Generic high alpha hop for bittering Belgians???

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Cugel

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Hey everyone,

I'm trying to cut down on hop use, and am thinking about using a small amount of a "mild" high alpha bittering hop instead of the Styrian Goldings etc typically found in Belgians.
From what my LHBS guy tells me the Belgian brewers us S.G. as a bittering hop primarily due to it's low cost.

Can anyone suggest a generic high alpha hop that I can use for bittering Belgian style brews? My LHBS guy recommended Galena. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

PS I guess the suggestions will largely depend on what kind of Belgians I brew - doubles, strong golden ales, and strong dark Belgians, oh and now am working on a Belgian-ized stout ~9% abv.
 
You will probably use very little of a high-alpha hop, so you really can use just about anything.


TL

+1...lately I'll use anything over 10% for bittering. The variety means very little compared to the AA%. The only exception for me is Chinook. Its too harsh IMO and benefits from FWHing...
 
That has always been my method, just very small additions of high Alpha Hops. I am in the school of thought that it really doesn't matter with the bittering addition.
 
That has always been my method, just very small additions of high Alpha Hops. I am in the school of thought that it really doesn't matter with the bittering addition.

This is a conclusion that I am also coming to. From now on a 1/4 oz or 1/2 oz of (say Galena) will be what I use for bittering rather than 1 to 2 oz of East Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings etc.
 
I am unable to recommend a high alpha hop for a Belgian. In order to conform with the style I would sugggest sticking with a noble hop. I can however suggest you consider first wort hopping your Belgians to get a little more mileage out of your hops.

What about a moderate AA hop like Northern Brewer or Perle?
NB is used in some Belgians, and Perle is very neutral.
 
This is a conclusion that I am also coming to. From now on a 1/4 oz or 1/2 oz of (say Galena) will be what I use for bittering rather than 12 oz of East Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings etc.
How many gallons are you making? What are the AA's of the SG?
 
Can anyone suggest a generic high alpha hop that I can use for bittering Belgian style brews? My LHBS guy recommended Galena. Any thoughts?
I used Galena as a generic high alpha hop in my strong dark Belgian and I have to say it came through too much in the taste. There was a grassy note that didn't quite agree with me, so I can't agree that Galena would be good for that one. Unfortunately, I can't think of an alternative recommendation right now.
 
I used Galena as a generic high alpha hop in my strong dark Belgian and I have to say it came through too much in the taste. There was a grassy note that didn't quite agree with me, so I can't agree that Galena would be good for that one. Unfortunately, I can't think of an alternative recommendation right now.

Did you get any kind of a soapy note with the Galena? I'm trying to see if it's the cause of some of my beer woes.
 
This is why I'm looking for a high-alpha hop whose character will be almost absent in the final product.
You don't need something that's very high AA for bittering a Belgian. Still, I'd recommend Nugget for bittering, since I understand that any of its characteristics could be described as resiny or semi-sweet, not unlike Fuggles and their derivatives. On the chance that any of its nuances come through, they should complement the appropriate flavor and aroma hops that you should be using (Goldings/Fuggles, Saaz, Tettananger, etc) for that style.
 
You might be able to get away with a small amount of German Perle or Willamette, but I generally stick to Styrian Goldings, Goldings, Fuggles and Saaz for bittering. Its worth the extra 4 bucks to bitter with a low alpha hop and develop those round, earthy flavors that make low gravity Belgian beer so fine.
 
Nugget is probably another good choice as its, beta acid & cohumulone % are similar to SG.
 
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