I am trying to get better at writing my own recipes. Looking at these charts on hop utilization–
It looks like you get the most flavor from your hops at 20 minutes. For hop forward brews, then why doesn’t every hop head do a 20 min addition? Wouldn’t this maximize your hops? What am I missing? (Probably over analyzing stuff again)
The chart makes a general point but in general forget the chart
Basically, this chart is simply a generalization. The takeaways should be that
A) The longer you boil, the more bitterness you will extract - until you hit the point of diminishing returns somewhere in the ballpark of 60 minutes
B) Flavor and aroma compounds are volatile and will boil off over time, but heat helps extract these compounds. The exact equilibrium point where you extract max flavor/aroma before the bulk gets boiled off isn’t as simple as going by what the chart says.
What the chart won’t tell you is that the best bang for your buck for hop aroma is to dry hop, and for flavor is generally to do a hop stand (i.e., a hot steep at subboiling temps after flameout).
Take a shot at first wort hopping for flavor. Its fantastic.
