How much hops do we need on average for 5-gallon batch?

[Elysium]

I am wondering how much hops I can expect to use per batch.

In Spain getting hops seems to be a pain in the ass......I have just checked prices and 250 grams(8.8 oz)of Citra costs 38.5 dollars and I have just found a nice recipe that I like and making 5 gallons of it requires 200 grams (8oz) of hops.

So....I am beginning to realize that on average I need between 100-250 grams (3.5oz-9oz) of hops per batch (depending on the recipe). Is it correct?

 

[Howiedw]

It all depends on the style of beer that you are trying to make. I have recipies that use anywhere from .75oz to about 3oz. Then again, I don't like overly hoppy beers. If you are making an IPA or a APA, Then your hop bill will be significantly larger.

I utilize hops more for balance and aroma, not to make my beers overly bitter and hoppy.

 

[Elysium]

It all depends on the style of beer that you are trying to make. I have recipies that use anywhere from .75oz to about 3oz. Then again, I don't like overly hoppy beers. If you are making an IPA or a APA, Then your hop bill will be significantly larger.

I utilize hops more for balance and aroma, not to make my beers overly bitter and hoppy.

I hear you. Obviously IPA is famous for its high hop content....so my question is rather stupid.

Can you tell me what type of beers you make with that amount of hops?

Thanks for the answer.

 

[mojo_wire]

9 oz isn't unheard of. It's a lot, most styles would need more like 3-5 oz depending on the alpha acid levels. But a big IPA can take 9 oz or more.

9 oz would be a lot to need for the boil, but dry hopping with 3-4 oz isn't that uncommon, and that adds up.

 

[Jayhem]

If you like hoppy beers you are going to spend a lot on hops.

My cream ales and Belgians only require about 1 oz of hops to make 5.5 gallons! My IPA on the other hand takes 8 oz!

 

[Howiedw]

American Ambers, Some stouts, Hefe's, Irish ales, the list goes on and on.
Just take a look through the Recipie portion of this site for the style you like and find a recipie that fits your needs.

 

[solbes]

On average, my beers take 3 oz or so. More for APA's/IPA's obviously. Less for the maltier beers, lagers, lambics, and wheats. I like variety, so hoppy beers make up maybe 30% of what I brew.

 

[Toga]

Most of the beers I make have anywhere from 2-12oz of hops depending on the brew and the alpha acid count for the hop. My advice is to find what hops you prefer and purchase what you use most frequently in bulk. You should also look to see if there are any hop farms in Spain you can order direct from. You may see a decent cost savings by doing so.

 

[MichaelBrock]

If hops were that expensive I would definitely be using high-alpha acid hops for all of my bittering. Using something like Magnum at 15% AA will take a lot less hops than bittering with something with 5% AA

 

[Elysium]

If hops were that expensive I would definitely be using high-alpha acid hops for all of my bittering. Using something like Magnum at 15% AA will take a lot less hops than bittering with something with 5% AA

Thanks for the really good info. So.....I can basically look at an IPA recipes and play a bit with the different types of hops to bitter my batch?

I have seen those numbers such as X hop (15%)..but I had no clue that it refers to its acidity. Thanks again.

 

[DanaDana]

MichaelBrock has it right as well as the other guys. If your looking for a big kick of bitterness, use the high alpha hops to get the most bang for your buck. For IPA's and APA's you will use the hops you like the aroma of best, and they can vary in the %. My last batch I made 11 gallons of a Newcastle clone and only used 2.5 oz because it is very lowly hopped.

As someone else said, try and buy in bulk if you can for your favorite hop, or even get the rhizomes to try and grow some at your home if you have the yard to do so.

 

[BobbiLynn]

If they are actually called bittering hops, you can use less. I use 2-3 ounces per 5 gallon batch.

 

[AlCophile]

Dude(and the rest of you):
Check out beerlegends.com/hops etc., which lists all types of hops, AND what flavor molecules they contain. Match the flavors and their %'s to varieties available to you.

