Hops or hop pellets?

[degsie73]

Was just wondering what people felt about hops or hop pellets? Am still kit brewing but
have started messing about with hop teas and dry hoppping - but can't find much info
on the differences between the two. Obviously fresh hops are fresh I guess, but do the
pellets do the same job?

 

[Kyral210]

I only use whole leaf hops. I guess the pellets seem less natural to me, and therefore I don't want it in my brew.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I hear pellets are harder to get a good filter bed established on the run-off :?

 

[evanvine]

I'm sure UP made some comments about using pelleted hops, but IIRC it was in a non-related thread.
I think he was saying that you need far less of them; this would help support your argument BB.
Anyway, if all goes to plan, I should be getting enough of my own hops this year for several brews. :pray:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I'm sure UP made some comments about using pelleted hops, but IIRC it was in a non-related thread.
I think he was saying that you need far less of them; this would help support your argument BB.
Anyway, if all goes to plan, I should be getting enough of my own hops this year for several brews. :pray:

I believe it's o.k or better to use a mix of pellet with leaf to aid the filter. :hmm:

BB

 

[Tony]

One advantage with using the pellets, you don't lose as much wort to them! From all accounts (I believe it was TS who said it), there's very little difference between leaf and pellet - but you'll need a fine mesh hop-filter.

I've never tried them though, I've yet to make that filter!

 

[mysterio]

- Some people like using pure unprocessed ingredients. It is quite satisfying using an ingredient in its raw form.
- Flowers form a nice filter bed helping to strain out some of the break material (although most forms in the FV)
- All other things equal, flowers should be fresher tasting/aroma
- Pellets are regarded to store better
- Flowers are much more common in the UK therefore you are getting more turnaround and fresher hops (this is a big one!)
- Flowers soak up a lot of beer/wort, but they are easy to seperate from wort. Hop filters will need to be modified to cope with pellets, otherwise you need to do a whirlpool and siphon off from the side.
- Pellet hops may make better contact with the beer when dry hopping as they disintegrate, releasing more of the oils. Flowers just sit on top of the beer so you need to be more creative
- You get increased utilisation from pellet hops so need to use less for bittering

 

[screamlead]

Some pellets tend to be leftovers from non sales of fresh as the fresh cant be kept for long in bales etc.
A lot of the big brewerys use pellets later in the season when the fresh has run out as the pellets can be kept longer i think?
I know the Effes brewery here use pellets in their brews altho they have primary access to their own hop farms as well.

 

[Aleman]

Some essential oils are destroyed in the pelletisation process . . . Saaz suffer dreadfully from this.

 

[Kyral210]

Some essential oils are destroyed in the pelletisation process . . . Saaz suffer dreadfully from this.

Amen!