[denny]

I couldn't say I have a preference either, but I've gone back to FWH purely for convenience.  I can do other things besides remember a hop addition, and I don't have to worry about a boil over.  Denny's comment about combining FWH and a conventional bittering addition is backed up by Stan's book too; he profiles at least one German brewer who prefers it.

That's great, but I don't need validation from a book.  I think we should all be examining our own beers and deciding things for ourselves.

IIRC the brewer in the book thought that all FWH gave a more astringent bitter.  Is that what you found?  You mentioned "quality of bitterness," and that's what made me think of that passage.  I never really thought about it myself.

Nope.  What I found was a "smoother", kind of subdued bitterness and more hop flavor.

Sounds like you have the same experience as the study. Gonna start trying it. Do you do it for certain styles, or is it across the board?

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

I'd guess at least 75% of my beers.  APA and IPA for sure, but also pils, alt, and a number of other styles.

[Robert]

I couldn't say I have a preference either, but I've gone back to FWH purely for convenience.  I can do other things besides remember a hop addition, and I don't have to worry about a boil over.  Denny's comment about combining FWH and a conventional bittering addition is backed up by Stan's book too; he profiles at least one German brewer who prefers it.

That's great, but I don't need validation from a book.  I think we should all be examining our own beers and deciding things for ourselves.

IIRC the brewer in the book thought that all FWH gave a more astringent bitter.  Is that what you found?  You mentioned "quality of bitterness," and that's what made me think of that passage.  I never really thought about it myself.

Nope.  What I found was a "smoother", kind of subdued bitterness and more hop flavor.

And I've tried FWH, 60, and a combination, and really can't say there was a significant difference.   Real case of "YMMV " here.  I vote whatever's easiest in any case. 

[klickitat jim]

That is entirely possible.  Fortunately there is zero added cost, effort, or time. Imagine spending 6hrs and a tank of propane on a triple decoction only to find YMMV, lol!

[RC]

IMHO, based on many trials, first wort hopping is bunk. There's no harm in it, nor is there any benefit. It's simple chemistry. It takes energy (.e. heat) to isomerize alpha acids. When you FWH, you're providing a slightly longer ramp-up to the heating (energy level) required for isomerization. This ramp-up might extract (again, IMHO), at most, ~5% more bitterness from the hops, but that's all it is--MORE bitterness, not a "smoother, mellower" bitterness. Totally agree, though, that you should decide for yourself. But make it a blind decision.

[Robert]

IMHO, based on many trials, first wort hopping is bunk. There's no harm in it, nor is there any benefit. It's simple chemistry. It takes energy (.e. heat) to isomerize alpha acids. When you FWH, you're providing a slightly longer ramp-up to the heating (energy level) required for isomerization. This ramp-up might extract (again, IMHO), at most, ~5% more bitterness from the hops, but that's all it is--MORE bitterness, not a "smoother, mellower" bitterness. Totally agree, though, that you should decide for yourself. But make it a blind decision.

I think I would tend to agree with you.  I don't see a qualitative difference.   More bitterness?  Yes, maybe. It would make sense, as you explain.  But so little I wouldn't even account for it in planning a recipe.  I still see this a procedural question, what works in your system.  But the value of FWH for suppressing foaming at the start of the boil is real.  Randomly breaks surface tension.

[denny]

And I've tried FWH, 60, and a combination, and really can't say there was a significant difference.   Real case of "YMMV " here.  I vote whatever's easiest in any case.

I completely agree.  This is a hobby...whatever you like is the right way to do it.

[denny]

IMHO, based on many trials, first wort hopping is bunk. There's no harm in it, nor is there any benefit. It's simple chemistry. It takes energy (.e. heat) to isomerize alpha acids. When you FWH, you're providing a slightly longer ramp-up to the heating (energy level) required for isomerization. This ramp-up might extract (again, IMHO), at most, ~5% more bitterness from the hops, but that's all it is--MORE bitterness, not a "smoother, mellower" bitterness. Totally agree, though, that you should decide for yourself. But make it a blind decision.

Which I have done.

[JT]

FWSH
First Wort Sugar and Hops in today's Trappist Single

I've used FWH exclusively for over a year, not because I've tested the bitterness level or done side by side sampling, but because it suppresses boil over, something I'm not too keen on. 

  "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."