Hops and hbu

[Lowlyric]

While doing a search for a recipe I saw the bittering hop schedule listed as 3 HBU. After some research I get that it's so you can repeat the recipe with the correct ibu AA and didn't list a style or type because hops boiled over 60 minutes have no flavor or amora character according to the article. So why not use the oldest cheapest thing you can find. Just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Donoroto]

While doing a search for a recipe I saw the bittering hop schedule listed as 3 HBU. After some research I get that it's so you can repeat the recipe with the correct ibu AA and didn't list a style or type because hops boiled over 60 minutes have no flavor or amora character according to the article. So why not use the oldest cheapest thing you can find. Just doesn't make sense to me.

For the most part, many use whatever is lying around for bittering. We definitely don’t use good hops for that.

 

[J A]

One reason not to use the "oldest cheapest thing you can find" for bittering is that the alpha acids are the first thing to go in poorly-stored hops. If you're actually counting on an accurate IBU level and the 60 minute addition is all you have, you might want to have some confidence in the hops AA levels.

 

[Lowlyric]

Agreed. But that sure does help me with what kind I need to bitter with. Lol

 

[Craigerrr]

I bitter with lower cost hops, not older hops.
Magnum is my bittering hop of choice, but to be honest, I haven't tried anything else. The good advice I took a number of years ago, has been good to me.

 

[J A]

I bitter with lower cost hops, not older hops.
Magnum is my bittering hop of choice, but to be honest, I haven't tried anything else. The good advice I took a number of years ago, has been good to me.

I start nearly every recipe with Magnum. It works for just about anything. I buy a pound of it and it lasts forever.
My other go-to is Warrior but I don't always keep a lot of that around. Its flavor isn't quite as "neutral" as Magnum but it's extremely smooth in character. I like it for more piney, Northwest style beers.

 

[Sandy Feet]

You can bitter with whatever you want. Magnum is certainly an efficient way to do it as the alphas are high, and it doesn't take much. I order for every beer because I have a brew store in town. I'll bitter depending on what I make.