Bittering hops

The bittering hops

Beer would be a bland, sweet beverage without bittering hops. Because they contain more alpha acids than aromatic hops, bittering hops are generally added at the very beginning of the boiling phase.

Note: some hops are dual-purpose and can be used to bitterize or flavor beer. This is particularly true of Centennial.

A little guide to bittering hops

You need to dose your bittering hops according to their alpha acid content and the bitterness you want to bring to your beer. This bitterness is often determined by the style to be brewed.  Beer bitterness is expressed in IBU. It's relatively easy to calculate, as there are websites and apps that will do all the work for you.

The higher the alpha acid content, the stronger the bittering potential of the hops. However, this can be misleading, as some aromatic hops such as citra will have high alpha acid levels. We therefore advise against using this type of expensive hop.  We recommend using bittering hops for exclusive use, such as magnum, or any hops with a low aroma. These bittering hops are inexpensive, and that's just what you need, because you generally won't leave any aromatics. At least for hops that you leave on for 1 hour during the boil. 

Infusion time of bittering hops

The infusion time for bittering hops will depend on the result you want to achieve. If it's just there to deliver bitterness, then an hour would be best. In addition, bittering hops will give the beer its antiseptic properties. 

If you're looking to deliver a little bitterness and a little aroma, then you can infuse for 30 minutes. Here, dual-purpose hops such as Chinook or Cascade will be your friends. These are bittering hops also aromatic.