Hops

[Mad Dog]

Freebie Palmer book is awesome! I'm learning tuns... Can someone help me get a grip on Palmer's explanation of hops? Looking for an over simplification.

I get the early bittering hops that stay in long, then aroma hops going in at the end. I'm about to do a porter. What would happen if I cut the bittering hops time in half and left the aroma in twice as long as the recipe called for? Does that necessarily equating to less bitter, more aroma?

[Tipsy]

What would happen if I cut the bittering hops time in half and left the aroma in twice as long as the recipe called for? Does that necessarily equating to less bitter, more aroma?

It probably equates to less bitterness a less aroma but more hop flavour.

When you put hops in boiling wort, aroma is released, if you leave them in longer the aroma will disappear but flavour and bitterness will come out.
If you leave them in even longer most of the flavour disappears but more bitterness will be extracted.

[Bum]

^yep

But your logic works with a bit of tweaking, Mad Dog. Instead of leaving the late hops in longer you add them the at same time but use a greater amount of hops. But you'll need to use more than the amount you remove from the bittering addition. Can get a bit expensive and isn't suitable for all styles.

[Mad Dog]

Ok i think I'm tracking. Let's see if this theory flies.

To add bitterness you add higher acid hops for longer time. More time and/or more acid equals more bitter.
To add more aroma you add more low acid hops for less time.

[Bum]

That is essentially a correct generalisation but (just to confuse you a bit when you've got a handle on it) many of my own favourite aroma hops are also very high AA%.

The above does not make any of your summary wrong, it's just another aspect to consider - and one that is not really appropriate to certain styles as well.

[Mad Dog]

Thanks bum, I think I'm on it now. Of course there are always a few exceptions when personal taste is involved. I was trying to make sure my basic understanding was right.

It seems like beer is a four-way algebra problem. Water + Grain + Hops + Yeast =

And then each of the four have many variables, and so begins a limitless journey for the perfect pint!

[emnpaul]

It seems like beer is a four-way algebra problem. Water + Grain + Hops + Yeast =

And then each of the four have many variables, and so begins a limitless journey for the perfect pint!

Your best generalisation yet.

[Mad Dog]

How about this as the ultimate generalization?

Beer!

[emnpaul]

^About covers it.

[rotten]

Download a program called 'Brewmate' mad dog. It's free and you will be able to see the changes to bitterness at least from different amounts of hops at different times. It's a piece of piss to use

[Mad Dog]

Will do.