Hops and Other Flavorings

Question 1

What was the original purpose of using hops for brewing?

Answer 1

For their antibacterial properties, and helping to preserve beer.

Question 2

What are hops mainly used for today in brewing?

Answer 2

• Hop bitterness
• Hop aromas

Question 3

What is the scientific name for the hop plant?

Answer 3

Humulus lupulus

Question 4

Are hops a perennial or an annual plant?

Answer 4

perennials

This means they live for more than one growing season and will continue to grow and produce leaves and flower for several years.

Annual plants need to be replanted and grown from seed each year/season.

Question 5

What are bines?

Answer 5

The hop ‘vine’ or shoots that grow and climb, eventually producing the hop cones.

Bines wil grow to 4.5-6 meters or 15-20 feet, per year.

Question 6

When are hop cones harvested?

Answer 6

Late summer or autumn.

Question 7

What part of the hop plant is used in brewing?

Answer 7

The hop cone.

Question 8

What are the key parts of the hop cones that are used for brewing?

Answer 8

The lupulin glands.

These are located in the center of the hop cone.

Question 9

Where do you find the bittering acids in the hop cone and what are they called?

Answer 9

Called alpha acids, they are located in the lupulin glands.

Question 10

What are iso-alpha acids?

Answer 10

Bittering compounds created from the alpha acids when the wort is boiled.

Question 11

What do the lupulin glands contain besides the alpha acids?

Answer 11

Essential oils

They contribute aromas to the final beer.

Question 12

What are the bracts?

Answer 12

Green petal-like structures that surround the lupulin glands in the hop cone.

Question 13

What is the strig?

Answer 13

The stalk that connects the bine to the hop cone.

Question 14

What are the green petal-like structures that surround the lupulin glands in the hop cone?

Answer 14

Bracts

Question 15

How many hours of daylight do hop plants need during the growing season?

Answer 15

A minimum of 13 hours.

Question 16

What are the optimal latitudes for growing hop plants?

Answer 16

Between 35 degrees and 55 degrees North and South of the equator.

Question 17

What factors can influence the character of a hop plant?

Answer 17

• Location
• Soil
• Slope
• Sunlight
• Temperature
• Rainfall

Question 18

Where are hops native to?

Answer 18

• Europe
• Asia
• North America

Question 19

When are hops harvested in the Northern hemisphere and Southern hemisphere?

Answer 19

North: August or September
South: February or March

Question 20

What type of machine will separate the hop bines from the cones?

Answer 20

A hop picker.

Question 21

Why and how are hops treated when they are harvested?

Answer 21

Hops contain moisture which needs to be reduced to avoid rot, this is done by drying the hops with warm air in a hop kiln.

Question 22

What happens to hops once they are dried?

Answer 22

The hops are compressed and made into bales, which can then be divided and stored in sealed packages for distribution.

Question 23

Hop bitterness

What type of acids do hops primarily contain that contribute bitterness?

Answer 23

Alpha acids

Question 24

Hop bitterness

Alpha acids are not particularly bitter in their natural state. How / when do they become the bittering agent in beer?

Answer 24

During the wort boiling alpha acids are converted to more bitter and soluble iso-alpha acids, which add bitterness to the final beer.

Question 25

# Hop bitterness What is **isomerisation**?

Answer 25

The process of **converting** alpha acids to iso-alpha acids.

Question 26

# Hop bitterness How is bitterness **measured** in beer?

Answer 26

International Bitterness Units | (IBU) ## Footnote IBU is a measure of iso-alpha acid per liter of beer.

Question 27

# Hop bitterness What do IBUs **measure**?

Answer 27

The level of iso-alpha acids **per liter of beer** on a scale from 1 to 100 IBUs.

Question 28

# Hop aroma What do the **essential oils** in hops contain?

Answer 28

Aromatic compounds

Question 29

# Hop aroma What can aromatic compounds **contribute** to a beer's style?

Answer 29

Aromas of: * fruits * flowers * herbs * spices

Question 30

# Hop aroma Why may some aromas be **turned to vapor** and **lost** during the wort boiling?

Answer 30

The hop aromatic compounds are **volatile** and can be heated off the wort before contributing a lot of aromas to the final beer.

Question 31

# Hop aroma **When** is it best to add hops to the wort if you are looking to add **hop aromas**?

Answer 31

Toward the **end of the boil**. ## Footnote This lessens the amount of vaporization of delicate compounds, thus retaining them in the beer.

Question 32

# Hop aroma What does the term **dry hopping** refer to?

Answer 32

Adding hops **during or even after** fermentation. ## Footnote The hops are added to cooler liquid so that the oils do not evaporate.

Question 33

# Hop aroma What **style** of beer is dry hopping most closely associated with?

Answer 33

IPA | India Pale Ale ## Footnote This process tends to add pronounced hop aromas familiar to this style.

