[James K]

Every time I buy a bag the AA is lower than the previous bag. What do? Personally I don’t care, it like the hop. But is there an explanation for this? Just curious.
AA went 4.1, 3.9, 3.7. I buy a # at a time.

[Robert]

Always varies year to year and field to field.   Growing conditions.  A couple of years ago it seems like all the old school German hops I saw were 2-point-something.  But you don't really pay attention to alpha in MF do you?  Dang fine flavor and aroma hop.

[denny]

Always varies year to year and field to field.   Growing conditions.  A couple of years ago it seems like all the old school German hops I saw were 2-point-something.  But you don't really pay attention to alpha in MF do you?  Dang fine flavor and aroma hop.

Yep.  Even lots within a field can be different.  An example....at Yakima Chief, hops come in from the farm in 200 lb. bales.  Every bale gets tested, because even from the same filed on the same farm there can be lot to lot variation.  It can be due to soil, weather, how much sun that particular part of the field gets....

[James K]

I get all this. But. Same year. Maybe different lot. I was thinking, does AA degrade? Or. More than one hop harvest?

[denny]

I get all this. But. Same year. Maybe different lot. I was thinking, does AA degrade? Or. More than one hop harvest?

Or different farm, or....Yes, AA degrades.  That's where the HSI (Hop Storage Index) comes into play. Or different harvests.  Bottom line is that it is what it is.

[Robert]

Again, MF ain't for alpha.   If you want something as close as you'll get but with higher alpha, try Hallertau Tradition.  It is pretty close, but of course it's not the same.  Better idea.  If you're trying to hit a certain bitterness and can't do it with the MF as is, you can try this.  Use the MF in late additions by weight as planned.   Get your bitterness with a clean bitter hop like Magnum,  and use some MF as FWH to round out the kettle hop flavor.  That's what I usually do with German Pilsner and Helles. 

[James K]

Again, MF ain't for alpha.   If you want something as close as you'll get but with higher alpha, try Hallertau Tradition.  It is pretty close, but of course it's not the same.  Better idea.  If you're trying to hit a certain bitterness and can't do it with the MF as is, you can try this.  Use the MF in late additions by weight as planned.   Get your bitterness with a clean bitter hop like Magnum,  and use some MF as FWH to round out the kettle hop flavor.  That's what I usually do with German Pilsner and Helles.

My idea of mittelfrüh for bittering is like 20 ibu. I do a lot of solo hops. It’s all flavor and aroma for me. Love the Nobel. Does AA affect flavor and aroma? Or does it come from something else?
Tbh. I don’t really like bitter beers. Anymore. I’ll drink them. But. They don’t do what they used to do for me.
I like your style though. I never fwh.

[dmtaylor]

Every season is a little different.

And anyway....

There's more to life than the IBU.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

[mabrungard]

In reading the Hop Book, there has been a move by brewers to have growers focus on essential oils and overall perception than on alpha levels in those finer flavor and aroma hop varieties. Get your IBU's from super alpha hops and your flavor and aroma from the finer varieties.

Anyone that tells you that you need or want to get many IBU's out of those fine varieties is wrong. I've found that keeping the total amount of finer hop additions about the same as when those varieties had more substantial alpha content and then bumping up the super alpha bittering addition to make up for the low alpha fine hops, keeps the vegetal (green) flavor in check.

[ynotbrusum]

Almost always FWH with Magnum and 0’ with the flavor/aroma hops (MF, Tetnanger, Hallertauer, Saaz) for my lagerbiers’ process.  Pretty good results IMHO.