 

[MichaelBrock]

Thanks for the really good info. So.....I can basically look at an IPA recipes and play a bit with the different types of hops to bitter my batch?

I have seen those numbers such as X hop (15%)..but I had no clue that it refers to its acidity. Thanks again.

Yes, hops added very early in the boil (they are known as bittering hops for a reason) provide very little in the way of aroma or flavor. So many people will use a hops with a clean flavor profile and high alpha acids for their bittering additions and then save their more aromatic hops for later additions.

I have always found this graph, which makes its rounds here with fair regularity, to be enlightening (although it is believed that 60 minute hops do add more flavor than the graph shows, just not much):

 

[Schol-R-LEA]

I have seen those numbers such as X hop (15%)..but I had no clue that it refers to its acidity. Thanks again.

Just to clarify, it doesn't refer to the acidity of the hops per se, but rather to the amount of alpha acids (primarily α-humulone and co-humulone) in the hops, which are the compounds responsible for most of the bittering power of the hops. The ratings in % Alpha Acids are the most common way of describing hops' potential for bittering a beer. The exact relationship between that and International Bittering Units (IBUs) is complicated, because IBUs are strictly speaking a reflection of the iso-humulone in finished beer, which relates to factors such as the age of the hops, wort density, and boiling time. Nonetheless, given the %AA of the hops, the makeup of the wort, and the boiling time, most brewing software can estimate the IBUs.

 

[billpaustin]

I don't like the taste of hops, so I drink all wheat beers. If you like wheat beers, you can probably save money on the hops.

 

[Elysium]

I don't like the taste of hops, so I drink all wheat beers. If you like wheat beers, you can probably save money on the hops.

I do like wheat beer. Doesnt wheat beer contain hops?

 

[thadius856]

Wheat beer does contain hops, about 1 oz of noble hops (Tettnang or Hallertau, most often) per 5 gallons.

You're in Spain, so... are German, English or Czech hops available at more reasonable prices? You can do a lot of easy substitutions for most non-proprietary American or New Zealander hops.

The two things you want first and foremost are:

A high-AA neutral bittering hop like Magnum or Warrior. At least 15% AA, closer to 18% would be even better. This will be the base for many of the more bitter and modern styles.

and

A noble hop of some sort with balanced Alpha and Beta acids for most European styles, wheats, pils, and some classic styles. Tettnang, Hallertau, Fuggles, EKG, etc.

 

[jflongo]

Have you thought about growing your own? I'm going to start doing that this spring personally. Probably cascade and centennial.

 

[kontrol]

For bittering purposes if you do extract recipes you can increase your hops utilization by adding the bulk of the LME/DME at the end of the boil. Depending on the recipes you can save up a good amount of hops. This is only for the bittering with hops. I don't know/think that it makes a difference for Aroma/Flavor.

 

[DPBISME]

I am wondering how much hops I can expect to use per batch.

In Spain getting hops seems to be a pain in the ass......I have just checked prices and 250 grams(8.8 oz)of Citra costs 38.5 dollars and I have just found a nice recipe that I like and making 5 gallons of it requires 200 grams (8oz) of hops.

So....I am beginning to realize that on average I need between 100-250 grams (3.5oz-9oz) of hops per batch (depending on the recipe). Is it correct?

I suggest you look at some recipes... they all list their hops... but like the other guy said 1 to 3 or 4 is about good for most styles...

 

[Elysium]

It all depends on the style of beer that you are trying to make. I have recipies that use anywhere from .75oz to about 3oz. Then again, I don't like overly hoppy beers. If you are making an IPA or a APA, Then your hop bill will be significantly larger.

I utilize hops more for balance and aroma, not to make my beers overly bitter and hoppy.

thanks for the reply. Can you tell me what IBU you normally go for with different beers?

 

[thadius856]

Browsing the recipe database will give you a good idea.

Or, check out the BJCP guidelines.

Or, check out any of the many brewing software guidelines.

Or, check out a style chart.

 

[Howiedw]

I found this. It might help you out.
http://homebrewmanual.com/media/IBUS.jpg.