:      Pete's Wicked Lager

AA Range:     3 - 5%

Substitute:   Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mt. Hood,

              Crystal



Name:         LUBLIN

Grown:        Poland

Profile:      reported to be a substitute for noble varieties.

Typical use:  aroma/finishing

Example:      ???

AA Range:     2 - 4%

Substitute:   Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker,

              Tettnang, Mount Hood, Liberty, Crystal.



Name:         MT. HOOD

Grown:        US

Profile:      mild, clean aroma

Typical use:  finishing for German style lagers

Example:      Anderson Valley High Rollers Wheat Beer

AA Range:     3.5 - 5.5%

Substitute:   Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Liberty,

              Tettnang



Name:         NORTHERN BREWER

Grown:        UK, US, Germany (called Hallertauer NB), and other areas

              (growing region affects profile greatly)

Profile:      fine, fragrant aroma; dry, clean bittering hop

Typical use:  bittering and finishing for a wide variety of beers

Example:      Old Peculier(bittering), Anchor Liberty(bittering),

              Anchor Steam(aroma?)

AA Range:     7 - 10%

Substitute:   ???



Name:         SAAZ

Grown:        Czechoslovakia

Profile:      delicate, mild, floral aroma

Typical use:  finishing for Bohemian style lagers

Example:      Pilsener Urquell

AA Range:     3 - 4.5%

Substitute:   Tettnang (not ideal by any means)



Name:         SPALT

Grown:        Germany/US

Profile:      mild, pleasant, slightly spicy

Typical use:  aroma/finishing/flavoring, some bittering

Example:      ???

AA Range:     3 - 6%

Substitute:   Saaz, Tettnang



Name:         STRISSELSPALT

Grown:        France -- Alsace area

Profile:      medium intensity, pleasant, similar to Hersbrucker

Typical use:  aroma/finishing

Example:      ???

AA Range:     3 - 5%

Substitute:   Hersbrucker, German Spalt



Name:         STYRIAN GOLDINGS

Grown:        Yugoslavia (Fuggles grown in Yugoslavia), also grown in US

Profile:      similar to Fuggles

Typical use:  bittering/finishing/dry hopping for a wide variety of beers,

              popular in Europe, especially UK

Example:      Ind Coope's Burton Ale, Timothy Taylor's Landlord

AA Range:     5.5 - 7

Substitute:   Fuggles, Willamette



Name:         TETTNANG

Grown:        Germany, US

Profile:      fine, very spicy aroma

Typical use:  finishing for German style lagers

Example:      Gulpener Pilsener, Sam Adams Octoberfest, Anderson Valley ESB

AA Range:     4 - 6%

Substitute:   Saaz, Spalt



Name:         WILLAMETTE

Grown:        US

Profile:      mild, spicy, floral aroma

Typical use:  finishing / dry hopping for American / British style ales

Example:      Sierra Nevada Porter, Ballard Bitter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber

AA Range:     4 - 6%

Substitute:   Fuggles




The following hops are generally considered bittering hops (note that the

examples given may not enlighten the taster as much as the aroma hops in the

previous section):




Name:         BREWER'S GOLD

Grown:        UK, US

Profile:      poor aroma / sharp bittering hop

Typical use:  bittering for ales

Example:      ???

AA Range:     8 - 9%

Substitute:   Bullion



Name:         BULLION

Grown:        UK (maybe discontinued), US

Profile:      poor aroma, blackcurrant flavor when used in the boil

Typical use:  bittering hop for British style ales, perhaps some finishing

Example:      ???

AA Range:     8 - 11%

Substitute:   Brewer's Gold



Name:         CENTENNIAL

Grown:        US

Profile:      spicy, floral aroma, clean bittering hop (Super Cascade?)

Typical use:  general purpose bittering, aroma, some dry hopping

Example:      Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale

AA Range:     9 - 11.5%

Substitute:   Cascade



Name:         CHINOOK

Grown:        US

Profile:      heavy spicy aroma, strong bittering hop, astringent in large

              quantities

Typical use:  strong bittering

Example:      Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Sierra Nevada Stout

AA Range:     12 - 14%

Substitute:   Galena, Eroica, Brewer's Gold, Nugget, Bullion



Name:         CLUSTER

Grown:        US, Australia

Profile:      poor, sharp aroma, sharp bittering hop

Typical use:  general purpose bittering (Aussie version used as finishing hop)

Example:      Winterhook Christmas Ale

AA Range:     5.5 - 8.5%

Substitute:   Galena, Cascade, Eroica



Name:         EROICA

Grown:        US

Profile:      clean bittering hop

Typical use:  general purpose bittering

Example:      Ballard Bitter, Blackhook Porter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber

AA Range:     12 - 14%

Substitute:   Northern Brewer, Galena



Name:         GALENA

Grown:        US

Profile:      clean bittering hop

Typical use:  general purpose bittering

Example:      ???

AA Range:     12 - 14%

Substitute:   Northern Brewer, Eroica, Cluster



Name:         NUGGET

Grown:        US

Profile:      heavy, spicy, herbal aroma, strong bittering hop

Typical use:  strong bittering, some aroma uses

Example:      Sierra Nevada Porter & Bigfoot Ale, Anderson Valley ESB

AA Range:     12 - 14

Substitute:   ???



Name:         PERLE

Grown:        Germany, US

Profile:      pleasant aroma, almost minty bittering hop

Typical use:  general purpose bittering for all lagers except pilsener

Example:      Sierra Nevada Summerfest

AA Range:     7 - 9.5%

Substitute:   ???



Name:         PRIDE OF RINGWOOD

Grown:        Australia

Profile:      citric aroma, clean bittering hop

Typical use:  general purpose bittering

Example:      ???

AA Range:     9 - 11%

Substitute:   ???



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