Hops - Flowers V Pellets For Noobies

[beerguide]

A malty lager (kiwi steam) with some Southern Cross flowers is the next brew for me due to positive comment posted here.

I recently bottled a 'Pilsner' using Southern Cross flowers and whilst it is still bottle conditioning the flavour and aromas of the wort were fantastic. When calculating my water I just added an extra 1.5 ltrs to accomodate absorption by the flowers - figure I just made up, but the final water calcs proved I was just off and probably should have added 2 ltrs.

I've never used plugs, but having now used pellets and flowers multiple times each I find flowers easier to work with in terms of siphoning off the wort as the flowers acted like a filter in my setup whereas typically if I don't whirlpool properly I end up with chunky pellet goodness in my fermenter. Moving foward I'll try to use flowers more often for this reason alone - for me anything I can do that makes brewing day easier is a win-win situation

 

[milpod]

I find flowers give a smoother profile too,I'd use them exclusively if I had the storage space.I dont,so I use a mixture.

Certain hops I'll only use as flowers now,others I'm not concerned about.Depends what I'm brewing ^_^

 

[Darren]

When I use pellets, I just throw them into my kettle, but what I have found is that my utilisation appears lower as the pellets stick to the side of my kettle. As the boil continues more and more hop material sticks to the side of my kettle and is not being boiled.

Wally

Hey Wally,

I have observed this too. A few years ago I suggested that this is the primary reason that "first wort hopping" produced smoother bittering (apart from the fact you lose a heap if there is a boil-over). Many here laughed me down as crazy :icon_cheers:

cheers

Darren

EDIT: I haven't used plugs or flowers for years now. The "steal" too much wort and have a nasty habit of clogging lines etc. They become oxidised more readily than pellets. Funky oxidised plugs or flowers make funky beer.

 

[Tony]

sotherm cross flowers are awsome.

15.4%AA and cohunulone levels of a low alpah noble hop.... around the 24% mark.

Makes for a very VERY clean, smooth and firm bitterness.

NZ Pacific Hal flowers are a great finnishing hop in anything golden, lager or ale, nice hop!.

cheers

 

[Tony]

They become oxidised more readily than pellets. Funky oxidised plugs or flowers make funky beer.

VEry true Darren....... that is their downfall. They have to be fresh and IMO plugs are the worst for going stale for some reason. Any i have kept for a while always seem to dry out and go yuck.

flowers however corectly stored will last a bit longer but not as long as pellets will in the same conditions.

Good point!

cheers

 

[johnno]

The only flowers I have used are fresh POR from my homegrown.

Have to say they are very smooth. Wish I could grow all varieties.

And what is all the fuss about POR? Grow some at home and you will love them.

 

[milpod]

oxidized isn't unwelcome these days.At least I got the Yankee spell check to leave me alone.

Have read a few articles favouring,oxidized hops?

Well maybe not,on the spell check

It looks like another shit fight,just the combatants are different,but the same.

 

[milpod]

View attachment 17083

The only flowers I have used are fresh POR from my homegrown.

Have to say they are very smooth. Wish I could grow all varieties.

And what is all the fuss about POR? Grow some at home and you will love them.
[/quote

I'll accept Por,in flower form.

I keep telling people,it's still Australia

 

[troydo]

I have used both flowers and pellets, and i will avoid flowers if possible because i dont have a hop bag or tap screen, and they end up in my bloody cube!
pellets on the otherhand just form a nice pile after whirlpooling.

after i fix my kettle setup a bit i will not care what form they are in, its all about availability, but withought some form of flower screen or bag its hardly worth the trouble (unless they are the only type available)