Bitterness aint bitterness sol.....

[Goose]

Brewerks, Clark Quay.

 

[Trevandjo]

Brewerks (IMHO) is still worth a visit if your in Singas. They have a decent selection of US craft beers and the food isn't bad either.

 

[Spiesy]

Visited my local craft brewery last week and was chatting to the head brewer about hops in general... to cut to the chase I was a bit surprised when he told me that to bitter a beer with anything other that the lowest cost AA% by weight hop was a waste because at 60+ mins boiling everything aroma and flavour wise just evaporates away.... which meant he used Hercules for bittering at around 17% AA for every beer he produced but only the lower AA hop varieties for aroma and flavour later in the boil.

Now I question whether bitterness is just bitterness.... is there a different kind of bitterness associated with different hops. If you ask me I reckon there is a difference. His Pils had a kind of harsh bitterness to me... not soft. So my limited abilities confine my description to hard and soft...bitterness.

So, is it a waste to use hops for bittering if they aint mega AA% ? Interested in your views...

Went to a GBW night at Clifton Hill Brewpub this year and was told the same thing.

I also disagree.

There are different "types" of bitterness, I've found.

 

[Mardoo]

Hence the interest in cohumulone levels, which are said to contribute a harshness to bitterness when a hop has high cohumulone levels. From my experience I'd have to agree.

Experience tells me there are absolutely different types of bitterness, but I myself can't say that with scientific veracity.