Beer part 3: Boiling Flashcards
What is the hop plant related to?
Nettle
Hemp
What part of the hop plant is used in brewing?
Dried flowers of the female plant
When did hops become the main flavouring agent of beer and who were they used by?
13-15th Century
Used by Egyptians
When were hops banned in ale?
1471
What happened when hops were allowed in English beer?
Strong and sweet unhopped beer was sold alongside it for 100 yrs
What are the 3 main functions of the hop?
- To preserve beer
- To counter malt sweetness with bitterness
- to provide aroma and flavour
What type of plants are hops and what growing conditions do they require?
Climbing plants grown on wire supports
Require 13 hrs of sunlight a day - only grown in narrow zone around the world
Where are the main UK hop growing areas?
Kent
Hereford
Worcester
When are hops harvested and what happens to them?
Once a year in autumn, then dried in storage like most flowers
How are hops dried?
In oast houses, kilns or sun dried
What temperatures are used to dry hops and why?
Below 71 C
They can supply volatile aromatic oils - a compromise between loss of oils and drying times gives temps used for drying
What happens to hops after drying?
Packed into 7’ by 2’ pockets
Which countries are the main producers of hops?
Germany
USA
Which countries produce specific in demand hops?
Czech Republic
UK
New Zealand
How can you by dry hops and why?
- Crushed and processed into pellets
-Compacted as dry cones a
= vacuum sealed in foil bads - This is done to protect the alpha acids from oxygen and protect them from exposure to light (speeds up deterioration)
What temperature are hops that lose their aromatic oils straight after harvest stored at?
-3 C
When is the use of whole hops preferred?
If you need better control over the hopping process - particularly if using a hopback or during dry hopping
Give 4 advantages of pellet hops
- Less storage space required
- Cheaper (maybe lower quality?)
- Extraction efficiences improve (10% more bittering compounds)
- Easier to clean equipment afterward
What happens to hops once open to the air?
- degenerate rapidly
- most resultant ‘off’ flavours are lost on boiling
What are the different hop classifications?
Bittering (>40 types)
Aroma (>90 Types)
both bittering and aroma (>130 types)
Why are new varieties of hops being developed?
For disease resistance or better bittering qualities - also have excellent aromas
How are hops quantified?
By their content of alpha acids
Why do the beta acids in hops need to be monitored?
They add ‘off’ tastes when oxidised
What is the source of bitterness in hops?
Alpha acids
Concentration used to indicate degree of biterness
What is the most prevalent form of alpha acid in hops?
Humulone
What happens to alpha acids in hops?
They are isomerized into iso-alpha acids by the application of heat - these are the bitter compounds in beers
What are the flavour of cohumulone and humulone?
Harsher flavour
Soft flavour
- debatable on which is best
How is alpha acid concentration determined?
By extraction
- it will vary from season to season depending on growing conditions
What happens to alpha acids over time in storage?
They lose strength slowly
What do hops contain as well as alpha acids?
Beta acids
Essential oils - the aroma compounds
What happens to beta acids when hops are boiled?
They do not change form but do form bitter compounds when oxidised
What are the 4 main hop essential oils?
Myrcene
Humulene
Caryophyllene
Farnesene
What is myrcene?
Hop essential oil
- floral, grassy or citrus aromas in beer, generally 50% of the oils in hop cone.
Used in perfumery
What is humulene?
Hop essential oil
- woody, earthy and herbal aromas, better at withstanding high temps than myrcene. Present in high concentrations in noble hop varieties.
What is caryophyllene?
Hop essential oil
- woody spicy and earthy aroma, present in low concentrations
What is farnesene?
Hop essential oil
Very low concentration 1-10% of total oils, woody, citrusy and herbal aromas.
Generally only found in noble hop varieties.
What are the main reasons for boiling? (9)
- Sterilisation of the wort to provide non-competitive environment for the yeast
- Termination of all enzymatic activity - the boil in effect fixes the composition of the wort.
- Extraction of essential oils, polyphenols and preservatives from the hops
- Utilisation of hops for beer flavour profile: - for bittering from isomerisation - aroma properties if added at end of the boil
- Reduction in volume of wort to correct for any dilution from sparging
- Removal of protein and tannins by encouraging coagulation and so precipitation
- Decomposition/loss of undesirable volatile compounds.
- Enhancement of the colour of the wort (10% of proteins/sugars undergo maillard reaction)
- COmpletion of chemical reactions from mashing so lowering ph
What are kettle adjuncts?
Wort extenders
- adjuncts added during the boil to increase the alcoholic content. At least 10% conc they will not affect flavour
Give examples of kettle adjuncts
Honey Rice syrup Corn syrup Candi sugar Or starch derived syrups e.g. maltose and malt extract
What is the efficiency of kettle adjuncts?
100%
When should kettle adjuncts be added and why?
Hop utilisation is affected by the gravity of the boil so better to add them towards end
- but leave time to sterilize - 15 mins
What adds flavour to the boil?
Hops through resins and essential oils
- they add bitterness and aroma
When should hop essential oils be added?
towards end of boil as the aroma will be lost after 5-10 mins of boiling
When should bittering hops be added to the boil?
At the start - if relying on aroma not bitterness then add additional at the end, but both can be added at the start
What is dry hopping?
When dry hops are added to the finished beer in the fermentation vessel - get no bitterness as there is no heat
What is hop-back?
When hops installed in-line between boiling and cooling process, ensures essential oils aren’t lost.