Bought first "kit"

[NadoHawk]

Well not really sure a Mr. Beer Deluxe I picked up for less than 15 (bill came to 21 with two additional deluxe beers and some mochi all at Bed Bath and Beyond) can be called a kit, but if I find homebrew is not for me I'm only out 18 dollars or so instead of 70-100. If I like brewing which I suspect I will, I'll update to Coopers keeping the same kit...I don't like particular beers enough to brew 5 gallons and I see a lot of homebrewers moving to smaller batches these days.

I was wondering what additional hops are best for a pale ale with 3.7 abv. I would go with Cascade hops, but since Sierra Nevada (never got into their beers despite several attempts...they have a bland coppery taste to them almost like the beer was left in contact with metal containers for far too long) uses them; I am wondering if that is where that beer gets it major flavor profile.

I am a big fan of late-addition hops (what's the actual flavor addition between adding them at the end of the boil vs. dry-hopping?)...the hoppier the better...not a big fan of brewers who resort to excessive use of alpha acids in their beer where the flavor profile of the malt is drowned out by a general bland taste from the over-use of these bittering hops.

Also any other adjuncts and spices good for flavoring would be nice to know. I might even try oregano since I like the spice so much.

The beers I like that are pale ales are San Diego variety: Coronado Islander and Green Flash dark IPA (forgot the name). I however like all pale ales except for one Stone IPA and Sierra Nevada.

 

[BluBruShack]

Well to start there are quite a few aroma hops out there. I like Cascade(and actually grow it) but I find my self using a lot of Hallertau in my most recent batches. Its all on preference and the taste that you are looking for. Here is a list of most of the hops you can choose from. Hop Guide - BeerAdvocate I suggest you check at your local home brew store to see if what kind of varieties they have and they will be able to point you in the right direction.
One other thing that you may not be aware of is that Mr Beer has an entire recipe section. It gives suggestions and products you can add to the brew to change the taste of the HME provided. Mr.Beer - beer kits, home brewing systems, and microbrewery supplies - Recipes
I would look up the brews you like on beer advocate or another site to see the IBU and hops used and try to model yours to your taste. Hope this helps
Happy Brewing
BBS

 

[NadoHawk]

The problem is most require a UME, which I don't have and I don't think they sell them in stores. I've seen a few of their recipes and might look for the hops at the local homebrew store when I actually end up going to it.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

great late hops: cascade, centennial, amarillo, simcoe, citra, columbus, horizon, hallertau, EKG, fuggle, willamette, chinook, tettnanger, liberty, well, you get the idea, there's a lot of hops to choose from, it all depends on what you're going for.
in an american pale, the citrusy and piney hops are my favorites.

 

[Yooper]

Well not really sure a Mr. Beer Deluxe I picked up for less than 15 (bill came to 21 with two additional deluxe beers and some mochi all at Bed Bath and Beyond) can be called a kit, but if I find homebrew is not for me I'm only out 18 dollars or so instead of 70-100. If I like brewing which I suspect I will, I'll update to Coopers keeping the same kit...I don't like particular beers enough to brew 5 gallons and I see a lot of homebrewers moving to smaller batches these days.

I was wondering what additional hops are best for a pale ale with 3.7 abv. I would go with Cascade hops, but since Sierra Nevada (never got into their beers despite several attempts...they have a bland coppery taste to them almost like the beer was left in contact with metal containers for far too long) uses them; I am wondering if that is where that beer gets it major flavor profile.

I am a big fan of late-addition hops (what's the actual flavor addition between adding them at the end of the boil vs. dry-hopping?)...the hoppier the better...not a big fan of brewers who resort to excessive use of alpha acids in their beer where the flavor profile of the malt is drowned out by a general bland taste from the over-use of these bittering hops.

Also any other adjuncts and spices good for flavoring would be nice to know. I might even try oregano since I like the spice so much.

The beers I like that are pale ales are San Diego variety: Coronado Islander and Green Flash dark IPA (forgot the name). I however like all pale ales except for one Stone IPA and Sierra Nevada.

