What is your favorite kind of hops?

[mookow]

I mean this question two ways:
-what is your favorite variety of hops?
-what is your favorite form of hops?

Also, how do you guys dry hop? I tried it once with the pellets, thinking that they would remain in pellet form. Obviously, that didnt work out so well, and I had to strain my beer through a funnel prior to bottling, which introduced a lot of oxygen into my beer. Thankfully, none of that stout is going to last long enough for this to matter much (I hope), but in the future I'd like to know how you guys compensate for that. I considered bagging my hops prior to dry hopping, but I dont know how I would get the bag out of the carboy after the pellets disintegrate and the hops swell up.

[fretlessman71]

Different hops for different folks.

Sorry - that wasn't going to rhyme no matter how I twisted it...

Amarillo is a big favorite here... personally, I can smell Cascade a mile away, and I just never get tired of them.

Full hop leaves soak up a lot of trub - it's not always the best way to go.

The preceding has been a series of random thoughts by Fret. :)

[Grog]

Willamette & Czech Saaz. Whole hops only. I stuff the whole hops into the carboy and use a SS scrubber as a filter when I tranfer to bottling bucket. When I keg, the hops go into the keg and the out line gets the scrubber.

[HogieWan]

I've used pellets. Just rack off the top of the trub. It stys pretty packed down there. Some may find its way to the bottling bucket, but just rack off of that trub and leave it all behind.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

Personally I'm a bit old school, I like whole hops. (I only use pellets when I absolutely have to)

As far as my favorites are concerned.

1. Hallertau Mitterlfruh
2. Willamette
3. Saaz
4. Cascade
5 Northern Brewer

I dry hop when the recipe calls for it.

[HogieWan]

I like whole hops, too, but I can't always find the variety I want in the whole form.

*edit - I actully like the plugs.

[guildofevil]

I always use whole hops.

My favourite varies over time but at the moment I am using Pacific Gem for bittering and EK Goldings or Cascade for flavouring/aroma.

Séan

[HogieWan]

EKG is high on my list

I didn't realize that i didn't say it on this thread (as I have on every other thread), but I will be planting Williamette and Mt Hood in the backyard this spring.

[Beertracker]

I use a lot of Colombus, Crystal, Magnum, Perle, Spalt & Tettnanger in my brewing. However, I grow Fuggles & Nugget in my backyard! ;)

[chazwicke]

Amarillo! Love that Grapefruitiness. Challenger, Kent Goldings & all the others. HOPS ARE GOOD.

I grow Cascade, Saaz, Willamette, Chinook in my yard. the Cascade have done the best over the last decade or so.

[Ill hophead]

Amarillo is my favorite too. I love when I can smell them while I'm pouring a beer into my glass. Gumballhead and Mojo are 2 good Amarillo hop beers.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Amarillo! Love that Grapefruitiness.

so, is that where AB gets that grapefruit taste. I don't like grapefruit, so I don't like that hop flavor or beers with that hop flavor. Maybe I'll get over it, maybe not.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by HogieWan
so, is that where AB gets that grapefruit taste. I don't like grapefruit, so I don't like that hop flavor or beers with that hop flavor. Maybe I'll get over it, maybe not.

I predict you will get over it when you sample a fresh Gumballhead.

[Insidious Rex]

Or a Pliny.

[shirteesdotnet]

I like to use Saaz, but recently Im looking for a whole hop of two Polish varieties... Marynka and Lublin hops. I can only find them as pellets. Anyone know of a source that sells these two types of hops? Thanks! Dave :)