Summit Pale Ale (widmer drifter...ish)

I brewed this up just to showcase summit hops, this beer is great. Super drinkable, great tangerine aroma and flavor..hints of grapefruit. It is just super drinkable and enjoyable.



10.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 90.91 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 9.09 %
0.50 oz Summit [18.00 %] (60 min) Hops 27.2 IBU
0.50 oz Summit [18.00 %] (10 min) Hops 9.9 IBU
0.50 oz Summit [18.00 %] (5 min) Hops 5.4 IBU
0.50 oz Summit [18.00 %] (1 min) Hops 1.2 IBU

Mash at 151 for 60
1 packet US-05 hydrated

Beer Profile

Measured Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.009 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.74 %

I brewed something very similar after trying Widmer's Drifter Ale. Summit has a really interesting character - I get piney flavors off it as well.

Kahuna said:

I brewed something very similar after trying Widmer's Drifter Ale. Summit has a really interesting character - I get piney flavors off it as well.

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It just keeps changing with age, I can't wait to see what next month brings....even if the hop flavor starts to fade I have a marris otter and crystal 60 backbone to look forward too!

FWIW I contacted Widmer Bros about this beer a while back and here is some info they sent me -(note: they use a mix of hops for their bittering that they dub "Alchemy")

"[the bittering] Alchemy charge on DRI is small. Nelson [Sauvin] and Summit are used late in the brewhouse (in the Whirlpool), and, dry hopped as well. Between the two varieties, Summit and Nelson, there is about 0.5# per barrel total usage....The Nelson and Summits are not added to the boil – only to the whirlpool and the dry hopping."

JLem said:

FWIW I contacted Widmer Bros about this beer a while back and here is some info they sent me -(note: they use a mix of hops for their bittering that they dub "Alchemy")

"[the bittering] Alchemy charge on DRI is small. Nelson [Sauvin] and Summit are used late in the brewhouse (in the Whirlpool), and, dry hopped as well. Between the two varieties, Summit and Nelson, there is about 0.5# per barrel total usage....The Nelson and Summits are not added to the boil – only to the whirlpool and the dry hopping."

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I read that they used that alchemy blend to bitter most if not all of their beers, and the blend is different with every crop. Very intersting. Summit is fantastic for the whirlpool additions and dry hopping. I used this sparingly enough, 1/2 ounce per additon, for bittering and flavoring that I was able to avoid the onion and I dry hopped with 2 ounces....when this beer was fresh the aroma was crazy. Looking back, I think I would now add a second hop to the late additions and dry hopping.....likely centennial

I brewed a beer with Summit and Palisades and definitely got a distinct garlicy/oniony flavor. But I was trying a recipe I never tried before, using hops I had never tried before, a yeast I had never tried before and fermented it warmer than I wanted to (a heat wave hit the day I brewed), so I can't really be sure that it was 100% the Summit hops. Still, I'm a little gun shy about trying them again.

There is no doubt that the summit hops give a garlicy oniony flavor if used heavily for any flavor additions. I don't get the onion when used for bittering, and it is at it's worst FWH. I find that it is best using summit for bittering or for aroma/dry hopping. The recipe I posted above gives no onion, but only uses 2 oz total.

JLem said:

I brewed a beer with Summit and Palisades and definitely got a distinct garlicy/oniony flavor. But I was trying a recipe I never tried before, using hops I had never tried before, a yeast I had never tried before and fermented it warmer than I wanted to (a heat wave hit the day I brewed), so I can't really be sure that it was 100% the Summit hops. Still, I'm a little gun shy about trying them again.

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yeah, my latest 6 pack of drifter has a really strong onion/garlic aftertaste I do not remember from my previous 6-packs. I would not have bought more if it tasted like this the first time