Episode #67 - Hop Techniques with Gordon Strong

[BeerSmith]

Hop Techniques for Beer with Gordon Strong - BeerSmith Podcast #67

http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/10/14/hop-techniques-for-beer-with-gordon-strong-beersmith-podcast-67/

Cheers,
Brad

[grathan]

I really don't understand how he says mash hops give no flavor, but hops thrown into mash runnings have tons of flavor. Perhaps he is implying that flavor compounds get filtered by the mash grain bed?

[MaltLicker]

I agree with that.  The temps the same, the pH is the same, the time is similar, and everyone glows over FWH and says mash hops are useless. 

I mash-hopped this recent APA and tasted the final runnings and they were hoppy and very slightly bitter as well. 

[jomebrew]

I agree with that.  The temps the same, the pH is the same, the time is similar, and everyone glows over FWH and says mash hops are useless. 

I think it depends on what you mean by flavor.  The argument seems to be that the volatile flav-a-flav compounds will boil off.  This is true but not all flavor compounds volatize off.  Some change and bond with others compounds in the mach.  Also, I believe there is some isomerization of the hop bitters that happens differently at lower temperatures that does not change in the boil.  A different character, almost like layer, persists into the beer.  I read that taste panels could tell the difference in beers that were mash hopped. 

[grathan]

I think the grandmaster supreme beer taster was implying ANY type of flavor.


Perhaps he used a hop variety with low acid or highly volatile oils? Though he also said he tried it a few different times so who knows.


Another possibility would be that perhaps some people simply can't taste 30 minute additions. An experiment is in order for this wintertime. A simple recipe brewed multiple times with varying single hop addition times.