Tuesday Beer Trivia: More Hops

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beer trivia

Put your knowledge of all things hops to the test in this week’s Tuesday Beer Trivia quiz. Don’t forget to take our first hops trivia quiz, too!

They’re bitter, they’re flavorful, they’re aromatic. Hops offer a bitter counterpoint to the sweetness of beer, helping achieve crucial balance that brings us beer drinkers back for another sip.

After you take the Beer Trivia quiz below, scroll down to the “Beer Trivia Answer Explanations” section to learn more about hops.

Beer Trivia Answer Explanations

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Question 1:  Skunky and rubbery flavors or aromas in homebrew can be signs of “light-struck” homebrew. This quality is typically never desired in any style of beer. Beer becomes light-struck when the isohumulone bittering compounds in hops react with specific wavelengths of light. Skunky aroma can also be caused by using Cluster hops for late boil additions. Learn more about this skunky beer off-flavor.

Question 2: It is said that the first hopped beers appeared in the Northern German trading city of Bremen around the year 1000. Many of the earliest users of hops were cities outside the reach the church, since at the time the church instated rules that required the use of specific gruit herbs and spices. (Source: Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher)

Question 3: Wet hops contain about 80 percent water, while dried cones have about 10 percent water. This means that 7 to 8 times the amount of wet hops are needed compared to dry hops. (Source: For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus)

Question 4: The lupulin gland contains hard and soft resins, hop oils, and polyphenols. The soft resins include alpha and beta acids, both of which contribute to bitterness in beer. (Source: For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus)

Question 5: Hop utilization decreases with increasing wort gravity because a higher concentration of sugars makes it more difficult for isomerized alpha acids to dissolve. (Source: How to Brew by John Palmer)

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