Why do we need hops?
- Dec 15, 2021
- 118
- tiantai
Hops are added during the brewing process and play an important part in balancing the flavours and aroma of the beer, as well as acting as a natural preservative. Hops put bitterness and character into a beer. Without them, beers would be overwhelmingly sweet (because of the malts), so hops add a balance of aromatic herbs and spice. Different varieties of hops have different flavours, like citrus, pine, floral, fruit and more. They will impart different flavours into the finished product and brewers will create new brews using unique combinations. When it comes to bitterness, it really depends on what variety of hops the brewer uses (there are over 100 to choose from), how much is added, at what stage it’s added (early on means more bitterness, later on means more aromatic qualities) and how strong the other flavour characteristics from the malt and yeast are.
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