Iso-hops

[Braumoasta]

So I was just looking in the "What do you buy a carton of?" thread and noticed that a lot of people recommend Oettinger Pils. I'm pretty sure this beer uses Iso hops. A lot of people told me that the step up from kits to extract brewing is so good because you get to use real hops instead of the iso-hops used in alot of kits, and no longer get the horrible "iso-hop" taste. I've never noticed a iso-hop taste (not that I would know what that tastes like??) in my beer or Oettinger. Why is the iso-hops in kits are talked about so badly, yet I haven't seen one person say anything bad about the iso-hops in Oettinger? Is it a case of different quality iso-hops being used?

 

[bignath]

So I was just looking in the "What do you buy a carton of?" thread and noticed that a lot of people recommend Oettinger Pils. I'm pretty sure this beer uses Iso hops. A lot of people told me that the step up from kits to extract brewing is so good because you get to use real hops instead of the iso-hops used in alot of kits, and no longer get the horrible "iso-hop" taste. I've never noticed a iso-hop taste (not that I would know what that tastes like??) in my beer or Oettinger. Why is the iso-hops in kits are talked about so badly, yet I haven't seen one person say anything bad about the iso-hops in Oettinger? Is it a case of different quality iso-hops being used?

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with using iso hops - they have their place in brewing. It's probably more about how they are used i would have thought..

Iso Hops or not, that beer is pretty good. Is it the best beer out there? Hell no. Not by a long shot, but compared to megacrap for $40 a box, i'd take it over the other options every day of the week.

There are more reasons that brewers choose to move away from kits to unhopped extracts or AG besides the iso hop thing.

 

[manticle]

People are often guessing about what gives a kit taste to a kit beer. One suggestion (not fact) is that it may be isohops.

Beers like oettinger use hop extract AND hops as far as I'm aware. I think (think, not sure, happy to be corrected by anyone who isn't an arrogant prick) that isohop is a bittering extract (eg - just the alpha acid component) whereas you can get hop extracts that have the same characteristics as the actual hop- kind of like a liquified pellet, plug or flower.

 

[iScarlet]

I'd argue that part of the "kit taste" may be caused, to some degree, by the dehydration pre-tinning.

I'm not too sure about the process, but if the wrt is made up and hopped and then dehydrated surely there'd be some denaturization happening as both the malt and hop oils are becoming more and more concentrated.

Dunno, that'll be my 2c for now until someone throws better info my way.

 

[Florian]

I think that isohop is a bittering extract (eg - just the alpha acid component) whereas you can get hop extracts that have the same characteristics as the actual hop- kind of like a liquified pellet, plug or flower.

That's exactly my understanding as well.
And yes, commercially iso hops are almost always used in conjunction with 'real' hops as far as I'm aware.

I have brewed a batch of Pilsner for the QLD case swap which only used iso hops and hop aroma extract which I got from Germany a while back, no 'real' hops whatsoever. Unfortunately the beer, although filtered, is haunted by a unpleasant yeast taste (Rasenmaeher Lager) which I'm hoping will dissipate over time. I reckon it will actually be a very drinkable beer for those who can wait, nothing real fancy of course, just your average german Pils.

Also, iso hops are processed out of real hops just like LDME etc is made out of real all grain wort, so as far as I'm aware there is nothing artificial per se about it. Just like Hop pellets are processed out of hop flowers.

:icon_offtopic:
iScarlet, no need to put an into wort, the german word is actually Wrze.

 

[iScarlet]

:icon_offtopic:
iScarlet, no need to put an into wort, the german word is actually Wrze.

Heh, fair enough. I just love umlauts. Seeing as I've been pulled up I'm going to keep that there, my Spınal Tap moment

(just wish the n-umlaut would work here)

 

[Feldon]

All beers made with hops (flowers, pellets) have iso-hops in them. That's why we boil hops - to isomerisise (spelling?) or make soluable the bittering agents in hops.

 

[BeerSwiller]

I also was under the impression Iso Hops were just the isomerisation of the alpha acids but lent no actual 'hop' flavours as it doesn't contain any of the oils that give the hop their unique flavours/aroma...