can I boil hops longer?

[budweiser_sucks]

I bought a pale ale kit and like hoppier beers. Can I boil the hops for 60minutes instead of 30 to get more hoppy flavor?

 

[rodwha]

Not for flavor. It becomes more bitter.

Hop utilization chart:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_diuBBvYgqF0/TTBwxZAigkI/AAAAAAAAB40/7427XCtkr_o/s1600/hop_utilization.jpg

 

[metanoia]

Like the chart above shows:
60-30 minutes = bittering
15-30 minutes = flavor
0 - 15 minutes = aroma

 

[feinbera]

Things aren't quite a simple as that chart might imply – you will not always get maximum aroma extraction at exactly seven minutes thirty seconds, and maximum flavor extraction at exactly 21 minutes, with huge fall-offs just a minute or two in either direction, regardless of hop varietal, wort characteristics, strength of boil, etc.

But, in general, aroma contributions come from throwing hops in in the last fifteen minutes or so (or dry hopping, or doing a hop stand... search those terms), flavor from 10 to 30 minutes, and not much other than bitterness from anything longer than 30 minutes, with more bitterness the longer you boil.

What you probably want to do is add an ounce or two of "late" hops (various additions in the last 20 minutes or so) and/or an ounce or two (more) of dry hopping. Search for clone recipes of some of your favorite hoppy commercial beers to get ideas about what varieties of hops might add the flavors/aromas you like.

 

[Jphillips13]

Is your kit pre-hopped?


Sent from somewhere using Home Brew

 

[budweiser_sucks]

No it is not pre hopped. Isn't bitter a flavor?

 

[Yooper]

No it is not pre hopped. Isn't bitter a flavor?

Yes, bitter is certainly a flavor! But it's a far different flavor than "hoppy".

Hoppy has a taste and aroma of hops, and those are sometimes citrusy or spicy, but bitter is just that- bitter.

 

[dnslater]

No it is not pre hopped. Isn't bitter a flavor?

Bitter is there to balance the sweetness from the malt. Maltier/stronger beers need more bittering hops of balance.

 

[mrgrimm101]

When talking hop flavor and aroma, we are concerned with the hop's essential oils. When hops are boiled for too long, these essential oils are pretty much boiled out, which is why hops added at the start of a boil will impart no "hop flavor" but will impart bitterness. That is why it is best to keep flavor additions around 15-20 minutes and aroma additions around 0-5 minutes to best utilize these oils. (These times can vary.) Dry hopping is also a very effective way to increase hop aroma, as these hops are not boiled, but rather they are tossed into the beer after it has fermented and they can have a strong aroma contribution.

When talking about the bittering properties of hops, we are more concerned with the hop resins. To get the most out of these resins, the hops must be boiled for longer, which is why most bittering hops are added at the start of a 60 minute boil (sometimes 90 minutes).

Different lengths of time will bring out different properties in hops.