Bittering Hops question

[Cully]

This is probably a really dumb question, but something I am not sure about. The all gran recipes I see have some hops in near the beginning of the boil as "bittering" hops. As all hops will impart bitterness, why do they specify specific types for that end of the process? They always name a specific hop at that step so do they, at that stage, impart more than just a bitterness factor? Or can you just chuck any old hop in at the beginning?

[Mr. Dripping]

Alpha acids give the bitterness and the essential oils provide flavour and aroma.
The alpha acids must be isomerised in order to become soluble in the wort....this is achieved by boiling; the longer you boil for the more isomerisation occurs and the more bitterness you extract. The downside to this is that the flavour and aromatic compounds are boiled off and lost.
Late additions do impart bitterness, but obviously not much as they are boiled for less time. To retain flavour and aroma the hops must be added late in the boil so as not to boil off the volatile flavour and aroma oils.

Some hops are described as bittering hops as they have been found to give undesirable or harsh flavour when added late in the boil.
You can more or less use any hop for bittering as any flavour component is negligible or neutral.

[Cully]

So if a recipe called for Fuggles as bittering hops you could substitute anything and not change the finished product? Makes me wonder why recipes specify then.

[Wezzel]

I suppose you wouldn't want to waste expensive or hard to find aromatic hops for bittering when they do not impart much flavour.

There are some good hop charts on Google that will recommend how best to use each variety and possible substitutions for each type.

[Sadfield]

I'd disagree with Mr Dripping to an extent. Alpha acid, although given as a single percentage for a given hop variety, the hops contain varying levels of differing alpha acids (humulone, adhumulone, cohumulone, posthumulone, and prehumulone, for example). Therefore, two different hops with the same alpha acid value, will most likely have differing bittering character, yet achieve the same IBU level after an hours boil. For example, Pacific Jade is often described as having a soft bittering character. How much this difference is noticeable when combined with all other hop additions, malt character, yeast used, etc, is marginal. Careful selection of bittering hops, would probably turn a great beer into an amazing beer, but certainly wouldn't ruin one. So, in a way, yes, any hop can be used.

[WalesAles]

Cully,
This might help!

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=65236

WA

[timbo41]

Agree with all the above. I think its very subjective. Many older recipes call for target or magnum as kettle hops because apparently they are very neutral imparting little or no taste to product, just the necessary ibu. However, the same grain bill with a differing bittering hop can taste very different. I tend now to quite simply use high alpha hops for bittering simply because you need less and there's less hop debris to clog my filter. I add late additions in a hop sock for same reason. Is there a difference? Probably, but not to my untrained pallette

[Cully]

Thanks for the replies, learning a lot.

[fisherman]

I use Magnum as a bittering only base hop base not much flavour just great bittering. Then additions at 15min and 5 min. I try use only three hops in a brew because of confusing flavours. If I made a pasta sauce and used 10 spices in it im sure my taste buds could not take the flavours all at once and it would taste awful. so magnum for base and then any hop taste I fancy. I tend to use high alpha hops for 5min additions.

[raiderman]

There a potential disconnect between home brewing and commercial brewing here. Commercial brewers are looking to maximise profit by keeping expense down and the use of cheaper bittering varieties is a factor in doing so. If they can get an acceptable result and hit their price point they are going to use he cheapest ingredients they can. Stella brewed in the Uk uses maize - not to make a better beer but to produce cheap alcohol; the same logic applies to the use of hops. Home-brew is using such small quantities of hops that the saving in using bittering hops isn't really a factor. The cost difference between using a bittering hop as opposed to an aroma hop is a few pence per pint, which isn't worth worrying about for us.If using modern high AA aroma/dual purpose hops the difference is even less.
I agree with timbo, its very subjective. My preference is house a decent hop for littering as that way I know whatever residual flavour there is its a good flavour. When I brew a big Citra I use citra to bitter and for aroma as that way I know theres no risk of harshness or unpleasant residual flavours. If I had to make the stuff and del it for a living I'd use something cheaper! but as I don't I want the best beer I can make and why use something cheaper?

[timbo41]

I use Magnum as a bittering only base hop base not much flavour just great bittering. Then additions at 15min and 5 min. I try use only three hops in a brew because of confusing flavours. If I made a pasta sauce and used 10 spices in it im sure my taste buds could not take the flavours all at once and it would taste awful. so magnum for base and then any hop taste I fancy. I tend to use high alpha hops for 5min additions.

Yes. That's a good analogy. By high alpha I mean around 9% my recent go to being pride of ringwood in last 3 or 4 beers. I did step up to pacifica gem( jade?) For a brew. Was 15% ish got a funny oily taste I felt, but as it was a beer with biscuit and melandoinin malt, which I hadn't used before, could well have been that. I'm just not discerning enough to know