bittering hops, does it matter?

[Dave70]

I do that all the time Dave, not noticeable bad results. I often us a low AA% hop like Fuggles as a bittering hop in my English beers.

Most of my beers are single or double hop, rarely more, so if I use one hop for flavour/aroma, I usually use the same one for bittering as well.

What I have done on a couple of occasions is rather that add a shitload at 60mins, I'll add less at say 80min. No complaints yet...

Not with Cascade. Cascade is beautiful all the way through.

Yep, after digging up the recipe looks like thinking I was chilling when I was actually no chilling seems to be the culprit, not the hops.

Submersing your cube in a water tank on the end of a rope does not constitute chilling.

 

[syl]

Yep, after digging up the recipe looks like thinking I was chilling when I was actually no chilling seems to be the culprit, not the hops.

Submersing your cube in a water tank on the end of a rope does not constitute chilling.

What if it's a pool?!?!

 

[pcmfisher]

I think some hops give a nicer bitterness than others.
I have bittered with Galaxy and Citra to the same ibus in different brews.
Citra gives a smooth bitterness while Galaxy is harsh and resinous.

Come to think of it, I have done a few brews with Centennial lately and they are a bit harsh as well.

 

[GalBrew]

Yeah, I would not recommend galaxy as a 60 min addition. Very rough.

 

[syl]

Yeah, I would not recommend galaxy as a 60 min addition. Very rough.

Horrible stuff.

 

[QldKev]

Yep, after digging up the recipe looks like thinking I was chilling when I was actually no chilling seems to be the culprit, not the hops.

Submersing your cube in a water tank on the end of a rope does not constitute chilling.

It's called slow-chilling

and if it's done by Bill then it's Billy Chilling


Here's my old slow chill setup
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/56920-fermentor-infection-sht/?p=802440

 

[dougsbrew]

I've started doing some "pot luck" brews just to see what happens. Using the same base malt all the time plus maltose syrup, I reach into the fridge and just grab a bag blindly, and weigh out to 30 IBU - single addition.

Latest one was Centennial, which is noted as an aroma hop. Ended up surprisingly Non-smooth and a bit astringent. (edit: the archetypal home brew that a Tooheys New drinker remarks "ooh that's a bit different", meaning "Please God get me out of here, make it end :lol: )

Haha, I've done an all centennial brew aswell, only went to around 20 ibus though, it was a bit like chewing on the rind of a grapefruit.

 

[Dave70]

What if it's a pool?!?!

Nope. Not even a really chilly one. Like the one I tried to create with a tub chilled to zero in the chesty overnight that I dunked the cube in once. Basically did naught but turn the freezer into a giant pie warmer.

Eventually, I submitted to the laws of thermodynamics and wound up two lengths of 1/2 inch tube to create an immersion chiller. (It's all about the surface area you know..)

Cooled 18 L of 94 deg wort to pitching temp in around half an hour. Probably would have been quicker if the keggle wasn't such a giant heat sink. Had the whole shooting match squared away and dosed with 2L of starter by the end of the brew day. Sweet.

I was suitably impressed I must say.

 

[syl]

Nope. Not even a really chilly one. Like the one I tried to create with a tub chilled to zero in the chesty overnight that I dunked the cube in once. Basically did naught but turn the freezer into a giant pie warmer.

Eventually, I submitted to the laws of thermodynamics and wound up two lengths of 1/2 inch tube to create an immersion chiller. (It's all about the surface area you know..)

Cooled 18 L of 94 deg wort to pitching temp in around half an hour. Probably would have been quicker if the keggle wasn't such a giant heat sink. Had the whole shooting match squared away and dosed with 2L of starter by the end of the brew day. Sweet.

I was suitably impressed I must say.

Too lazy here!

 

[yum beer]

I was using NB in my lagers/pilseners to save money but now I just throw the saaz at it. NB worked quite well and not a lot of difference in the final product.
Target for bittering my Pommie styles. Don't know if it imparts a flavour of its own but has been working a treat.
Super Alpha is also super clean, I use it in my Pale Mexican with a little Galaxy late.....and its not that pricey(flowers from craftbrewer).
Can't comment on Magnum or Perle, have never used them but am going to give Magnum a run when my current stock of Target runs out.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Too lazy here!

Did you take your cubes on holiday with you???

 

[syl]

Did you take your cubes on holiday with you???

Every day I wake up in Del Boca Vista! My neighbouards are really annoying too

 

[Dave70]

Too lazy here!

To be honest, in terms of why we even go to the bother of rapid chilling in the first place, you may as well just no chill as do this.
I'd sink mine to the bottom of our 100,000 liter concrete tank that sits around 14 deg year round and hours later they were still way to hot to even think about pitching, let alone form a cold break.
Explains why chill haze has also been my constant companion.

 

[syl]

To be honest, in terms of why we even go to the bother of rapid chilling in the first place, you may as well just no chill as do this.
I'd sink mine to the bottom of our 100,000 liter concrete tank that sits around 14 deg year round and hours later they were still way to hot to even think about pitching, let alone form a cold break.
Explains why chill haze has also been my constant companion.

That pool is 2 degrees. Doesn't take long to get below isomerisation temps Not that I would change what I am doing anyway!!!

 

[lukiferj]

I do the same thing in my pool. I brewed on Sunday morning and pitched that afternoon. Not ideal but seems to work for me. I don't mind a bit of extra bitterness anyway.

 

[syl]

I do the same thing in my pool. I brewed on Sunday morning and pitched that afternoon. Not ideal but seems to work for me. I don't mind a bit of extra bitterness anyway.

You just account for these types of things in your calcs! Simple!

 

[lukiferj]

I've found that I prefer the beers I have slow chilled over no chilled. Could be all in my head but definitely from a convenience factor, works for me. I've had no trouble making hop forward beers this way.

 

[rehab]

I may be talking **** *I am known to do this from time to time as are most Homebrewers* but I remember reading somewhere that people bitter with higher Alpha Hops so that they don't have to throw a heap of lower Alpha Hops at the same point increasing the possible risk of poor/vegetal flavouring from the amount of hops the brew has been exposed to for a long time in the boil... I may have it partly or completely wrong though but this seems like a weird thing to make up

 

[Batz]

US Magnum I do not like.

German Magnum, Northern Brewer, Horizon and I have used Super Pride but moved away from it now.

They are my bittering hops. Not telling you to use them but it's what I like at this time.

Batz

 

[micblair]

As above. Less hop material/break from using a bittering hop which means I can collect more wort of equal bitterness at a fraction of the cost if I was to use a low alpha flavour/aroma variety. As for chill, investing in a Blichmann Therminator was the single best investment after my Braumeister. My beers now seem to achieve a delicate floral flavour/aroma, which I can only speculate to their origin, perhaps less overall bitterness and the retention of a higher portion of the volatile hop oils lending to a rounder, more balanced final product.