The Role of Hops in Beer Brewing

The hops used in beer brewing are a plant flower called "common hops", scientifically known as "hops". Hops are added during the brewing process to give beer its unique bitter taste and a rich aroma at the end of brewing. Another huge benefit of adding hops to beer is that it is a natural preservative that can extend the shelf life of beer. With the increasing popularity of hop aroma, as experienced in IPA beers, more breweries are starting to use larger quantities of aroma hops and add them at more stages throughout the brewing cycle.

What are hops in beer?

Hops are flowering plants, also known as hops. It is a climbing plant with cone-shaped flowers. The flowers contain yellow pods. These small yellow pods are called lupins and contain resins and essential oils. Lupins are responsible for the aroma, bitterness, and flavor of beer.

Hops grow best in temperate climates with fertile soil and plenty of sunlight. These ideal areas are usually located at similar latitudes on the world map, both north and south.

Why are hops used in beer?

Craft brewers are chasing hops to enhance the taste, aroma, and bitterness of their beer and balance the sweetness of the malt. Hops can be added at multiple stages of the brewing process to modify the taste, bitterness, and aroma.

Benefits of Hops

Hops are so versatile in craft beer that brewers can create almost any flavor they can imagine. Hops also have another role in beer, which is to provide built-in antimicrobial properties. The acids in hop resins have antimicrobial properties and help inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria during fermentation. This protective effect continues into the finished beer, and hops can also inhibit the development of off-flavors.

When are hops added to the brewing process?

Hops can be added to the wort at three different stages, depending on its role in the beer (flavor, aroma, or bitterness). The same hop can be used for all three purposes, or different hops can be used. Generally, all beers will have at least one type of hop added to the wort to add bitterness and balance the sweetness of the malt. Without bittering hops, the beer will taste very sweet.

Most beer recipes will tell you when to add the hops. For example, if the beer needs to boil for 60 minutes, the recipe may call for you to add bittering hops 30 minutes into the boil.

Generally, bittering hops are added when the wort collects in the pot and begins to boil. Flavoring hops are added in the last 15 to 30 minutes of the boil. It gives the beer a refreshing hop flavor without the accompanying bitterness. Aromatic hops are usually added in the last five minutes of the boil. This is because these hops are volatile and boiling for a long time will take away the aroma.

How to Brew Beer with Hops

Techniques such as dry hopping (fermenting beer with hops) can add aroma without adding extra bitterness. Wet hopping is also becoming more popular, but is less common due to logistical difficulties.

• To begin the brewing process, barley malt is ground, boiled, and mixed with other grains and sugar sources as needed.

• The brewery adds the malt to warm water to activate enzymes. They produce a thick, sugary liquid called wort. The wort is then filtered from the mash and used in the next step.

• Hops are added to the wort and boiled. Boiling hops makes sweet wort bitter, but more hops can be added after the wort cools to add flavor.

• The beer is cooled, yeast is added, and fermented. Fermentation time varies depending on the beer style.

• The final step is filtering and storage. Filtering removes particles, but over-filtering can make the beer too pure for many people's tastes.