Hops?!?!

[el beero]

Had a great brew session this weekend. Wife had a girl's night...so I bottled a batch that was over-due for bottling and brewed two batches! A productive saturday night to say the least! I did have my first experience with using whole leaf hops, and I dont think I would ever go back.

Batch1 that I brewed I used whole leaf and was sold an elastic rimmed mesh bag for straining from the HBS. WHAT A GREAT INVESTMENT!!! Batch2 used pellets because it was a repeat batch and I didnt want to vary too far from what I succeeded with the first time.

The comparitive ease of straining the whole hops versus siphoning the wort through a mesh funnel to put into the primary I dont think I will want to go back to the pellet method unless there is a bunch of out-cry telling me what a grave mistake I am making.

So, that being said, what are the advantages/disadvantages from your learned perspectives? If the flavor result is practically the same, and the biggest difference is being able to be VERY specific about Alpha Acid content with the pellets...well, I might just go whole leaf and never look back!



In primary: Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Belgian Red Ale (both fermenting strongly!)
Bottle Conditioning: Calif. Common/Steam
In belly: RIS, Am. Amber and Beglian Golden Strong batch 1!

[hicks107]

You might want to read this recent thread about the difference between the two: http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14963&highlight=leaf+hops

Since I am growing my own hops I am planning on making the same brew once with strictly pellets and once with strictly leaf hops just to see if there is any difference. (I am growing Cascade & Hallertauer).

My LHBS said that when you plant your own hops it take 4 - 5 years for the AA to stabilize so it might be too soon for me to do the experiment.

[HogieWan]

Just skip the straining step with the pellets

[iahebert]

I did an IPA that only used pellet hops, and it came out INCREDIBLE. I'd say not only my favorite beer i've made (so far) but probably the best IPA i've ever had. I didn't worry about straining the pellets out of the wort, and i'd like to imagine that having it sit on the hop trub acted to dry hop it a bit.

I'll stick with the pellets. I like them better.

[deucedaily]

I use pellets and I use the same straining bag. Even with pellets I seem to pull a fair amount of solids, I think a fair amount of it is hops.

[Mad Scientist]

I have loads of leaf hops, so guess what I use (I'll probably be selling some off--PM if interested).

The real big difference here is that the amount of wort that leaf hops soak up, and the greater utilization that pellets give.

That being said, we should talk again after you have used four or five ounces of leaf hops in a boil before you praise them.....while they are easy to strain out, they sure do clog up the works if you are not careful.