Leaf hops vs pellets
- Thread starter mmaguy41
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Leaf, because they're the most readily available in this country and to use pellets you need a fine gauze hop stopper.
Having made the hop stopper I've still never used pellets and I probably won't until something I want is only available in that form.
Having made the hop stopper I've still never used pellets and I probably won't until something I want is only available in that form.
If they didn't user some method they'd end up with a fermenter full of bits of hop, and as leaf hops are bigger they're easier to filter out.
Also if that's a US show they also use a method where they "whirlpool", which deposits all the muck in the middle of the boiler.
Basically pellets are more efficient, leaf are more readily available here and easier to keep out of the fermenter.
Also if that's a US show they also use a method where they "whirlpool", which deposits all the muck in the middle of the boiler.
Basically pellets are more efficient, leaf are more readily available here and easier to keep out of the fermenter.
Here hops are equally available as pellets and as leaf, but I'm using pellets because of less storage space they need in freezer. Each autumn I bulk buy ~1 kg of hops, I wouldn't be able to store them safely as whole.
RokDok
Regular.
I've been given some hop pellets but have always used leaf before. Presumably pellets are more concentrated and you need less ??
Anyone know ??
RD
Anyone know ??
RD
Steamedbeech
Active Member
Not used pellets yet but wanted to give myself the option so fitted a whirlpool inside my chiller, RD in Radical Brewing it says to use 25% less pellets.
cheers Dan :
cheers Dan :
RokDok
Regular.
Thanks Dan
RD
RD
Stihler
Well-Known Member
Hop pellets are not really more concentrated but for a give weight will produce more bitterness. This is simply because pellets are comprised of finely ground hops and as such have a much greater surface area exposed to the wort during the boil. This greater exposure results in greater extraction of the hop bitterness.
When reformulating recipes based upon whole hops it is generally recommended that for a given value of homebrew bittering units (i.e. alpha acids multiplied by hop weight) one should use 10% less hops. This, of course, reduces the homebrew bittering units but the effective bitterness is more or less the same when whole hops are replaced by hop pellets.
- Scott
31bb3
Landlord.
Only used hop pellets once and never again blocked my hop stopper took ages to run into the fv now I have a plate chiller really don't want to risk blocking that
calumscott
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I'd happily use pellets for dry hopping after the Festival Porter kit which came with pellets (and a neat little sock to go over the end of the racking cane).
Did a great job.
I can see that pellets in the boiler would be a pain though...
Did a great job.
I can see that pellets in the boiler would be a pain though...
It really depends on the design of your boiler. With a whirlpool it really doesn't matter if you use pellets or whole hops, but as I learned this design is not that popular in UK, you seem to prefer hop filters for trub separation. 
Cononthebarber
Landlord.
I have always used leaf hops and only used pellets once and they clogged up my hop strainer and it took an age and lots of messing about to get my beer into the FV. Dont think I will be using them again, perhaps I could use them for dry hopping some time? Has anyone used them for this?
calumscott
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Cononthebarber said:
^^^^^^^
Cononthebarber
Landlord.
calumscott said:^^^^^^^
Ha ha, whoops missed that comment, will be saving them for that then I think... :thumb:
RokDok
Regular.
Scott thanks, that's quite clear.Stihler said:
I'll avoid the hop filter blocking problem by putting them in muslin
cheers
RD
