Leaf v Pellet Hops.

[Little Rock Brewing]

Is there an advantage to using leaf over pellet hops, or vice-versa?
The price is the same, weight for weight, more or less.
Which gives the best bang for your buck?
I've only used leaf once, in a Belgian Dubbel, so it was only a couple of ounces in the boil.
But the clean up of the hop spider was a lot easier!

 

[foxy]

Pellets will give you the best bang for your buck. Throw away the hop spider and let the hops settle out with the coagulated proteins (break material) leave all that in the kettle and get clear wort into the fermenter.

 

[Covrich]

+1 pellets generally seem to give the better results and I defintaley agree with not using a hop spider.. I have one but IMO they have a very noticeable drop off in efficiency

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

Hop spider for sale!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Leaf hops for me but I use both. I buy pellets because I get free delivery from CML but I did an order from THBC to which I added leaf hops.

 

[MmmBeer]

Leaf hops during the boil, as they form a filter bed to strain the wort. Pellets for dry hopping.

 

[MickDundee]

I prefer pellets, they take up less room in my hop shelf, easier to measure out and are easier to dry hop with.

Regarding hop spiders I got the biggest one I possibly could and find it great. I can only just fit it and my chiller and spider in together. I transfer to fermenter using my BrewDevil’s pump so really need something to stop the hops blocking the filter (especially for heavily hopped beers), I’ll eventually see about a helix filter or something next time I make an AliExpress order but for now the hop spider is doing its job.

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

I prefer pellets, they take up less room in my hop shelf, easier to measure out and are easier to dry hop with.

Regarding hop spiders I got the biggest one I possibly could and find it great. I can only just fit it and my chiller and spider in together. I transfer to fermenter using my BrewDevil’s pump so really need something to stop the hops blocking the filter (especially for heavily hopped beers), I’ll eventually see about a helix filter or something next time I make an AliExpress order but for now the hop spider is doing its job.

Hmmm, my hop spider is a biggun!

 

[Rodcx500z]

Pellets for me, i have a hop spider used it once pita, just chuck em in a good whirlpool with the paddle and Bobs your aunty fanny

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Pellets for me, i have a hop spider used it once pita, just chuck em in a good whirlpool with the paddle and Bobs your aunty fanny

Does this mean you use the tap on the brewzilla to empty in to fermentor, rather than pump? (I'm not suggesting one way is better than the other, just curious)

 

[Rodcx500z]

Does this mean you use the tap on the brewzilla to empty in to fermentor, rather than pump? (I'm not suggesting one way is better than the other, just curious)

both, today i am using the pump i am only using 70g of hops if i use a lot of hops i will use the tap, i will post a pic when i am emptying the kettle later

 

[Covrich]

Does this mean you use the tap on the brewzilla to empty in to fermentor, rather than pump? (I'm not suggesting one way is better than the other, just curious)

It can affect the pump yes.. however I would recommend after whirlpooling or what not leaving the kettle to stand for a good 20-30 mins this will alow the crud to settle down and you can tap out clearwort for the most part

 

[marshbrewer]

I use both and just chuck them into the kettle without any hop bag or spider, and they settle out fine after cooling the wort. I have a 3 vessel system and don't have / use a pump, so don't have to worry about blockages.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Here you go

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Leaf every time for me - they just seem more natural (I know that's nonsensical but there you are...)

On a more practical note the debris from pellets goes straight through the false bottom in my kettle and is a lot harder to clean out; the whole leaf ones just collect on top of the mesh and I can just scoop them out into the compost.

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

Here you go View attachment 56461

That's nice and clear, through the pump too.
I don't think I wait long enough for it all to settle after faffing with the cooling etc.
I'll relax with a beer next time and be patient!

 

[foxy]

That's nice and clear, through the pump too.
I don't think I wait long enough for it all to settle after faffing with the cooling etc.
I'll relax with a beer next time and be patient!

A beer or three, no big rush, the longer you leave it the more it will settle, it's not a race. The clearer the wort going into the fermenter = clearer beer coming out.

 

[moto748]

I don't know what other posters find, but in my local shop, it's 95% pellets these days, so I don't really get the choice. I guess I could send away for leaf, but pellets seem to do the job fine. I course I don't have spiders or bazookas or anything like that, I just put the hops in a cotton bag, tie a knot in the end, and bung them in the boiler.

I find this simple technique works equally well with pellet or leaf!

 

[DocAnna]

I have a love hate relationship with hops. They are all a right royal pain in the rear end for blocking the pump trying to whirlpool. They can also quite easily block the tap as well. Hop spiders are also a bit meh but I do consider necessary for pellet hops for the same pump or chiller blocking reasons. There's no good answer to which is better. There's arguments for both and much of it comes down to what works with your equipment. I have grown to quite like whole leaf hops since they can be used more easily loose with a screen filter to protect the pump, but they do absorb an awful lot of fluid. Super clear fermentation wort isn't necessarily the best thing either depending on your perspective/reading about cold break proteins and their role in facilitating fermentation. As for clear beer - if they settle during a few hours after the boil then they are going to settle in the fermenter too.

I have yet to find the best solution for my own use of hops in the boil, though I think a very loosely filled mesh hop sock may be the best option in the end, more a hop jelly fish than a spider .

 

[The Baron]

I use both and as said you get more taste from Hop pellets IMO but I think that I have read that you can get more bitterness from hop pellets compared to leaf as the hop has been crushed and exposes more of the hop thus giving more bitterness