Mindsculptor
Well-Known Member
I bought the Dutch Castle Magic kit and I decided I wanted to experiment, so I ordered the Experimental Pine Fruit and AHDA 527 (2 oz ea) from Yakima Valley Hops. I loved the complex tasting notes that are described and I think they'll go well with any Belgian-style strong ale, I'm just a little concerned that the AA levels (18% and 14% respectively) might overpower the beer a little.
Two ideas I had were to only use an ounce each and divide them so I'm doing a hop drop every six minutes during the boil. I think that should be enough to mellow the monster bitterness. Also, it's going to be maturing in the secondary until around Christmas time and I'm definitely considering a couple weeks of aging with whisky-soaked oak cubes.
Two ideas I had were to only use an ounce each and divide them so I'm doing a hop drop every six minutes during the boil. I think that should be enough to mellow the monster bitterness. Also, it's going to be maturing in the secondary until around Christmas time and I'm definitely considering a couple weeks of aging with whisky-soaked oak cubes.