Adding cascade hops to a black lager

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Wcampbell

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I am very new to to home brewing and have just finished bottling my first batch of extract lager about a week ago. I'm already looking ahead to my next batch and was thinking about adding some pellet hops to a black lager extract kit to kick it up a notch. I would love to hear any suggestions on the best way to do it, and if it's a good idea. Should i add at the beginning, middle, end, etc. Thanks!
 
I am very new to to home brewing and have just finished bottling my first batch of extract lager about a week ago. I'm already looking ahead to my next batch and was thinking about adding some pellet hops to a black lager extract kit to kick it up a notch. I would love to hear any suggestions on the best way to do it, and if it's a good idea. Should i add at the beginning, middle, end, etc. Thanks!

It really depends on the original recipe, and what you're looking for. If you want a hops flavor, it should be near the end of the boil. For aroma, flame-out is a good time or even dryhopping. Some lagers taste odd if they are overhopped, though, so the whole recipe should be taken into consideration. The same is true of ales also- a Scottish ale for example may taste very odd with cascade hops added at the end of the boil. So the whole recipe needs to be considered before adjusting the hops schedule.
 
That was my impression with the dark ale I've got in primary now. My muse kept telling me not to use the whole leaf Cascade I have in the freezer. I thought Kent Golding & haulertau would be better with a dark beer. Especially an ale,but dark in general.
Also in light of the fact it'll be in secondary with the bourbon oak chips. Since they throw vanilla,oak,etc flavors when aged. So spice,herbal,lemon grass seamed to be a better choice. What do you think,yooper? Would this be better for the op,or?...
 
Personally, I really liked the cascade that I put in my American Stout. I think it went very nicely with the roasted flavors (and the judges seemed to agree).

But Cascade is best when used as a late addition, IMO. It's got a nice aroma and flavor. It can be used as a bittering hop too, but a lot of people use higher alpha hops for bitter to save money. I grow my own cascades and so far can't brew enough to use them all.

The Black Lager may not work as well as my stout though, since it's a lager and I think the black lager style has little roast flavor IIRC. Or maybe use less cascade, or combine with a Hallertau or EKG or something, maybe even Saaz, for a spicier flavor.
 
I used US Perle & Czech Saaz in my APA. Gave the hops aroma/flavors a smooth,spicy quality. German Tradition hops are supposed to be a bit smoother spice. But my LHBS sold out of them since the previous time I visited,& they had two fist fulls. Damn.
Idk about Saaz in a dark beer,but the Perle might be nice. I used the Kent Golding (marked "product of USA"),since we both smell/taste herbal lemon grass,like something you'd put on chicken BBQ. Thought combining that with the pleasant spiciness of Haulertau would accent the dark flavors better than citrus in this instance.?...
 
That was my impression with the dark ale I've got in primary now. My muse kept telling me not to use the whole leaf Cascade I have in the freezer. I thought Kent Golding & haulertau would be better with a dark beer. Especially an ale,but dark in general.
Also in light of the fact it'll be in secondary with the bourbon oak chips. Since they throw vanilla,oak,etc flavors when aged. So spice,herbal,lemon grass seamed to be a better choice. What do you think,yooper? Would this be better for the op,or?...

I don't know. I really like lagers to be "clean" so any out-of-place flavors would seem odd, but citrusy most especially.

Saaz is a "clean" but sort of spicy hop variety that may be good in this black lager. It really depends on the rest of the recipe. Any noble hop would probably be good, including perle as a flavor hop, as long as it's not overdone and the "clean" lager flavor comes through.
 
Thanks for all the great information! It sounds like I should leave the cascade hops out and save them for adding to an IPA at the end for an additional citrusy note.
 
Perle & Saaz together is rather nice in my APA. It's not overpowering the way I used them,anyway. I added 1.5lbs of DME to the boil,then 1oz Perle @ 20mins,.5oz Saaz @ 10 mins,& .5oz Saaz @ flame out for 10mins.
When all was said & done,ready to drink,The hop flavors were smooth,a little spicy,On the back half,so to say,of the taste. I thought something like this would work well with the dark lager. It wouldn't be as "overpowering" to the lager as I felt a Cascade might.
That's why I thought your considered opinion would be nice. Like a 2nd opinion with dr's...
 
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