Until recently, hops were used only limitedly in the american style beers. We've all seen the sam adams commercial where they say they put a pound of hops in every batch. Personally, I'm not too impressed cause we used a fifth of a pound for 5 gallons last week, i know they're doing batches bigger than 25 gallons, and they probably arent using anything as strong as Summit. At the same time, they're doing something right, so I guess its just the style.
Regardless! Hops do more than just bitter your beer (although this is important). In addition to the alpha acids that isomerize during the boil and provide a bitter balance for the alcohol of the beer, hops also provide flavor and aroma to balance out the malty taste. These come predominantly from beta acids, and when adding hops for such things, one should add late in the boil, or dry hop, as they boil out quickly. Some hops, the 'Noble Hops' of central Europe (Tettnanger, Hallertauer, Spalter, and Saaz) are almost exclusively used for aroma and flavor and only slightly for bittering.
Beyond that, Hops also provide a stabilizing and preservative effect to the beer. In addition to balancing out the high abv of an IPA, this is the other reason they are featured heavily in it; to meet the original intention of the IPA (surviving long trips across the ocean). Lastly, hops also have an anti-biotic effect against gram-positive bacteria. If you think about it, thats pretty crazy. Hops appear perfect for brewing beer anyways, and then if thats not enough, they also provide an even better environment in the wort by preventing bacterial growth and so encourage yeast growth and alcohol production.
Lord knows they've got to be better than whatever was used for bittering before them. If we ever open up a higher-class brewpub and restaurant, I want a patio opening onto a hops garden off the back.
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