Beer is still one of the favorite alcoholic beverages around the world. We drink golden liquor regardless of the season - it can cool down perfectly in summer, and warm up in winter, if you prepare it in the form of mulled wine. There are countless types and tastes of beers in the world.
Have you ever wondered what exactly hops are and how important they are in the beer production process?
What exactly is hops?
Common hops (Latin humulus lupulus) is a perennial dioecious, creeping or climbing plant - it can run on the ground, and if it comes across a support, it will wrap it. What's interesting - hops are always curving to the right! It can be recognized by its very characteristic inflorescences, commonly known as "hop cones". The plant can be up to six meters long! Hops belongs to the cannabis plant family. In Central and Eastern Europe (including Poland) it is common and often grows in the wild. Of course, there are also special hops cultivating various hop varieties.
Hops known and used since ancient times. And not only in brewing, although there is no need to hide it - it has been extremely closely related to this craft since the dawn of time. Nevertheless, hops have a number of health-promoting properties that were appreciated by herbalists and healers, and also noticed by Chinese medicine. The activity of the plant is multidirectional: hops have a beneficial effect on the nervous system (which is why some people sleep well after beer), has antibacterial, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, estrogenic properties, can protect against cancer and effectively delay the aging of the organism. Well, that's why a good beer every now and then isn't such a bad idea.
Hops in brewing
Many hops are mainly associated with the brewing industry and beer production. Therefore, for some people it may come as a surprise that beer is mainly made of water and barley malt! It is difficult to imagine the creation of a golden drink without them. It is possible without hops - after all, quite a lot of beers are now hopeless beers. However, some passionate beer lovers will agree that real beer is beer on hops!
In the beer production process, hops can be compared to spices. It is used very little - sometimes only 50 or 100 g of hops are added to 20 liters of water intended for production. Why so little? Because that's totally enough? The hop aroma is extremely intense and this small amount used in the production process will surely leave its mark on the final beer flavor!
Hops, or beer spice?
To some extent, hops can be described as a spice for beer - it gives it character, a distinctive aroma and a characteristic bitterness. It is because of it that you cannot add too much hops to the beer - it would then be too sour.
Does hops have any effect on beer other than adding bitterness? Of course! Much depends not only on the content of hops, but also on the use of a specific type of hops! Individual types of hops differ from each other, for example in the content of alpha acids. The flavor imparted to the beer also depends on the area where the hops are grown. Interestingly, there is no "best hops" - each of them will allow you to get a different taste and aroma of the drink. European hops are characterized by, for example, herbal, spicy, earthy or grassy aromas. American hops are characterized by a wide range of aromas and quite a lot of bitterness, while English hops allow you to bring out fruity or floral notes. In Europe, some of the most famous hops are in the Czech Republic (the area of the city of Żatec - the hops produced there are used for brewing famous Czech pilsners), in Slovenia (Styria) and in Poland (Lublin and Puławy - this hops is famous for its delicacy and strong aroma at the same time). ).
When is hops added to beer?
There are two main ways to use hops in beer production. Typically, hop cones are added to the wort after mashing and filtration. This takes place while cooking it. Brewers keep a close eye on the point at which the beer is hopped before the burner under the vat is turned off. Hops added an hour before the end of brewing will add bitterness to the beer, half an hour before the burner is extinguished it is the so-called "Hops for flavor" and added ten minutes before the end will leave only a slight aroma.
The second way to add hops to beer is to add it to the malt grain already at the grinding stage. Interestingly, the hops extract obtained then will not be that intense and it will be necessary to add spices again at the cooking stage. Sometimes the method of "cold hopping" is also used - the hops are then added to the beer at the stage of silent fermentation. Interestingly, this method allows for a more intense aroma!
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