"fruity" - Hops Or Esters

[brando]

Guys,

I'm really not sure if I know the difference between the impact of hops flavours/aromas on my beer compared to what might be coming through from the yeast esters.

Non-brewers have commented that my beer is a little bit "fruity". I'm not sure if this is from the amarillo hops or from the esters produced by the Safale US-05.

When I smell hops, they smell very fruity to me (esp amarillo). How do I differentiate this from yeast esters?

 

[Adamt]

Fruitiness from yeast is usually banana, apple/pear and stonefruit.

Fruity hop flavour is usually citrussy.

 

[Gavo]

US-05 is usually a clean fermenting yeast and is used for this reason as to highlight the hops. Amarillo does give a fruity aroma and flavour that I find quite pleasant. What temp are you fermenting at?
If you are not sure of the effect of the hop in question try the same grain bill with a different hop variety and compare the difference.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[discoloop]

Compare a Coopers Pale to a Little Creatures pale. The Coopers' fruitiness is yeast derived; the LCPA fruitiness is hop derived.

Although, could it be that your non-brewer friends are used to drinking crisp commercial lagers and don't often encounter ales?

 

[Nick JD]

I've tried (and think I've succeeded) to answer this same question.

For a few months, I made exactly the same ale extract recipes (s-04) - first up varying the hop type, and second - varying the temperature.

Used 1.5kg Coopers light malt, 0.5 kg LDME, 700g Dextrose and 350g steeped Carapils for each brew.

Highest temp with Nelson Sauvin (very fruity hop) was kept at a constant 24 degrees. Exactly the same recipe, and hops @ 16 degrees = SAME BEER. Fruity.

When I used Southern Cross (for all three hops additions: 60, 15 and 0 minutes), brewed at 24 degrees, the beer would be best described as "green tea with jasmine". I know that sounds weird, but it tastes great. No banana aromas, but a very warm ferment.

IMO - virtually all the fruitiness is coming from the hops.

So now I work under the assumption that a good whack of fruity aroma hops, dry will "out-fruity" any ale yeast ester - in a good way. And that (for my brewing method) ester problems with high temperature fermetation is not a serious issue.

 

[brando]

I've tried (and think I've succeeded) to answer this same question.

For a few months, I made exactly the same ale extract recipes (s-04) - first up varying the hop type, and second - varying the temperature.

Used 1.5kg Coopers light malt, 0.5 kg LDME, 700g Dextrose and 350g steeped Carapils for each brew.

Highest temp with Nelson Sauvin (very fruity hop) was kept at a constant 24 degrees. Exactly the same recipe, and hops @ 16 degrees = SAME BEER. Fruity.

When I used Southern Cross (for all three hops additions: 60, 15 and 0 minutes), brewed at 24 degrees, the beer would be best described as "green tea with jasmine". I know that sounds weird, but it tastes great. No banana aromas, but a very warm ferment.

IMO - virtually all the fruitiness is coming from the hops.

So now I work under the assumption that a good whack of fruity aroma hops, dry will "out-fruity" any ale yeast ester - in a good way. And that (for my brewing method) ester problems with high temperature fermetation is not a serious issue.

I think I'm starting to understand. Might just have to do a lot more sampling I think

 

[Gavo]

I think I'm starting to understand. Might just have to do a lot more sampling I think

That one of the good parts of this hobby. Plenty of scientific experimentation required.


Gavo.

 

[Swinging Beef]

discoloops suggestipon is a good one.
Compare some belgian brews to some american or hoppy brews
Fruity yeasts: Shofferhoeffer Hefeweisen, Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruits, Dubvel, LaChouffe, CHimay

Fruity Hops: LCPA, James Squire Golden Ale, JS Hop Theif (coming out in a week or so), Macs Hop Rocker Pilsner, Timothy Taylors Landlord

Oh, man.. Im gonna tell my wife I dont understand the fruity differences either!

 

[Sammus]

discoloops suggestipon is a good one.
Compare some belgian brews to some american or hoppy brews
Fruity yeasts: Shofferhoeffer Hefeweisen, Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruits, Dubvel, LaChouffe, CHimay

Fruity Hops: LCPA, James Squire Golden Ale, JS Hop Theif (coming out in a week or so), Macs Hop Rocker Pilsner, Timothy Taylors Landlord

Oh, man.. Im gonna tell my wife I dont understand the fruity differences either!

Yeah I'm not sure I understand either. I might go and get the beers you mentioned to help me figure it out. In fact, I better get two of each, or even three... :unsure: