Why would hops drop out faster in one beer vs another

I figure it has to do with the chemical makeup of the hops in question. Some may drop off earlier because of the levels of alpha/beta acids. Some chemical reactions that lead to loss of character could be aerobic (resulting from oxidation) and some could be anaerobic (resulting from time). I'm obviously not a chemist or a brewer, but that's my guess.

 

i would guess all of the above, with heavy emphasis on 1) the hops used, 2) the balance of malt/hop (which is subjective for each taster).

that said, i don't make *arguments* about it, i make *observations*. i don't need to be convinced of what i experience personally and directly.

 

Try Omnipollo stuff. Somehow, even sitting on the shelf for a long time, the hops and flavor are still very, very strong.

 

In a sort of Catch-22, hops act as a wonderful natural preservative, yet they lose their flavor and aroma very quickly. They help a beer stay "good," but don't do much in the way of preserving flavor.

There are numerous different types of hops, however. Brews that are rely on less flavorful hops don't have to worry about the deterioration as much as styles such as American IPAs, where the bright and fresh hops are a quality which defines a good example of the style.

 

Two words: bottle conditioning.

I remember having a bottle of Victory Hop Wallop that seemed like it was more than a few months old, and yet it was still really damn tasty. Conversely, something like this is fantastic uber-fresh, but falls off hard. Guess which one was bottle conditioned?

 

Did those in India drain pour all of their India pale ales after it got to them after months of travel with little or no hops left in them?

 

I am often saying that flower power loses some hop presence at about the one month mark. If you drink a beer that is dry hopped regularly - and frequently and often - you will discern a fading of hops over the one month mark, the two month mark and at the third it seems malt forward to you. It may not seem exactly like that to the person who has never had that beer. I feel bad sometimes because it always seems like I can't say enough to qualifiy my position. Go to the store and buy that dry hopped IPA of your choice. Do not store it in the fridge because on the shelf it's not in the fridge and have it at one month, two months and 3. Take notes.

 

I have heard, and believe it to be true, that the more bittering in a beer, the more sustainable the flavors are over time, while perhaps not as pleasant (depending on your palate). The juicy, aromatic beers seem to fall off or blend into malt much quicker. Dry hop may also play a similar role in shorter term aroma.

Using Hops earlier in the kettle, I.E bittering or mid-boil additions, will produce more bitter flavors that come out in a long, hot steep.

Later additions (<10 mins, flame out, and whirlpool during cooling) allow the hop to steep at a lower temperature and thusly do not cause sensitive oils to hit flashpoint and dissapear- this produces more aroma and softer, smoother bittering.

The difference in a product between having a long, boiling (212* F) steep and one between 180* and 160* F is substantial flavor-wise. Seems a lot of popular IPA/APA are using a lot of late hop additions, so those may be more sensitive to time.

 

Bottle conditioning is adding Yeast to bottles, not hops...

Might still help retain the Hop aroma, never considered this and don't really know why it would, exactly.

 

This article has a small paragraph on why some of the beers Alpine makes drop off after 1 month

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...rt_saisons_and_barrel_aged_beer_are_just.html

 

"Worse, since they depend on hopping techniques that impart aroma and flavor through volatile essential oils, they are highly susceptible to destructive oxidation."

This is basically what I was describing above. I didn't/still wouldn't use the term "oxidization" of the flavors, but that is just because I don't have information supporting that oxidization is the problem the delicate flavors face.

 

No problem, I thought it was a nice read as well.

Personally, I've only ever been able to taste those "cardboard" flavors in oxidized stouts, never in IPA's. Just my pallet I guess

 

I have to bring up the "essential oils" line- essential oils are, by definition, concentrated liquids containing aroma compounds. I've never read or heard anything directly from Alpine stating that they use essential oils during their brewing process. Can anyone confirm that they do use them?

 

The "essential oils" are those of the hops.

 

I am not saying they use oil extracts, nor do I think the article is saying as much.

There are oils in hops that contribute certain characteristics, and almost all of these oils are lost over 180* F
IE:
ALPHA-CARYOPHYLLENE: fp=90C bp=167C
FARNESENE: fp=110C bp=260C
Myrcene: fp=39C bp=167C
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/34093/Wolfe_thesis.pdf?sequence=1