Gravity - effects on aroma and flavour?

Earlier today I listened to the Glenn Tinseth interview on the Experimental Brewing podcast number 32. In response to a question from Drew about if he were to research hop utilization today, Glenn mentioned he would study the 'effect' of pellets vs. whole hops. Glenn has never studied hop pellets and hop utilization.

I wonder what would be the scientific basis for IBU estimators (calculators) for factoring the difference of pellets vs. whole hops? This would definitely not be from the research of Glenn Tinseth.

Cheers!

 

I've always operated from the premise that hops are hops...pellets usually store better, but whole cones are not processed as much... for me there really isn't a gnat's ass worth of difference between pellets and whole cones as long as your brewing system can accommodate the procedural differences.

 

Barry, you might want to listen to Glenn Tinseth's discussion about whole hops vs. hop pellets from a hop utilization perspective; he addressed this in a qualitative sense.

Cheers!

 

Jack,
I appreciate your invitation, but like a lot of other things here, there is a lot of science, conjecture, opinion, and experience on the subject of hop utilization. I have hopped enough beers at this point that most new information seems purely pedantic. My mind is still open (and I will eventually watch the podcast), but I would rather brew/hop/drink beer than engage in useless speculation that doesn't include my palate How about a Reader's Digest version for me? Cheers

 

He basically qualitatively discussed the fact that hop pellets ‘break up’ with the boiling action and therefore the alpha acids are more readily available to go into solution.

You really should listen for yourself rather than reading my ‘executive summary’.

I hear what you are saying ‘learning’ via your homebrewing practice. I too ‘learn’ things via my 20+ years of homebrewing. Having stated that, I have learned a lot over the years by listening and having conversations with scientists in the beer industry.

I know I will forget some folks but thank you to Dr. Chris White, Dr. Tobias Fischborn, Peter Wolfe, Greg Doss, Jess Caudill, and others.

It has been my consistent experience that the scientists in the beer industry are knowledgeable and very open, honest and transparent in their communications.

YMMV.

Cheers!

 

I was under the impression this was still hypothetical. I will say that yeast choice clearly makes a difference with regards to hop aroma and flavor. it may be that proteins inhibit the solubility of alpha acids simply from a bittering perspective, especially when I believe it is the proteins that help keep hop oils in suspension in northeast iPa.

 

Yeah, you got me feelin guilty a bit...but thanks for the "executive Summary". My experience tells me that the thesis of: boiling pellet hop disintegration leads to increased utilization makes sense. Would I increase/decrease my already rounded-off measures of hops based on this new research? I think not. As a self-anointed homegrown hop aficionado I'm not going to start using more pellet hops because they might have a slightly higher utilization (except for the proprietary flavor/aroma ones I have a weakness for )

 

Of course you shouldn't make changes to a homebrewing practice that 'works' for you. Obtaining new knowledge does not 100% correlate with a need to make changes. Sometimes obtaining a new and better understanding is 'reward' enough.

Of course you should continue to use your homegrown hop crop and use them the way you like.

I have only one hop plant in my backyard and I personally choose to solely use that plant for brewing a wet hopped Harvest Ale every year. I add the freshly picked whole hops at the end of boil. I choose to use pellet hops for bittering and 10 minutes before end of boil additions.

Maybe it is time once again for my old saying of: brew the beers you like and brew them the way you like.

Cheers!

 

Better than what? My current understanding is: Hop make Neanderthal beer good...Ugh!

 

Fair enough Barry. If you know everything you need to know there really is no need to learn more.

You da man!?!

Cheers!

 

I'll need to check with Denny - he was the one with that particularly piece of insight. Naturally we want to followup and do another hop study with the IGORs, but well, we just lost Niko as a sponsor so we've got some more digging to do there.

 

Yeah, I'm really sad for Niko. It bites.

And I defintiely want us to get into oil analysis as well. Need more time and experimenters!

 

If I had a nickel for every time someone around here says they're thinking of doing this...

 

Fugacity ... now bring that up at a cocktail party and see what it gets you!

 

Maybe some BA who can do a gas chromatograph will help out here!?!

Cheers!

 

Fugacity? I thought you said fugazi. My bad.