Favorite Hops?

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Brewsmith

Home brewing moogerfooger
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I'm planning on doing a series of pale ales in order to taste what individual hops taste like. I'm planning on using a very simple pale ale recipe so that the hops can really come through. I want to keep the IBU's on each of the tests around 40 to make it even and use the same hop throughout the boil. Here's the basic plan for 5.5 gal.

9.5 lb. American 2-row
0.5 lb. Crystal 45
0.5 lb. Cara-pils

20-22 IBU - 60 min
8-10 IBU - 30 min
~6 IBU - 15 min
~4 IBU - 5 min
1 oz Dry hop

OG: 1.052
IBU:~40
SRM:~6

I plan on keeping the grain the same every time, probably splitting the mash into 2-3 gallon batches. I want to use cascade, centennial, willamette, EKG, simcoe, and chinook, with probably some more. Any favorite hops you think I should use?
 
brewsmith said:
I'm planning on doing a series of pale ales in order to taste what individual hops taste like. I'm planning on using a very simple pale ale recipe so that the hops can really come through. I want to keep the IBU's on each of the tests around 40 to make it even and use the same hop throughout the boil. Here's the basic plan for 5.5 gal.

9.5 lb. American 2-row
0.5 lb. Crystal 45
0.5 lb. Cara-pils

20-22 IBU - 60 min
8-10 IBU - 30 min
~6 IBU - 15 min
~4 IBU - 5 min
1 oz Dry hop

OG: 1.052
IBU:~40
SRM:~6

I plan on keeping the grain the same every time, probably splitting the mash into 2-3 gallon batches. I want to use cascade, centennial, willamette, EKG, simcoe, and chinook, with probably some more. Any favorite hops you think I should use?

I really like this idea! One of the mods over on the green board has been doing this for a while. I've thought about doing it as well, as I'd like to have an APA style on tap just about all the time.

I like your recipe. Which yeast?

The first one I'd do is an amarillo. I have a bunch of other hop varieties that I've never brewed with too, Phoenix, Glacier, Simcoe.....all those will be interesting I think.....
 
I'm a big fan of the American Pale Ales, and I also really like the Chinook/Cascade combo. I find they work well together, if you like intense, lingering bitterness and citrusy aroma/flavor. Which I do, very much!:)
 
I was planning on using White Labs CA 001 just to keep it clean and simple. I don't want anything real fruity or estery. Like I said, this experiment is to taste the hops.
 
For bittering, I'd use Northern Brewer, Galena, Eroica, Cluster, or Nugget. Sounds like a great experiment.

Good luck,
Wild
 
Funny you bring this up. After all the german beers i have been doing, I decided last night to switch back to some good ol' american ales for the summer. I also decided I need to get away from my traditional hops schedule of chinook, cascade and centennial and try some new varieties to see what they do. Some of the ones that are available and interst me which might also interest you are: Liberty, Mt. Hood, Cluster, Perle, Magnum, Nugget and Columbus.

i have used a couple of these before, but most of them ihave never tried. I look forward to your results.
 
wild said:
For bittering, I'd use Northern Brewer, Galena, Eroica, Cluster, or Nugget. Sounds like a great experiment.

Good luck,
Wild

YES, great choices to try!!!

And on personal preference, Northern Brewer, Galena and Nugget are 3 of my most favorites!
 
Amarillo would be another I would like to try. I'll add that to my list. And yes, just to clarify, each test brew will be one single hop the entire boil. I've got lots of odd bags of hops in the fridge, so this may be a good way to use up them as well. I think I have some liberty, galena, cluster, nugget, and some others I could try.
 
Kent Goldings is one of my favorite aromma hops.
For bitter and flavor: Williamette, Cascade, Northern Brewer, Magnum and Galena are all very good.:tank:
 
I'd like to do the same thing this summer. I plan to do one with all Simcoe (it's sometimes described as "piney") and one with Amarillo.
 
david_42 said:
I buy Columbus by the pound. It's a great bittering hop and not bad for flavor.

I agree, it's a great all-around hop. Excellent for bittering, flavor, and aroma. And with its high AA, a little goes along way.

A while back, I put together a recipe similar to Arrogant Bastard, but using all Columbus rather than Chinook. That computer died, but I'm hoping to salvage my recipes from the hard drive.
 
As a personal preferance, I kinda like the piney flavors so I'm looking forward to the all chinook brew, and want to try the simcoe, having never used it. What is the flavor profile of amarillo?
 
brewsmith said:
What is the flavor profile of amarillo?

They say "supercharged Cascade". It has a slightly higher AA but similar charcteristics...I guess. Personally I think the aroma is pretty different. In my limited use of Amarillo so far, the bitterness seems pretty soft.
 
Dude said:
They say "supercharged Cascade". It has a slightly higher AA but similar charcteristics...I guess. Personally I think the aroma is pretty different. In my limited use of Amarillo so far, the bitterness seems pretty soft.

I always hear "grapefruity". Would you agree? If I recall correctly, you used it for bittering. Have you used it for flavor or aroma?

Doesn't really matter to me. I've loved all the big PNW hops I've tried. :D Just trying to further the discussion.
 
Sounds good to me. One of my favorite IPA's is Bridgeport's and it has a very "grapefruity" taste to it. (Is grapefruity even a word? :confused:) Anyways, amarillo is definately going on the list.
 
Sam75 said:
I always hear "grapefruity". Would you agree? If I recall correctly, you used it for bittering. Have you used it for flavor or aroma?

Doesn't really matter to me. I've loved all the big PNW hops I've tried. :D Just trying to further the discussion.
I used some 7% AA Cascade in my honey ale 1/2 ounce each for 60 and 30 minutes. Tasting it out of the primary, it was like drinking grapefruit juice. I mean a dead ringer for grapefruit juice. I hope it mellows some! I know they aren't supercharged Cascade but they are pretty strong.
 
I am drinking an IPA that I did with Simcoe all thru the boil. Dry-hopped in Secondary with 1 oz Simcoe and then dry-hopped it agin in the keg with 1oz Amarillo. It is awesome, has agreat nose to it...
 
ekg is my favorite hop. i use it in ounces of two to bitter and one ounce increments for flavor and aroma.

columbus is another great hop, prolly number two in my book for all aspects of hopping.
 
Brewsmith said:
... I want to use cascade, centennial, willamette, EKG, simcoe, and chinook, with probably some more. Any favorite hops you think I should use?

Seemed to hear a lot about Sorachi Ace but never got much in the way of good descriptions of flavor and aroma when brewing with that hop. I suggest it (SORACHI ACE) as one for your consideration.

Great idea, here!

Anyone ever do a simpler hop-tea type of tasting to get a feel for the bitterness and taste of these various hops. Not sure if it would be realistic, but It'd be a hella-lot cheaper and quicker than making a bunch of brew batches and might avoid the "what a waste of time and money that batch was" possibility.
 
Simcoe, Amarillo, and I think Horizon is under utilized.

I've actually been thinking about doing a series of this same thing, using a single hop for a bunch of light IPAs (Probably around 1.060 and 50IBU or so).

-D
 
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