Hops / Hops Related Questions

Good morning all!

Okay, So I am brand new to brewing and I have a few hops questions. For the sake of Thread space...I want to put them all in the same Thread and see what people think.

I have been using the Mr. Beer kit (2 Gallong Fermentation Keg) for the lack of anything better or more skilled.

I recently received one of their recipes and it had a 1 oz bag of Cascade Hops.

Question 1) Is 1 oz the right amount for a 2 Gallon fermenter? I do not want something too hoppy, but also I don't want to add hops if I can't taste anything of it either.

Question 2) I asked one of my favorite Commerical beers about the hops they use in their beer. They were coy by saying that they use a complex blend...but did indicate that the blend included Hallertau and Williamette. What properties was this beer maker going with by combining Hallertau and Williamette??

Question 3) What would be some good Hops combinations if I am going for a recipe with the following properties -- Golden/Straw color. Crisp taste with a clean non-wheaty/corny taste. Low to medium alcohol level 4.0 - 5.3%ABV. Something that smells clean, not too grassy or woodsy or overly fruity???

Question 4) I have the following hops...without buying anything new...is there anything good I can make using any...or any combination of...
Glacier (1/2 oz)
Liberty (3 oz)
Hallertau (1 oz)
Tattnanger (US) (1 oz)
????


Thank you all in advance.

Clearly you have a lot of research ahead of you - sounds like fun!

1) What is the rest of the recipe? Is this a MrBeer pre-hopped can of LME? What style of beer are you trying to make? I could definitely see adding a half ounce Cascade at 10 minutes (time left in the boil) and flameout for some nice flavor in an APA.

2) Would be easier to answer if you told me what the beer is.

3) 4) Browse the recipe section, looking at your favorite styles for ideas. Pay attention to IBU levels, and the timing of the hop additions. Research is good.

frazier said:

Clearly you have a lot of research ahead of you - sounds like fun!

1) What is the rest of the recipe? Is this a MrBeer pre-hopped can of LME? What style of beer are you trying to make? I could definitely see adding a half ounce Cascade at 10 minutes (time left in the boil) and flameout for some nice flavor in an APA.

2) Would be easier to answer if you told me what the beer is.

3) 4) Browse the recipe section, looking at your favorite styles for ideas. Pay attention to IBU levels, and the timing of the hop additions. Research is good.

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Frazier~

Thanks. And I apologize for not having provided enough information. Just went to bed last night with the questions on my mind and woke up and still wanted to ask them. So I didn't provide as much context maybe as I should have.

As for filling in the meat..

1) Yes, I am using the Mr. Beer HME and UME. What I'm interested in focussing on is either the High Country Canadian Draft or the Octoberfest Vienna Lager (I also have cans of Blonde American Ale (HME) Cowboy Golden Lager (HME) and then Pale Export (UME) and Golden Wheat (UME). What I am going for is something that will pop. Something clear, golden, nice head and a very crisp taste. I want something that will bite my tongue...not just lay flat. I want something that in 15 minutes of drinking beer will be as crisp at the end as it is at the beginning. I want something that can taste of honey...yet very smooth honey going down. Not TOO sweet...just that silky-ness quality.

2) I see a lot of people trashing the big commercial brew stuff so I was hesitant to name the beer. Anyways, it's Landshark. I really like sitting down after a long day with a bunch of beef jerkey and watching football or wrestling. So, yeah, Landshark.

Their representation sent me this email:
Thanks for taking the time to visit our Web site and e-mail Margaritaville Brewing Co. I appreciate your interest in Land Shark, and I’ll be happy to tell you more about the ingredients in the brew!

Land Shark Lager is brewed using only barley malt, select cereal grains, a complex blend of American hops (including Hallertau and Williamette), yeast and water. It’s the perfect beer to enjoy while relaxing on a patio or on the beach!

Again, Chris, thank you for contacting Margaritaville Brewing Co. If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to get back in touch. Until then, I raise my glass to you and I hope you have a great week!

Since I'm not using barley malt (or don't know if Mr. Beer sells that and I am not adding cereal to my novice attempts...I am try to go after their hops concoction and then try to use what I can obtain through the Mr. Beer HMEs and UMEs to get something good.

3) I appreciate what you said about looking at the recipes section, but I was worried that everyone here is advanced and everyone is waaaaaay past the stage of using a 2 gallon Mr. Beer kit. All the stuff I looked at initially is way more advanced than where I'm at right now.

Did I not look far enough???


THANKS

Is 1 oz the right amount for a 2 Gallon fermenter?

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Hops are like any ingredient in any recipe: the concept of "right amount" is hard to define. If it helps you put hop usage in context. . . my double IPA -- a very hoppy beer -- uses well over a pound of hops in five gallons. My wheat -- which I brew on the bitter side -- uses just two ounces in five gallons. So one ounce is definitely "in the zone" in a two gallon batch for many styles of beer.

What properties was this beer maker going with by combining Hallertau and Williamette?

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Contrary to your e-mailer's claim, Hallertau is not an American hop. It's from the Hallertau region of Germany and, although it may in some cases be grown in the United States, most brewers think of it as a German hop (in the same way the sushi can be made in a restaurant in Iowa, but most of us don't think of it as an American dish.)

In any event, both Hallertau and Willammette are relatively low alpha-acid hops, and are therefore not very bitter. They both have mild aromas.

Landshark is owned by ImBev (which makes Budweiser.) One of the reasons they blend hops is to create a specific flavor and aroma for their beer; another reason they use a blend, though, is so that they aren't dependent on any one hop variety. That way, when there's a hop shortage, they can adjust their mixture to include a different hop without noticeably changing the flavor of their beer.

What would be some good Hops combinations if I am going for a recipe with the following properties -- Golden/Straw color. Crisp taste with a clean non-wheaty/corny taste. Low to medium alcohol level 4.0 - 5.3%ABV. Something that smells clean, not too grassy or woodsy or overly fruity???

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Any of the noble hops would be good for a beer like that.

I have the following hops...

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I think that a blend of Tattnanger and Hallertau would be good. Both are noble hops, which I recommended, both have low alpha-acids (and are therefore not too bitter,) and both have clean crisp aromas.

Making a two gallon recipe with the characteristics you describe, I might start out the boil with an eighth ounce of each, add a quarter ounce of each at 30 minutes, and a quarter ounce of each when you turn off the stove.

Pericles~

Phenomenal information. That really laid things out and helped me a ton. I genuinely appreciate the information. Thank you.

No problemo!

Regarding your use of the MrBeer equipment - A lot of brewers on this site - myself included - started out with MrBeer. No need to apologize for that. It's a great way to learn the process, gain experience, try new recipes and ingredients - which sounds a lot like what you are doing. Keep on brewing!