Hops are an annual, dioecious climbing plant from the hemp family. Its shoots reach eight meters in height, and there are male and female inflorescences on one plant. To make beer, only fluffy and soft cones are used, which are non-pollinated female flowers, in fact, they contain the substances necessary for beer.
Types of hops for brewing beer
Hops have long been used in brewing. Brewing beer with a pleasant aroma and a special hop flavor has always been the main task of brewers. Currently, in foreign countries, pelleted hops are often used for making home-brewed beer. It is made from various plant varieties, so the quality of the hops directly depends on the variety and method of preparation.
In order to make high-quality home-brewed beer, it is better to use natural ingredients. In home brewing, natural hops with their aroma and taste are irreplaceable. It serves as a beer stabilizer and clarifier, and the aroma of fresh hops has a soothing effect.
The amount of hops added to the wort directly depends on the type of beer being brewed. According to classic recipes, twenty grams of hops are added for every ten liters of beer. It is needed to give beer a pleasant bitterness and characteristic aroma, increase transparency and foam formation. This natural antiseptic and preservative has the ability to inhibit the activity of bacteria, and therefore inhibits the wort oxide.
Beer hopping stages
Typically, the beer hopping process takes place in three stages. If the beer is brewed from natural malt, hops are added at the beginning of the wort brewing. This is the first hopping and serves to add bitterness to the beer. In the second stage, the hops are added twenty to thirty minutes before the end of the wort preparation. This process gives the beer a sophisticated hop flavor. The third stage is when the hops are added five minutes before the end of the brewing process and give the beer a unique hop aroma.
Classic brewing involves these three methods. The exceptions are special beers and home brewing. In these cases, the hops are introduced during the fermentation of the wort, as well as the young beer. Its purity is of particular importance at these stages.
For a special hop aroma - it is added at the second stage of beer fermentation, at the time of fermentation decrease and yeast settling to the bottom, or during packaging of young and homemade beer in glass containers for aging. During wort fermentation and beer aging, granulated hops are used; they are stored in sealed packaging that completely excludes contact with air. Sometimes brewers add hops to beer after infusing it with vodka or alcohol.
