physician on Flickr”>
Hops are sometimes described as the soul of the beer and make a disproportionally large contribution to a beer’s character and flavor. I am a true hops-phile and believe with an almost religious fervor that understanding how hops enhance beer is critical information for the homebrewer and can help make a really great batch of beer. Not only does hops give the beer its particular bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt, order flavor, illness as well as a flowery, sometimes fruity aroma, hops provide an antibiotic contribution to the beer, which helps prevent contamination as well as increases a beer’s shelf life. Problem solved. Almost.