# Most Neutral Hop For Bittering?



## juzz1981 (29/5/12)

Hi all,
Just wondering, what would the most neutral hop variety be for using as a bittering addition?


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## ekul (29/5/12)

Super alpha and magnum are pretty good. My favourite is probably super alpha, but i haven't used it for quite some time now.


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## bignath (29/5/12)

I havent used it but i asked a similar question years ago, and many brewers responded with northern brewer being a very good, neutral bitterer.

As i said, no experience with it though.


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## manticle (29/5/12)

Most neutral one is the one you don't mind the flavour of.


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## Rowy (29/5/12)

I'm a Northern Brewer fan. Just started usig the German T 45 variety which 15%. Haven't tried a beer with it yet though.


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## davo4772 (29/5/12)

Horizon is meant to be pretty neutral.


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## vykuza (29/5/12)

I roll with magnum


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## Bribie G (29/5/12)

Galena is good, and you can make Mexican style lagers as well, ol.


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## adryargument (29/5/12)

Bribie G said:


> Galena is good, and you can make Mexican style lagers as well, ol.



Gelena here, seems quite neutral to me - used on 10ish brews so far.


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## QldKev (29/5/12)

I think Super Alpha would be the most neutral bittering hop for any style of beer, followed by Magnum.


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## SJW (29/5/12)

For me Northern Brewer for a Lager and Magnum for an Ale.


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## Bubba Q (29/5/12)

Last time I used warrior I remember it being fairly neutral


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## bum (29/5/12)

Magnum's bittering is clean but it is firm - that may not be neutral for some. I always think "soft" when people talk neutral bitterness.


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## Bribie G (29/5/12)

+1 - Last year I did a Bo Pils for the comp season. I was a bit iffy on the AA% of the Saaz I was using so I slipped in a bit of Magnum as insurance. It wasn't a lot, only around 15g and whamm - far too bitter <_< 

So I tricked it up with some very late Hallertau and it was reborn as a German Pils and won a trophy B) 

Now I'm very conservative with the Magnum (mine is German Magnum). Apparently GER Magnum is the second biggest grown hop there after the Hallertau Mittelfreuh "family" so I reckon it must be a favourite for Pils bittering, as I experienced myself.


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## JaseH (29/5/12)

I haven't experimented a lot, but have been using Warrior a lot and like it.


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## fraser_john (29/5/12)

+1 Magnum

Nice hop, I use it across the board for my 60 minute bittering hop.


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## Nick JD (29/5/12)

Galena here. 60 minute boil and there's a tiny hint of berries, but it's _tiny_.

But in general ... the most neutral bittering hops are almost always the high AA% hops, simply because you use less of them. Some hops break this rule though - the big NZ hops come to mind.

Another thing a bit OT - have you ever noticed that the higher the AA%, the yellower the hop pellets? Saaz and Hallertau are dark greeny-blue, Galaxy is limey-yellow.


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## yum beer (29/5/12)

A big fan or Northern Brewer, used it recently in czech lager with saaz to boost the IBU's without breaking the bank,

could only taste the saaz and really clean bitterness.


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## hsb (29/5/12)

Northern Brewer or Magnum here too. Good point about the high alpha%. The total going in is dwarfed by the delicious flavour and aroma hops anyway.


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## Kranky (29/5/12)

Warrior is a very clean bittering hop.


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## pmash (29/5/12)

Yep, Northern Brewer is good.
'Just brewing my second batch of a Janets Brown ale right now which has NB as a mash hop and the first two additions at 60 and 15 minutes !
The last batch was primo, 'hope this goes as well.


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## juzz1981 (29/5/12)

Thanks for the info guys, I have some northern brewer so I'm going to make a basic beer for a newbie brewer who wants something that will be fairly 'bland' like mainstream beers.... Not that I like a bland beer it just trying to help a mate out.
I'd say a single bittering addition to 25IBU, mostly pale malt, small amount of wheat and touch of crystal for colour.


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## black_labb (29/5/12)

I think getting clean bittering is often about about getting a hop that has the right flavour profile as well as being less strong in flavour. You want to use something that blends well or sometimes subtly complements the flavour with the grain bill, yeast characteristics and late hops if applicable. It's like putting a bright pink tennis ball in some bushes and a green soccer ball. there. the green is bigger (more flavour) but blends in because it is more similar in colour (flavour). 

I use Pacific Gem a fair bit for bitterring and I've never noticed it but I rarely brew delicate lagers or things where there isn't a fair bit of flavour in there already.


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## glenwal (29/5/12)

black_labb said:


> I use Pacific Gem a fair bit for bitterring and I've never noticed it but I rarely brew delicate lagers or things where there isn't a fair bit of flavour in there already.



