<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=content-type content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5626" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY bottomMargin=0 leftMargin=3 topMargin=0 rightMargin=3>
<P><STRONG></STRONG> </P>
<P><STRONG>I think my hops are ready to harvest. Found this interesting article
as I'm not sure what kind of hops I have and have never (shame on me!) harvested
them. </STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>(from this web site <A
href="http://home.netcom.com/~dluzanp/backyard.htm">http://home.netcom.com/~dluzanp/backyard.htm</A>)<A
href="http://home.netcom.com/~dluzanp/backyard.htm"></A></STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>Estimating Hop Bitterness</STRONG> </P>
<P>The old standard method to estimate alpha-acid percentage is to make an
educated guess and then modify the guess as you gain brewing experience with
your hops. Because homegrown hops are fresher and have suffered less handling,
they are more bitter than commercial hops. Estimating their alpha as 50 percent
higher than the average alpha for the same commercial cultivar is a pretty good
guess. Knowing the exact alpha of your hops is less critical if you use them
only for flavor and aroma additions. </P>
<P>We can improve on this guess with a taste-testing technique I call
"ratiometric titration." The approach here is to compare a same-cultivar hop of
known alpha content with our unknown alpha hop. We compare the ratio of
quantities of sugar needed to overcome the bitterness and infer that this ratio
will equal the ratio of alphas. Thus, if it takes five teaspoons of sugar to
offset the bitterness of our homegrown hops and three teaspoons to null the
commercial hops, then our hops are five-thirds as strong, and our alpha-acid
content is five-thirds the commercial alpha. If the commercial alpha is 6
percent, then our alpha is 5/3 times 6, or 10 percent. </P>
<P>I make up two hop tea samples - one from our unknown alpha fresh hops, and
the second from commercial whole leaf hops of the same cultivar with known
alpha. Stir one-quarter ounce hops plus one teaspoon sugar into two cups of
boiling water (the sugar is needed because the hop resins are nearly insoluble
in plain water.) Next, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30
minutes. Now add enough boiled water to each sample to bring their volumes back
to two cups. Let the teas settle and cool to room temperature. Next, decant and
filter the teas through a coffee filter to remove sediment. </P>
<P>Now comes the tasting part. It's best to do the tasting in the morning when
your taste buds are freshest. Measure a quarter cup of each of the hops teas.
Now taste a few drops of the unknown alpha tea and rinse off your tongue. The
tea will taste bitter, of course. Next, add one-quarter teaspoon sugar and
taste. It will taste a little less bitter. Continue titrating the tea with the
sugar in quarter-teaspoon increments (and doing a tongue rinsing between each
tasting) while tasting for the point when the predominantly bitter taste finally
gives way to a sweet taste (with bitter overtones). This is when the bitter
loses its bite. Record the amount of sugar it took to reach this turning point.
Now repeat the titration with the known alpha tea. The ratio of the titrated
sugar for the unknown hops to the sugar required for the known hops is our
estimate of the ratio of the alphas of the respective hops. </P>
<P>If this method seems too imprecise for you, send a one-ounce sample of hops
to Jim Murphey at Murphey Analytical Laboratories Inc., (509) 577-8969. He will
do an alpha-acid and beta-acid spectrographic analysis for about $28 and a hop
oil profile analysis for $80. He also will perform an IBU analysis of your beer
for $25. (Send two bottles - one for testing and one for qualitative analysis
while doing the write-up - to 7 W. Mead Ave., Yakima, WA 98902.) </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P></BODY></HTML>
<font face="Times-New-Roman" size="2"><br><br>____________________________________________________________
<br><a href=http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2142/fc/Ioyw6i3ndyIDXA0SupWsW0hWXNHP4Ex2KtzB6A3igiyluH2Jb0Ifrl/ target="_blank">Click here to save cash and find low rates on auto loans.</font></a><br>