Just a minor note from me! "Upgrading" to Coopers would be a downgrade. Once you're ready to leave Mr. Beer, skip anything like Coopers or other prehopped "kits" and just do a 2 gallon recipe with malt extract, hops, and yeast. It's super simple, and you get a better quality to result. Mr. Beer is about the same quality of most of the Cooper's stuff I"ve had.

 

[NadoHawk]

Thanks for the advice on Coopers. I was also looking into the pure malt extract because of the better economy of scale compared to the kits (won't be able to do all grain brewing because of potential boil overs...I would never hear the end of it). I think both Coopers and Mr Beer are made in Oceania if I am not mistaken.

Anyone know what gives the Sierra Nevada brand (they all taste pretty much the same....I read some review that criticized that it was like they only had one base beer and added flavoring to create different styles) that distinctive taste? I want to avoid having my beer and all future beers I brew having a similar taste.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

that wonderful SN house flavor is a combination of yeast, water and brewing practice. one would have to try to replicate SN's flavor to end up with a beer that tasted like a SN product.

FWIW, i read that same rant about having one base beer that they flavor differently, i almost fell out of my chair laughing. nothing could be further from the truth, and it shows when you drink different SN offerings. something like SNPA is a crisp, light bodied, dry brew, whereas Torpedo is loaded with crystal malt and resinous hops, not to crisp or dry and Bigfoot is a big, sticky barleywine, sweet, big mouthfeel, notable alcohol warming, etc. anyone who says all SN beers taste the same either hasn't tried more than one, or hasn't developed a palate that can tell the difference between a breweries 'house' flavor and the flavors in different recipes.

 

[NadoHawk]

Well to me, they all have a metallic aftertaste to them that drowns out the other flavors.

 

[NadoHawk]

Also how is brewing with hot peppers? I have some Ghost Peppers that I'm going to get started when the winter ends. Could be interesting or a very, very painful experience.

Might also plant some hops from the Beer Garden I got last month from Think Geek...only cost me 2.58 including shipping...don't buy it since it is cheaply made.

 

[unionrdr]

I'd be carefull with those ghost chilies,they're over 1 million scovel units each! That'd be painfull in a liquid you're gunna drink.

 

[Sacdan]

Anyone know what gives the Sierra Nevada brand (they all taste pretty much the same....I read some review that criticized that it was like they only had one base beer and added flavoring to create different styles) that distinctive taste? I want to avoid having my beer and all future beers I brew having a similar taste.

That "taste" would be bittering hops. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale may be the most over rated beer I have ever tasted. There is no hop taste. It is all just bitter. The same with Celebration, just bitter. I have been drinking SN for a long time. I keep trying it year after year. Still the same. Just bitter. No hop taste or aroma. I do enjoy some of their beers, but the mainstream ones are pure crap! It is cool to make a good hoppy beer. Just make sure all the hops aren't bittering hops.

 

[NadoHawk]

OK thanks. I'm a hophead, but an aroma hophead. I really hate it when brewers overdo it with the alpha acid...Dog Fish** does it as well, but I like the brewer since he likes to try new beers and is very enthusiastic about his beer. I've also tried Sierra Nevada since I could legally drink and every beer I've tried from them has had the same taste year after year (I tried some new beer styles with them which I thought were awful because they were new beer styles I had never tried..I might just have to throw that assumption out the window and try those styles again from a brewer who actually follows a more traditional recipe for brewing those particular styles). I finally just gave up on them.

I'm also generally not a fan of those mainstream independent brewers like Anchor Steam as well for the same reason. I prefer the brewers where you have to actually live in the area (or very enthusiastic about knowing about all the beers in the US) to know about them. I don't get the same bland beers I get from the big name independent brewers. They may have been superb at one time and we should all be thankful for the groundwork they set forth for other microbreweries, but IMO they kind of sold out.

**Biggest gripe against them is they are quite expensive compared to the other beers on the shelf.