Question 34

# Hop aroma What is the **main concern** with dry hopped beers?

Answer 34

* Dry hopped aromas are not very stable. * Care must be taken when storing beer, and drinking it fresh.

Question 35

# Hop aroma What is one effect a **dry hopped** beer may experience?

Answer 35

Dry hopping can contribute a **haze** to the beer. ## Footnote The haze on some beers can be very dense and thick.

Question 36

# Hop varieties **How many** commercial hop **varieties** are available?

Answer 36

Well **over 200** varieties.

Question 37

# Hop varieties What are **traditional German** and **Czech** hops noted for?

Answer 37

Subtle **spicy**, **floral** or **herbal** aromas. ## Footnote Such as peppercorn, blossom or mint.

Question 38

# Hop varieties What are some **key examples** of **traditional German** and **Czech** hops?

Answer 38

* Hallertauer Mittelfruh * Tettnanger * Spalt * Saaz (Žatec )

Question 39

# Hop varieties What are **traditional British** hops noted for?

Answer 39

Subtle **herbal**, **earthy** or **fruity** aromas. ## Footnote Such as green or black tea, earth, cedar or blackcurrant.

Question 40

# Hop varieties What are some noted **examples** of **traditional British** hops?

Answer 40

* East Kent Golding(s) * Challenger * Fuggle

Question 41

# Hop varieties What are **traditional American** hops noted for?

Answer 41

**Pronounced** **citrus**, **stone fruit** or **tropical fruit** aromas. ## Footnote Such as grapefruit, orange, peach, pineapple, lychee and notes of resin or pine.

Question 42

# Hop varieties What are some key **examples** of **traditional American** hop varieties?

Answer 42

* Cascade * Chinook * Simcoe * Citra * Amarillo * Mosaic ## Footnote A number of these are trademarked hops varieties.

Question 43

# Hop varieties What are **New Zealand** and **Australian** hops noted for?

Answer 43

**Tropical fruit**, **stone fruit**, and **citrus fruit** characteristics. ## Footnote Such as passion fruit, gooseberry, grape, peach, or lime.

Question 44

# Hop varieties What are some key **examples** of **New Zealand** and **Australian** hops?

Answer 44

* Nelson Sauvin * Motueka * Galaxy

Question 45

# Hop products What are **whole hops**?

Answer 45

**Dried hop cones** that are compressed and made into bales following harvest.

Question 46

# Hop products What is one **con** to using whole hops?

Answer 46

They are **less efficient** in terms of **extracting** bitterness and aroma compared to other hop products.

Question 47

# Hop products What are **hop pellets**?

Answer 47

These are made from whole hop cones that have been **milled** and **pressed** into small pellets, making them easier to store than whole hops.

Question 48

# Hop products In the production of hop pellets, what is **broken up**, **exposing** the essential oils and bittering acids?

Answer 48

Lupulin glands

Question 49

# Hop products What is a **benefit** to using hop pellets **over** whole hops?

Answer 49

It is **easier** to **extract** the bitterness and aroma due to the lupulin glands being broken up.

Question 50

# Hop products What **caution(s)** must a brewer take when using **hop pellets**?

Answer 50

Hop pellets have a lot of essetial oils and bittering acids that can **go stale** if **exposed** to oxygen in the air.

Question 51

# Hop products How can brewers **keep hops** (whole or pellets) from going stale too **quickly**?

Answer 51

By **storing** in **oxygen-free** packets and **refrigerate**.

Question 52

# Hop products What is the **most common way** for brewers to add hops to their beer today?

Answer 52

Using **hop pellets**.

Question 53

# Hop products How are **hop extracts** produced?

Answer 53

By **dissolving** extracted bittering acids and essential oils from hops into a **solvent**. ## Footnote Solvents such as ethanol or liquid carbon dioxide.

Question 54

# Hop products What are hop extracts **typically** used for?

Answer 54

Typically for **bittering potential**, but sometimes for hop aroma. ## Footnote Can also reduce the solid matter in a batch of beer.

Question 55

# Other flavorings What **other ingredients** (aside from hops) can be used to flavor beer?

Answer 55

* **Fruits**: cherry, raspberry, apricot * **Herbs**: gentian, bog myrtle, dandelion * **Spices**: corriander seed, grains of paradise, orange or lemon peel, star anise * **Honey** ## Footnote A whole host of other items can be used as long as they are edible and practical to use.

Question 56

# Other flavorings When is the best time to add **herbs** and **spices** to the brewing process?

Answer 56

Often added **toward the end of the boil**. ## Footnote This offers the best opportunity for extraction of aromas, as well as sterilizing the ingredients.

Question 57

# Other Flavorings When is the best time to add **whole fruits** or **fruit purees** to the brewing process?

Answer 57

During the **maturation phase**. ## Footnote At which point cooler temperatures help to preserve the delicate aromas.

Question 58

# Other flavorings When are **fruit syrups** often added to the brewing process?

Answer 58

These are often simply added to the **finished beer**, which is then filtered and/or pasteurized.