BIG DUMMY NEWBIE HOPS ISSUE 1st brew

[CBR250]

So I did my first partial boil brew yesterday and today rereading the directions I had misplaced, I realized that I boiled 1oz of the hops for and hour and used the 1/2oz hops for aroma in the last minute. I was supposed to do the opposite. This is a light ale kit from MoreBeer! So just how bitter will this batch turn out, and could I sweeten it with something during the fermentation? And......no I'm not going to send this to anyone and I am going to relax and have a bitter homebrew if I have to!!!!!!:

 

[jaytizzle]

Don't do anything to it. It will be just fine.

 

[res291que]

What was the hop variety that will allow us to help figure out your IBU'S

 

[CBR250]

What was the hop variety that will allow us to help figure out your IBU'S

It was Cascade hops.
8oz crystal 15.
6 lbs Light Malt Extract.

 

[Yooper]

It seems like you did it correctly! What made you think you reversed the hops?

 

[CBR250]

The Light Ale paper I got with my kit reads:

.5 oz Cascade: Bittering Hops boiled for 60 min.
1 oz Cascade: Aroma Hops are boiled the last minute.

I did the reverse.

 

[homebrewdad]

You'll end up with beer that is a little more bitter and has less aroma - but neither will terribly affect things.

Relax and let it ride.

 

[amandabab]

The Light Ale paper I got with my kit reads:

.5 oz Cascade: Bittering Hops boiled for 60 min.
1 oz Cascade: Aroma Hops are boiled the last minute.

I did the reverse.

all cascade and only 1.5oz total, to counter 6lbs of extract and 1/2lb of crystal. I probably would have done 1oz @ 60 and .5oz later no matter what the instructions said.

 

[CBR250]

I appreciate the quick response. I didn't think it was a fatal error, just wondered if I should try to sweeten it up. It's bubbling real good and looks real good. I appreciate the forum.

 

[chickypad]

all cascade and only 1.5oz total, to counter 6lbs of extract and 1/2lb of crystal. I probably would have done 1oz @ 60 and .5oz later no matter what the instructions said.

I concur. Good "mistake"!

 

[Bamsdealer]

If you want to sweeten it up... errr... nose it up, go get another ounce of cascade hops in the next week or two. After 10 days or so... or your gravity reading stabilizes for a few days, toss them in the fermented beer for an additional 5 days before you bottle. You'll get a nice fresh aroma and a little additional flavor after skimping on the late hop addition. Regardless, you should end up with a good brew.

 

[CBR250]

That's asking a lot from a guy with his first brew!!! That's a whole lot of days! I have to order every thing online due to my location. I hear Northern Idaho has great hops but I have not had time to look around much. Can anyone tell me what this mix might possibly taste like? I am at a 70 degrees fermentation. I am not a beer connoisseur but I sure like Mirror Pond. Does this batch I have even compare?

 

[Bamsdealer]

Didn't realize you had to mail order ingredients. Your beer will turnout just fine as long as you followed the proper procedures. Never had Mirror Pond, but I looked it up and here's the description

Pale
Alc. 5% | IBUs 40
170 Calories, 12 oz serving
This is base camp, where any craft brew exploration begins. A distinct hop nose and hop-forward flavor make Mirror Pond the quintessential Pale Ale. It is aromatically complex, multi-layered, and unmistakably “right.”

Malt: Pale, NW Pale, Crystal, Carapils
Hops: Cascade


The Mirror Pond is probably a little more complex based on the malt profile and the Cascade may stand out a little more, but you may notice some similarities between the two. Speaking of a whole lot of days, I would have recommended you leave your beer in the fermenter a minimum of 14 days anyway. It's not too late to order your ingredients for the next batch and request an extra ounce of Cascade for dry hopping this one.

Based on the description and IBUs of Mirror Pond, I guessing a clone might look something like 1 ounce at 60 min, 1 ounce at 30 min, 1 ounce at 10 min and two ounces at flameout with another ounce for dry hopping

 

[res291que]

Not going to be as hoppy as a mirror pond just reading the description, but looks like it should be pretty good. Put it in beer smith and looks like the IBUs should be around 12 (11.9) just a little low for the style, but looks like it should be a tasty brew and should come out to be about 5% ABV. Congrats on your first batch.

 

[CBR250]

Thanks! I really did enjoy the time spent doing it. I sure am looking forward to the first one! Half the price made whole lot of love! I'll try that hopping schedule next time. Mirror Pond seems pretty complex. What a never ending learning this profitable hobby is!

 

[res291que]

What a never ending learning this profitable hobby is!

Wouldn't call it profitable ;-) but defiantly never ending on the learning aspect. Cheers happy 4th

 

[conpewter]

I'd just leave it, the beer will still be good even with those hop amounts reversed. Relax Don't Worry Have A Craft Brew RDWHACB (Well it is his first brew, he doesn't have any homebrew around yet)