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Leaf v Pellet Hops

Brewmex41

Grandmaster Brewer
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I am looking to order some bulk hops to save some money in the long run, and it got me thinking.
Here's the scenario:
I can get half pound of centennial whole leaf hops for $13 or I can get a pound of pellet hops for $16.

Dollar wise, it makes more sense to get the lb of pellet hops, but I always use centennial with 10 min or less to go in the boil and I will also typically do a flameout steep and a dry hop addition with them. Now, I havent done any side by side batches with pellets vs whole leaf hops, but I usually prefer to use leaf hops for those additions 10 min or less.

On the other hand, I almost always buy magnum or CTZ for bittering and I tend to use pellets for those additions. I'm not exactly sure why that is, I just do.
This doesnt include those hops that I use that only come in pellet form, mostly imports such as my personal fav Nelson Sauvin.

The point of this thread is to get some of your thoughts and opinions on whole v pellet hops in general, not necessarily about my predicament specifically.
 
While whole hops can be wonderful to use IF you're set up for it (screens, bags, hop spiders...), I have a saying that many of my brewing friends have heard from me: Whole hops are THE reason pellets were invented. ;)

I have a couple of fun diatribes on the topic on my blog:
http://itswhatsontap.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/lonely-whole-hops/
http://itswhatsontap.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/whole-hops-vs-pellets/

This is just my own opinion. I do have a friend who grows his own couple of varieties. He has a Chinook that is doing well and he brewed an award winning APA with it. I sampled an earlier version of the beer and it was one of THE best APAs that I had ever had, commercial, craft, or home.

So maybe there's something about whole hops. LOL
 
Like I said i havent done any side by sides, but I just like the feeling I get when I add whole hops late in the boil, like some how I am going to get a fresher flavor and aroma.
One huge pain is stuffing a bag of hops down the opening of a glass carboy for dry hopping, then trying to get them out afterwards.
 
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