Recent content by 12thHoleBrewer

Citrusy would include Citra, Galaxy, and Amarillo. Others can add to this list. Cascade is a classic American hop, citrusy but less intense than those described above. Back when I started brewing (20 years ago), Cascade was candied red to be one of the more assertive hops for an IPA...

If you don't have a large enough pot to boil a full five gallons, then yes you will have to top it off but with only with water. Boil the FULL recipe with all the ingredients in your pot (2.5 gallons.) Then top it off with just water. Ideally you want to purify the top off water first...

Never used lemon zest or juice, only orange zest. Your hop blend is certainly citrusy. Bu have you considered Motueka hops from New Zealand? They have a lemon/citrus profile. Motueka however is not as strong as Citra and Amarillo and would be more of a supporting player in your recipe...

If you list what state you live in or city nearby, I bet several members can recommend some dark beers made locally.

Congrats on your first brew! See link below. Whole hops generally require a little more than pellet. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=199189

Try posting your question on the Recipes/Ingredients forum on this website. It tends to be much more active. I've never done a hoppy red lager but perhaps start with a recipe for an Irish Red and modify it from there

I recently brewed with 100% Amarillo and it came out good. I only used 1/2 ounce at 60 minutes. Most of my hops were added at 10 minutes and after. And dry hopping of course.

I've had the pleasure of enjoying this beer. 2nd on any ideas on cloning

I recently listened to a podcast for the Sunday Session. One of the guys from Brulosophy was a guest and said he intentionally made a beer with two-year-old extract, two-year-old hops, two year old yeast. It was an experiment to see how it would come out. He said not only was it a drinkable...

Assuming you're interested in an extract recipe because of where you posted your question, you'll want to covert the all grain recipes to extract. Extra light dry extract will give you the lightest color. Add 1/3 to 1/2 the total at the beginning of the boil and the rest at flame out...

There is a product called GooGone found at most hardware stores that works too.

Bonsai When did you add the maple? After primary fermentation ended? I'm developing something like an English pale ale but want a bit of maple presence.

Don't feel bad. It sounds like you were following a procedure very carefully, which is a good trait to have as a homebrewer. It turned out to be the wrong procedure and you've learned from that. If you've added the mini batch with hops and after fermentation the beer is still too sweet...

I found a couple of posts with some ideas. One was to boil hops in a small amount of liquid and add to your wort. The other is to add some pre-isomerized hop extract. Either way you're kind of in experimental territory but adding a least some bitterness will make your beer more drinkable...

Does anyone know if this would work? Boil some bittering hops with some malt extract in a mini batch, maybe 1/2 gallon after evaporation. Cool it down and add to the original beer. I've never tried this but others n the board might be able to weigh in. Might be a method to add some bitterness...