I just started drinking a pils where I had used pacific gem as the bittering hop - and would not recommend it. I'd almost tip the keg except i'm running short of beer ( i exaggerate here - its not quite that bad - but definately not the best beer i've ever made)


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## browndog (29/5/12)

Nick R said:


> I roll with magnum
> 
> View attachment 54852



Spot on Nick, an excellent neutral bittering hop, Blue Steel is not bad either


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## black_labb (29/5/12)

Glen W said:


> I just started drinking a pils where I had used pacific gem as the bittering hop - and would not recommend it. I'd almost tip the keg except i'm running short of beer ( i exaggerate here - its not quite that bad - but definately not the best beer i've ever made)



What was it that you didn't like about it, what's the bad flavour? Is it a flavour that clashes with a pils? It can give some woody flavours when used late, is it some of that coming through? 

I've used it late as well with good results. It is mostly english/belgian ales and a couple american IPA's I've used it in. Flavours that would blend in and suit them could easily be offensive in a pils. Guess that's more support for my post above.

I've heard a couple bad things about pacific gem before but I've used it many times and always enjoyed it. I'm wondering if it's one of those hops that doesn't keep well (like that australian one that I won't mention in a thread like this in fear of a neverending kerfuffle).


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## glenwal (29/5/12)

black_labb said:


> What was it that you didn't like about it, what's the bad flavour? Is it a flavour that clashes with a pils? It can give some woody flavours when used late, is it some of that coming through?


Not really sure how to describe it, maybe sort of peppery?. Its not an extremely overwhelming flavour, but pretty much everything shows through in a pils. Your right that it would probably blend in or be covered up well in other styles where it had something to actually hide behind. Could definately see it being a good base for a belgin ale or an IPA.


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## Screwtop (29/5/12)

Glen W said:


> I just started drinking a pils where I had used pacific gem as the bittering hop - and would not recommend it. I'd almost tip the keg except i'm running short of beer ( i exaggerate here - its not quite that bad - but definately not the best beer i've ever made)




More a case of selecting the right hop for a lager............maybe not such a good choice from it's description:

A high alpha hop with a pleasant aroma and a useful bitterness of 13 % or higher alpha acid. Pacific Gem can produce a cask oak flavour with distinct blackberry aroma, along with a woody character. 


Screwy


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## rotten (29/5/12)

I'd use magnum for bittering 9 brews out of 10, big fan B)


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## glenwal (30/5/12)

Screwtop said:


> More a case of selecting the right hop for a lager............maybe not such a good choice from it's description:
> 
> A high alpha hop with a pleasant aroma and a useful bitterness of 13 % or higher alpha acid. Pacific Gem can produce a cask oak flavour with distinct blackberry aroma, along with a woody character.
> 
> ...



Yeah, the description i'd read was "Well suited to a wide range of beer styles and lends itself well to European Lager styles of various bitterness levels." which I took as meaing it was pretty clean and neutral. But hey - live and learn. I would have never really know if i hadn't tried it. Half the fun of brewing is learning and experimenting.


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## Bizier (30/5/12)

I find NB to carry flavour over when you use it early, it is just that it is a pleasant woody flavour rather than a fruity one.

I have not used Horizon, but I've tried beers which use it, and I agree with the reputation of horizon for pleasant neutrality.

The other tack might be things which are ultra high aa like topaz and summit.

Ed: again, I'm inexperienced with Magnum, but it is the choice of so many light lager producers so there must be some substance there. It seems to be basically super aa noble style.


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## bobsaget (1/6/12)

How 'neutral', or not, does anyone think Pride of Ringwood would be? Got some sitting in the fridge that I have never used as I have only heard bad things about it.


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## juzz1981 (1/6/12)

I got and used PoR for alot of basic Aussie ales, just a single hop addition at 60 min, 27 IBU..
Definitely imparts flavour to the beer, but pleasant.


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## glenwal (1/6/12)

bobsaget said:


> How 'neutral', or not, does anyone think Pride of Ringwood would be? Got some sitting in the fridge that I have never used as I have only heard bad things about it.


Definately not neutral - but that doesn't make it bad. 

Its the basis of almost every aussie megaswill (except XXXX) and will, without doubt, make you beer taste "aussie".

I don't mind using it late, and have made some quite enjoyable beers with it, but most people would only ever consider using it early. 

I think freshness is also really important with POR. Its not a hop that "keeps" well.


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## manticle (2/6/12)

bobsaget said:


> How 'neutral', or not, does anyone think Pride of Ringwood would be? Got some sitting in the fridge that I have never used as I have only heard bad things about it.



A single addition of PoR will give flavour and possibly aroma to the finished beer. I'd argue all hops of my experience will lend something when used this way - some less than others if a late hop is also used but you are really just disguising an ingredient (hence my first post in this thread).

When I have tried using higher aa bittering hops (something I no longer do) I had success with German Northern Brewer.


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## milob40 (2/6/12)

magnum


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## Muggus (2/6/12)

As far as high alpha hops go, Northern Brewer T45 is very clean and good value at 15%AA

In the past i've used Warrior with pretty good effect for bittering and late additions, and it seemed quite clean, perhaps has a bit more flavour to offer than NB.


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