Fuggle Hops

[arog3000]

I have a great recipe for a Belgian Brown Ale and I add 1 oz of Fuggle at 60 minutes and then add 1/2 oz of Goldings at 20 min. This beer is really good and wonderfully malty but I am wondering if I am losing all the taste of the Fuggles by adding them so early.

 

[aseg]

yes. you are losing the fuggle flavor because you are using them as bittering hops. If you want fuggle flavor, you'll need to add some at the same time as your goldings or later.

 

[brrman]

agreed. Use something else with less of a flavor profile to bitter your beer - like magnum or something.

 

[bob3000]

There is a difference between using a large amount of low alpha hops to bitter a beer as opposed to using a small amount of high alpha. I bet it is not very noticeable on a hoppy beer but with a low hopped malty beer it may make a difference.

 

[david_42]

Although Fuggles' flavor will survive better than a citrus-type hop, I'd agree on using a straight bitttering hop at 60 and moving the Fuggles to 30 minutes.

 

[arog3000]

However what if I don't want the beer bitter at all. Should I just leave out any hops at the beginning and then add in the Fuggles later?

 

[Golddiggie]

You could try hop-bursting if you're up for it. Basically, you formulate the hop additions starting at 20 minutes from the end of the boil. I've done it with a couple of batches with good results. You'll end up using more hop amounts this way, but you can retain more hop flavor (and sometimes aroma) with it.

That being said, I've also used EKG for the entire hop bill in batches. I usually end up going with 4oz of pellets (7.20% AA), ending up with really good results there too. It's important, IMO, to have good tools/software to help figure out what you'll get for IBU's with either method, in a recipe.

You'll want a balanced brew when it's all said and done. If you need more hops to offset the malt in the batch, then you'll need the IBU's so that it's not overly malty. You can still make it more malt forward though. Like the amber ale I'm drinking right now. I used a total of 4oz of EKG in it, with one ounce each at 60, 10, 5, and 0 minutes from the end. About 30 IBU but it doesn't have any bitter bite to it. It's an easy drinker too at only 5.6%.

 

[bob3000]

Usually when making a malty beer beer you use enough hops to balance the sweetness at the beginning of the boil and only use a small or nor late hop additions. The technique of only adding large amounts of hops late in the boil is generally used for hoppy pale ales and probably would not be appropriate for the beer you are making.

 

[arog3000]

I am making a malty beer. I changed the recipe as follows.

.25 oz Magnum 70 min
.533 oz Kent Golding 20 min
.8 oz Fuggle 10 min

I am brewing this today. The Malt bill is big and with the dark candi syrup and 3587 yeast starter this beer should be quite tasty. Thanks!!