How to Add Bitter Hops to Beer

Home brew is fun to make, saves you money and tastes great. One important part of home brewing is the addition of bitter hops. For a perfect tasting home brew, you need to know which type of hops to add, when to add them and how long the hops are left in. Adding bitter hops to beer is part science and part art.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Select the hops that are specific to bittering beer. There are many types of hops that are grown all over the world and each comes with its own unique properties. The higher the alpha acid content, the more the hops will bitter the beer and balance the sweetness of the malt. Bittering hop varieties include Bullion, Cascade, Centennial, Challenger, Chinook, Cluster, Columbus, Galena, Horizon, Magnum, Nugget, Pride of Ringwood, Progress and Target Hops. Hops are usually sold in one-ounce packages for ease of measurement. Many home brewers prefer to buy hops that are pressed into a pellet form. Pellets retain their freshness longer and are easier to store.

2. Bring the wort to a full rolling boil before adding the bitter hops to the beer. Make sure you have a long handled stir stick or spoon handy, because the beer can foam up and boil over when you add hops.

3. Add the hops to the boiling wort. Put the bitter hops in all at once. If the beer starts to foam up, remove it from the heat for just a moment or turn the heat down temporarily. Removing the beer from the heat will stop it from boiling over. Immediately put the beer back on the heat and gently stir at the sides of the kettle.

4. Boil the bitter hops in the beer for about an hour, depending on the type of beer you're making. This is called the bittering hops addition and the longer it boils, the more bitter the beer will be. Continue to gently stir down the sides of the kettle as the hops boil.

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