English Pale Ale (Incorporating Cluster Hops)

[jmhbutler]

I live in St. John's, Newfoundland and I was just given a 2oz bag of whole leaf wild Cluster hops from a friend.

I want to use them to brew a British Pale Ale and have put together the following recipe. Can anybody comment?

3lbs DME
4lbs LME
1lbs C60
0.5lbs Victory
1oz Northern Brewer 10.5%AA (60min)
1oz Cluster (20min)
1oz Cluster (5min)
S-04

Thanks!!

 

[Calder]

You do know that Cluster was the original AMERICAN hop, and is more a bittering hop.

It will produce a decent beer. I did an all-Cluster beer once, turned out fine.

 

[slymaster]

If I had wild hops in leaf for a Pale Ale, I'd personally dry hop with an ounce of them. You'll get more of the fresh aroma but no added bitterness from it.


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[roastquake]

Cluster makes a great aroma hop for American pale ale, but if you want it to taste English use something else for aroma. Golding, Fuggle, Target, even Willamette for that earthy/floral English flavor, but Cluster will be citrus all day.

It will in fact be good beer though

 

[jmhbutler]

Thanks for the response everyone. I neglected to mention the hops may not be cluster, only a speculation from talking to local home brewers. I don't want to use the hops as bittering since the AA is unknown. Maybe I'll swap out the yeast for us-05 and keep everything else the same.

 

[jmhbutler]

The hops are dried right now and in the freezer. Do I need to worry much about contamination if I dryhop with them. I'm not sure of the method used to dehydrate them.