Hops

I've been brewing now just over 4 years, and one area that I've not put a lot of effort in educating myself on is hops.  I was brewing my 'fan favorite' oaked bourbon stout and was looking at my brew notes from the last time I brewed it and noticed that I only listed out which hops to use; not how long to boil each.  I know, to most, this might be an easy one to figure out, but I had to look it up.  This got me thinking that if I'm going to make it a point to learn more about hops, then I'll just post what I'm finding, if for anything, I'll have an easy place to refer back to.  Maybe you'll find some benefit as well.

This particular entry I'll go into the Northern Brewer variety; which is what I used for bittering and flavor in my stout.

These hops come out of England in the early to mid 1930s, and are a hybrid of American and English varieties.  Although there can be some confusion as to who is the true 'creator' of these hops, signs seem to point towards England.

It's alpha acid ranges between 6.6% and 8.0%.  That being said, it's a great option for both bittering and flavoring.  I used it in my stout, and happened to just make a California Common with my dad last week; yes, it was used as THE hop in that batch (bittering, flavoring, and aroma).  They can also be used in most if not all English style ales.  As for the aroma profile, you may find a slight citrus and fruit quality, but it's medium-strong, woody with evergreen and mint overtones.  I'll have to see what I taste in my Common when it's tasting time.

Now go out and find some Anchor Steam to taste some Northern Brewer hops!