Hops add flavor, bitterness and aroma to beer and make beer taste like...well, beer. There are many varieties of hops used to add aroma to beer and each variety is distinct in aroma. The properties of hops change with each growing area and season, so the flavor and aroma of your beer may also change.
Instructions
1. Choose the type of aroma hops you need based on the kind of beer you want to brew. Most home brew recipes make suggestions for the type of hops to use for aroma. Aroma hop varieties include Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Fuggles, Hallertau, Horizon, Kent Goldings, Liberty, Mount Hood, Northern Brewer, Nugget, Perle, Saaz, Spalt, Styrian Goldings, Tettnang and Willamette.
2. Add aroma hops to the rapidly boiling wort at the last five to ten minutes of the boil. If aroma hops are added at the beginning of the boil, the oils become volatile. Since the oil of the aroma hop is water soluble, aroma will be lost if the hops are added too soon in the boiling process of making beer.
3. Wait until the boiling process is done before you add the hops. This is another option for the home beer maker, and many choose to add aroma hops at this time. The hops are added to the beer after the boiling is done, but before chilling the beer.
4. Finish the beer processing before adding hops. Add whole aroma hops to the finished beer as it matures in the maturation container. The oil of the aroma hops will slowly dissolve in the beer and release the aroma. Place the whole hops in a cheesecloth bag and drop it into the maturation container with the beer. This process is known as dry hopping.
Tags: aroma hops, hops added, aroma beer, aroma hops, boiling process
