[boostindoubles]

So I have been asked to make a gift package of hops for a friend of a friend. While I know about hops, most of my knowledge falls in between the field and the sale. When it gets to the brewing portion of hops I know less.

Thing is I have no idea what this particular homebrewer likes to brew with. I'm thinking that I could do 7 or so 1lb packages of various aroma/bittering varieties plus a 5lb package of Cascade and then a 5lb package of Centennial. Maybe even a 5lb package of Summit but those are knarly.

Amarillo and Simcoe are not an option.

Basically, as a homebrewer, what varieties make your tastebuds tingle? Would Willamette be a variety that would put a smile on your face? Or some Tettnanger or Hallertau maybe? Do people look forward to throwing in Chinook?

Lastly, I am leaning towards only t-90 pellets. Would you as a homebrewer be disappointed if you didn't get any whole-leaf hops?

Thanks for any insight

 

[BadDNA]

As a homebrewer, I would gladly take any free hops that came my way and find a way to use them.

Not very helpful in the current situation I suppose, but that's my opinion.

 

[boostindoubles]

well I'd say its valid. I'm probably over thinking this a bit. I want to make sure this gift is a true gift, and not a box full of random product.

In the HB world, are aroma and bittering hops appreciated equally? Are the in-between varieties well received?

 

[Pesqueeb]

.

Basically, as a homebrewer, what varieties make your tastebuds tingle? Would Willamette be a variety that would put a smile on your face? Or some Tettnanger or Hallertau maybe? Do people look forward to throwing in Chinook?

Personally I love all of those. Chinook can be dangerous though. I also use Saaz a great deal and is probably my personal favorite. Though it really depends on what beer you want to make. I personally have never made a beer thinking what hop variety I want to use, its always what type of beer do I want, then what hops to use for it. Like BadDNA says though, I certianly would never turn down hops, and would find a reason to use what ever was given to me.

I greatly prefer whole hop vs pellets. I've used both to satisfactory results many times but I prefer whole for several reasons. IMHO, and you can find literature to support this, whole gives you better flavor/aroma and does not spoil as quickly as pellets due to the fact that the lupulin gland typically gets ruptured during the pellitization (if that's even a word) process. Plus pellets are a mess in the kettle. The mess isn't an issue for real brewers with their fancy equipment but in my backyard ghetto set up it sucks.

 

[TN]

As a homebrewer, I would gladly take any free hops that came my way and find a way to use them.

Not very helpful in the current situation I suppose, but that's my opinion.

I would say a variety...some aroma, some bittering, some flavor hops, & those that can be used as all those (like cascade).

 

[pnj]

I like pellets because they take up less space in my freezer. if I had a dedicated hops/beer freeezer/fridge, that might be different.

 

[boostindoubles]

Has anyone here brewed with Citra before? Supposed to be the next 'Simcoe.'

 

[macko]

Chinook. All the way.

A 5 lb package of Willamette and/or Cascade would be good. Then if you wanted to do a pound of Chinook, Goldings, Hallertau, CTZ, etc. that's something that would make "me" happy.