exBEERiment | Bittering Hops: 60 Minute vs. 30 Minute Kettle Addition In Pale Lager (2024)

Author: Phil Rusher

When selecting hops to use in a beer, brewers must consider the influence they will have on the perceived bitterness of the finished product, which is largely the result of isomerization of alpha acids found in hops. Seeing as bitterness is a function of both the percentage of alpha acid in the hops being used and the amount of time hops spend in the boiling wort, brewers are commonly advised to make their bittering additions at the beginning of the boil, which reduces the amount of hops required to achieve the desired result.

A classic brewing concept breaks kettle hop additions into 3 main parts based on when they’re added to the boiling wort. As discussed, hops added at the beginning of the boil are for bitterness, whereas those added with around 30 minutes or less impart flavor and hops added toward the end of the boil are for aroma. While ample evidence exists that shows hops added at any point during the boil will contribute certain degrees of bitterness, flavor, and aroma, the amount of hops required to get the same level of bitterness in a shorter boil will be higher than if added earlier, which would presumably increase the hop flavor and aroma as well.

In my years of brewing, I’ve tended to stick with the conventional approach to hopping most of my less hop-forward beers, tossing a bittering additions in at the beginning of 60 minute boil. However, with all the talk of reduced boil length lately, I’ve been curious as to how compensating by increasing the amount of kettle hops has on beer. With a past xBmt showing tasters could tell apart a Blonde Ale kettle hopped at 60 minutes from one hopped at 30 minutes to the same IBU, I decided to test it out again with a clean lager.

| PURPOSE |

To evaluate the differences between two pale lagers bittered to the same IBU with the same hop at either 60 minutes or 30 minutes left in the boil.

| METHODS |

With Oktoberfest upon us, I went with a simple Festbier recipe hopped with a single low alpha variety for this xBmt.

Of The Essence

I made two large yeast starters of Imperial Yeast L13 Globala couple days ahead of time.

On brew day, I weighed out and milled two identical sets of grain.

I then collected the water for both batches, adjusting each to my desired profile before heating them to the same strike temperature, at which point I incorporated the grains and checked to ensure both were at the same target mash temperature.

Both mashes were left to rest for 60 minutes.

At the end of each mash rest, the grains were removed and allowed to drain into the kettle.

While the wort was heating up, I measured out the kettle hop additions. While the 60 minute addition batch would get 45 grams of hops to achieve 19.5 IBU, the 30 minute addition received 55 grams to hit the same IBU.

As soon as one batch reached a boil, I added the respective hop charge and set a timer for 60 minutes. For the second batch, the hops were added 30 minutes into the boil and left for just 30 minutes. At the completion of each boil, the worts were chilled with my CFC.

Refractometer readings showed the worts were at the same OG.

The filled fermenters were placed in my chamber controlled to my desired pitching temperature of 50°F/10°C and left to finish chilling for a few hours before I returned to pitch the yeast.

After a week of fermentation at 55°F/13°C, I raised the temperature to 65°F/18°C and left the beers alone for another week before taking hydrometer measurements showing both finished at 1.009 FG.

The beers were then racked to sanitized and CO2 purged kegs.

The filled kegs were placed in my keezer to cold crash overnight before I fined with gelatin and burst carbonated each. After a week of conditioning, they were ready to evaluate.

| RESULTS |

Due to social distancing practices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, data for this xBmt was unable to be collected in our typical manner. As such, temporary adaptations were made involving the author completing multiple semi-blind triangle tests in as unbiased a way as possible.

Utilizing 4 opaque cups of the same color where 2 were inconspicuously marked, one set was filled with the beer bittered at 60 minutes while the other set was filled with the beer bittered at 30 minutes. For each triangle test, 3 of the 4 cups were indiscriminately selected, thus randomizing which beer was the unique sample for each trial. Following each attempt, I noted whether I was correct in identifying the unique sample. Out of the 10 semi-blind triangle tests I completed, I needed to identify the unique sample at least 7 times (p<0.05) in order to reach statistical significance. In fact, I correctly identified the unique sample 8 times, (p=0.003), indicating my ability to reliably distinguish a Festbier bittered at 60 minutes left in the boil from one bittered to the same IBU with more hops at 30 minutes left in the boil.

Despite the results from the previous xBmt on this topic, I expected these beers to be indistinguishable, but I was wrong about that. While both had a crisp, somewhat grainy sweet and bready malt character with minimal hop presence, I picked up a more pronounced sulfur aroma in the one bittered at 30 minutes, which is what made it stand out to me.

| DISCUSSION |

Ask any homebrewer what the term “bittering addition” means and they’ll almost certainly explain that it refers to the hops added at the beginning of the boil, which over the hour or longer they’re in contact with the hot wort, impart bitterness but not much else. Similarly, it’s commonly accepted that hop additions made mid-boil, when there’s about 30 minutes left, contribute more flavor and less bitterness. The fact I was able to reliably distinguish a young Festbier hopped at 60 minutes left in the boil from one that received slightly more hops at 30 minutes left in the boil supports the idea that the timing of hop additions has a perceptible impact, despite having the same expected IBU.

Adding hops earlier in the boil is believed by many to increase bitterness while imparting little flavor and aroma, and while I was able to tell these beers apart pretty consistently, it’s not necessarily because the one hopped at 30 minutes into boil had more flavor, but rather seemed to have a stronger sulfur aroma. I typically associate sulfur with fermentation, not hops, so I’m stumped as to how the timing of the kettle hop addition caused this difference. While I prefer my beer fresh, it’s possible some age would have brought these beers closer together.

There’s definitely something to say about being able cut certain corners in order to brew a batch in less time, and while boil length appears to be a non-issue, the point at which the bittering addition is made seems to have an impact. While I’m sure great beers can be made where the bitterness comes from later kettle hop additions, after comparing these two beers, I have no plans to change my more traditional approach of boiling for 60 minutes and judiciously adding hops early on whilesaving any flavor and aroma additions for later in the boil.

If you have any thoughts about this xBmt, please do not hesitate to share in the comments section below!

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