how exactly do u use hops....is it a str8 forward process using hessian or cloth bags or what? and can they be grown? does anyone have an article on them or good knowledge on how to use them as i wouldnt mind venturing into using them to add extra flavour and give more strength to the head (make it creamier....last longer)......cant wait to try my draught beer...hoping it will b ok....who lives around the pakenham area and wants to try out my lager??
growing hops:
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using hops is broken into 3 main categories: boiling hops for bittering (used mainly in AG, partials, and extract brewing), boiling hops for flavour and aroma (used in AG, partials, extracts, and kit&bit brewing), and dry hopping (basically, just chucking into the fermenter, used in all types of brewing). Dry hopping is often peoples first use of hops.
dry hopping
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for using hops for flavour and aroma...the very short version is, you take 200g of the ldme you are going to use in your brew, and add to 2L of water. Take some hops (often about 12-15g, sometimes more, sometimes less. Depends on recipe, and result wanted), and boil gently for 15 mins. Then mix this up with your goo and rest of your fermentables, and proceed as normal. This will add flavour, and also some more bitterness. The type (and amount) of hops used depends on what style of beer you are making, as well as personal preference. Lager, for example, will often use czech saaz, but there are other hops which work well.
Lots, and
lots of info in more detail on how to use hops, go to the kits and extract section, and have a read through the topic titles. So many threads there on the subject, you could read for a week if you wanted to.
