Otto Von Blotto Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 There must be some degree of accuracy if a brew can be repeated numerous times and not drastically change each time. My pale ales are always done the same way although with different hops so amounts differ a bit, same with varying amounts of Saaz depending on the AA% of them, in my pilsners, but the hop/malt balance doesn't change enough to be noticed. Whatever the case, it works and as much as I like numbers and the technical side, I'm not that hung up if the brew is really 50 or 20 instead of the calculated 37. It still tastes the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captain!! Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Yeah I feel the same. A standard pale for me is around the 35-40 mark. If that’s actually 50. I don’t care because I like what the end product is designed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 My LHBS receives hop pellets in vacuum packaging. Their warehouse keeps them in a freezer, but whether it is an industrial freezer or ordinary chest freezer, I don't know. In any case, during the four hour trip from the warehouse to my LHBS, they are transported in a cooler. My LHBS pops them into an ordinary fridge top freezer, which not as cold as an industrial freezer. On an as needed basis they open the packages, pour them into Tupperware containers, and move them into the fridge compartment, from which customers help themselves to however many grams the want. No doubt some varieties mover more quickly than other. I imagine most have gotten quite stale by the time I get them home. Here is an interesting summary of things that affect bitterness and hop utilization: http://yegbierfrau.ca/Hops-Utilisation.php It makes an interesting point about leaf matter in dry hops absorbing bitterness. She says that in beers with <20 IBUs (such as Mitchell's and 150 Lashes) dry hops increases the perceived bitterness, whereas in brews with IBUs >30 IBU, dry hopping decreases perceived bitterness (not sure where she is getting her numbers from). She also says that the AA from high AA hops like Magnum are better utilized than those from low AA hops like Hallertauer, even though a calculator says they are the same. Interesting; I was not aware of that. So many factors. Cheers, Christina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSands Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 3 hours ago, ChristinaS1 said: I imagine most have gotten quite stale by the time I get them home. And how many brewers factor in the age and storage method of the hops when they do their calculations? None of the brew shops here that I know of actually date their hops so you can never be sure how old they are. The store I managed had some less popular, loosely-bagged hops in a fridge (not freezer) that could have literally been 2 or even 3 years old! Their AA's would have been pretty close to zero! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 2 minutes ago, BlackSands said: The store I managed had some less popular, loosely-bagged hops in a fridge (not freezer) that could have literally been 2 or even 3 years old! Wow, that is disturbing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 quick question about hops/bitterness: was having a yarn to myself regarding bitterness ... so hops influence bitterness and the hop influences diminish with age, so bitterness should diminish with age ... is that correct ... and I am not talking about astringency as I am familiar with that ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 4 hours ago, ChristinaS1 said: She also says that the AA from high AA hops like Magnum are better utilized than those from low AA hops like Hallertauer, even though a calculator says they are the same. Interesting; I was not aware of that. So many factors. They are certainly more cost effective. Although these two hops have very similar levels across the board (except for alpha level), their total oil compositions are very different. I assume that also encompasses resin levels which ultimately relate to its bittering capabilities. It is an interesting area I am experimenting in with my brewing atm, & one I'm finding a lot more fascinating than I ever thought I would. Cheers, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 1 hour ago, MartyG1525230263 said: quick question about hops/bitterness: was having a yarn to myself regarding bitterness ... so hops influence bitterness and the hop influences diminish with age, so bitterness should diminish with age ... is that correct ... and I am not talking about astringency as I am familiar with that ... Yes, bitterness does diminish with age as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 Yes. When iso-alpha acids isomerize, they do so into cis and trans isomers. The trans isomers are not stable and degrade, leading to a loss of bitterness, but the cis isomers are stable and remain. In other words, loss of bitterness levels off after a time, when the trans isomers are gone. If memory serves me correctly, that is around the six month point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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