Most Neutral Hop For Bittering?

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Yep, Northern Brewer is good.
'Just brewing my second batch of a Janets Brown ale right now which has NB as a mash hop and the first two additions at 60 and 15 minutes !
The last batch was primo, 'hope this goes as well.
 
Thanks for the info guys, I have some northern brewer so I'm going to make a basic beer for a newbie brewer who wants something that will be fairly 'bland' like mainstream beers.... Not that I like a bland beer it just trying to help a mate out.
I'd say a single bittering addition to 25IBU, mostly pale malt, small amount of wheat and touch of crystal for colour.
 
I think getting clean bittering is often about about getting a hop that has the right flavour profile as well as being less strong in flavour. You want to use something that blends well or sometimes subtly complements the flavour with the grain bill, yeast characteristics and late hops if applicable. It's like putting a bright pink tennis ball in some bushes and a green soccer ball. there. the green is bigger (more flavour) but blends in because it is more similar in colour (flavour).

I use Pacific Gem a fair bit for bitterring and I've never noticed it but I rarely brew delicate lagers or things where there isn't a fair bit of flavour in there already.
 
I use Pacific Gem a fair bit for bitterring and I've never noticed it but I rarely brew delicate lagers or things where there isn't a fair bit of flavour in there already.

I just started drinking a pils where I had used pacific gem as the bittering hop - and would not recommend it. I'd almost tip the keg except i'm running short of beer ( i exaggerate here - its not quite that bad - but definately not the best beer i've ever made)
 
I just started drinking a pils where I had used pacific gem as the bittering hop - and would not recommend it. I'd almost tip the keg except i'm running short of beer ( i exaggerate here - its not quite that bad - but definately not the best beer i've ever made)

What was it that you didn't like about it, what's the bad flavour? Is it a flavour that clashes with a pils? It can give some woody flavours when used late, is it some of that coming through?

I've used it late as well with good results. It is mostly english/belgian ales and a couple american IPA's I've used it in. Flavours that would blend in and suit them could easily be offensive in a pils. Guess that's more support for my post above.

I've heard a couple bad things about pacific gem before but I've used it many times and always enjoyed it. I'm wondering if it's one of those hops that doesn't keep well (like that australian one that I won't mention in a thread like this in fear of a neverending kerfuffle).
 
What was it that you didn't like about it, what's the bad flavour? Is it a flavour that clashes with a pils? It can give some woody flavours when used late, is it some of that coming through?
Not really sure how to describe it, maybe sort of peppery?. Its not an extremely overwhelming flavour, but pretty much everything shows through in a pils. Your right that it would probably blend in or be covered up well in other styles where it had something to actually hide behind. Could definately see it being a good base for a belgin ale or an IPA.
 
I just started drinking a pils where I had used pacific gem as the bittering hop - and would not recommend it. I'd almost tip the keg except i'm running short of beer ( i exaggerate here - its not quite that bad - but definately not the best beer i've ever made)


More a case of selecting the right hop for a lager............maybe not such a good choice from it's description:

A high alpha hop with a pleasant aroma and a useful bitterness of 13 % or higher alpha acid. Pacific Gem can produce a cask oak flavour with distinct blackberry aroma, along with a woody character.


Screwy
 
I'd use magnum for bittering 9 brews out of 10, big fan B)
 
More a case of selecting the right hop for a lager............maybe not such a good choice from it's description:

A high alpha hop with a pleasant aroma and a useful bitterness of 13 % or higher alpha acid. Pacific Gem can produce a cask oak flavour with distinct blackberry aroma, along with a woody character.


Screwy

Yeah, the description i'd read was "Well suited to a wide range of beer styles and lends itself well to European Lager styles of various bitterness levels." which I took as meaing it was pretty clean and neutral. But hey - live and learn. I would have never really know if i hadn't tried it. Half the fun of brewing is learning and experimenting.
 
I find NB to carry flavour over when you use it early, it is just that it is a pleasant woody flavour rather than a fruity one.

I have not used Horizon, but I've tried beers which use it, and I agree with the reputation of horizon for pleasant neutrality.

The other tack might be things which are ultra high aa like topaz and summit.

Ed: again, I'm inexperienced with Magnum, but it is the choice of so many light lager producers so there must be some substance there. It seems to be basically super aa noble style.
 
How 'neutral', or not, does anyone think Pride of Ringwood would be? Got some sitting in the fridge that I have never used as I have only heard bad things about it.
 
I got and used PoR for alot of basic Aussie ales, just a single hop addition at 60 min, 27 IBU..
Definitely imparts flavour to the beer, but pleasant.
 
How 'neutral', or not, does anyone think Pride of Ringwood would be? Got some sitting in the fridge that I have never used as I have only heard bad things about it.
Definately not neutral - but that doesn't make it bad.

Its the basis of almost every aussie megaswill (except XXXX) and will, without doubt, make you beer taste "aussie".

I don't mind using it late, and have made some quite enjoyable beers with it, but most people would only ever consider using it early.

I think freshness is also really important with POR. Its not a hop that "keeps" well.
 
How 'neutral', or not, does anyone think Pride of Ringwood would be? Got some sitting in the fridge that I have never used as I have only heard bad things about it.

A single addition of PoR will give flavour and possibly aroma to the finished beer. I'd argue all hops of my experience will lend something when used this way - some less than others if a late hop is also used but you are really just disguising an ingredient (hence my first post in this thread).

When I have tried using higher aa bittering hops (something I no longer do) I had success with German Northern Brewer.
 
As far as high alpha hops go, Northern Brewer T45 is very clean and good value at 15%AA

In the past i've used Warrior with pretty good effect for bittering and late additions, and it seemed quite clean, perhaps has a bit more flavour to offer than NB.
 
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