First Gold is Wonderful

[tracer bullet]

I was about to post that too!!!

 

[MaxStout]

I just ordered 6 oz from them, along with a few other things. My supply of UK hops is low and I want to brew some bitters and porters this winter.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

continuing on a slightly off topic side topic

Not entirely on topic, but I’m also starting to really appreciate Fawcett crystal wheat. Wow is it good.

Any insights into Fawcett vs Briess for crystal wheat?

 

[sibelman]

The Malt Miller (UK)

Imperial Pub

Time to brew an English ale, as soon as my order from The Malt Miller arrives. Thanks for this tip, @Gadjobrinus.

 

[AlexKay]

continuing on a slightly off topic side topic


Any insights into Fawcett vs Briess for crystal wheat?

No idea about Briess, unfortunately. My experiences with UK crystal have been so uniformly good that I don’t think to look elsewhere anymore.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

First Gold is a very English hop, well suited to English ales. I've drunk a lot of American hopped stuff since the late 90s but I've reverted to drinking mostly English stuff now.

I'm finding English hopped ales harder to find here in England. And I'm wondering how the growers are getting on, especially with the loss of so many key breweries via the Marston's sell out to Carlsberg and the subsequent closure of key breweries. Sales of cask ales here have fallen since Covid, and a large proportion of cask now features imported hops.

First Gold is one of my favourites. I usually have it in stock. I like it with Northdown, another favourite. Others I like to keep in stock are Golding, Challenger, Pilgrim, Progress, Fuggles, Bramling Cross, Endeavour, Admiral and Target. That's eleven hops, I only have 6 of them currently.

I make sure I have at least one of Pilgrim, Admiral and Target. At least one of Golding, First Gold and Challenger. One of Bram X, Northdown or Endeavour, and one of Fuggles or Progress.

I buy other English hops but not the newer fruitier varieties like Jester and Harlequin. I like old school varieties. I've had some nice beers with these newer hops, but I prefer the floral, herbal, spicy hops. I'm hoping you Americans will keep buying them, to keep the English hop growers in business!

 

[MaxStout]

Haven't used First Gold before, looking forward to trying it in some upcoming brews. Usually it's been EKG or Fuggle.

 

[ncbrewer]

@BongoYodeler, I see that William's has it. It was featured in today's email newsletter.

https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Hom...one&utm_content=none&utm_campaign=Fathers2023

In 2017, I contacted Williams Brewing about their hops packaging. It turned out they are not vacuum sealed (as of 2017). I don't have any more recent information.

 

[MaxStout]

In 2017, I contacted Williams Brewing about their hops packaging. It turned out they are not vacuum sealed (as of 2017). I don't have any more recent information.

Maybe they're filled with inert gas, like Yakima Chief.

Otherwise, I'll be sure to vac-seal mine once I receive them.

 

[ncbrewer]

Maybe they're filled with inert gas, like Yakima Chief.

Otherwise, I'll be sure to vac-seal mine once I receive them.

I checked and found cryo hops that are nitrogen flushed.
https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Home-Brewing-Supplies/Hops/Cryo-Hop-Pellets/Cryo-Amarillo-Hops

 

[day_trippr]

Northwest Hop Farms invested in a fancy nitro-flush and seal rig (north of $10K iirc).
What I've received since has been "package perfection", fwiw...

Cheers!

 

[Shenanigans]

I just ordered 200g of T90 pellets from 2023.
I used it before but it was about 10 years ago in a red IPA with about 5 other hops so difficult to say exactly what it contributed.
Anyone used it in a recipe recently and what was your impression?

 

[BongoYodeler]

I just ordered 200g of T90 pellets from 2023.
I used it before but it was about 10 years ago in a red IPA with about 5 other hops so difficult to say exactly what it contributed.
Anyone used it in a recipe recently and what was your impression?

I brewed a small batch Bitter, around 2.5 gallons/9.5L, a few months ago. Used all First Gold hops and A09 Pub yeast. Ended up with a nice tasting 3.7%abv 26.5ibu Bitter. I added the hops at 60m, 20m, 5m, and added a small amount at wp. I'd brew this again but probably up the abv and ibu's.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

My Smash​

First Gold​

British Golden Ale

5.0% / 12 °P

Malts (4.5 kg)​

4.5 kg (100%) — Crisp Finest Maris Otter® Ale Malt — Grain — 3.3 SRM

Hops (55 g)​

30 g (31 IBU) — First Gold 8.4% — Boil — 60 min
25 g (12 IBU) — First Gold 8.4% — Boil — 15 min

Nottingham style yeast

 

[Halfakneecap]

Really like first gold. When i was brewing lots of british beers i got a kilo. Lovely.

 

[MaxStout]

The First Gold I ordered a few months ago have been used in 2 recent beers. I did an ordinary bitter and a London Porter. In both brews I used it both as a bittering hop and a late boil addition, around 5 minutes. I'm really enjoying both of those beers and will use the hop next time for those styles.

 

[tracer bullet]

I can agree that I like it. I kept revising my "ESB inspired" recipe, and finally used First Gold and decided I liked it a lot. More than EKG or Fuggles, at least, in that beer. I am no good at describing the flavor, but it is where I landed on the hops while I tweaked other things (how much caramel, if I were to use invert syrup, how many minerals in the water, etc.).

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Try using Bramling Cross with First Gold in a bitter. FG as a bittering hop and Bramling X as a late addition at 15m and whirlpool 20m.

 

[An Ankoù]

Really like first gold. When i was brewing lots of british beers i got a kilo. Lovely.

It's not called Prima Donna for nothing.

Although why this hop should have two names is quite beyond me.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's not called Prima Donna for nothing.

Although why this hop should have two names is quite beyond me.

I'm not quite certain, but I think it was that First Gold was already taken in the retail garden market - there seems to be an aloe and a cymbidium of that name - but they'd already marketed the hop as that to commercial growers, so they had to rename it for retail rhizome purposes.

PVR expire next year, so I guess that may affect things?

 

[leedspointbrew]

If you have not used this hop, do yourself a favor and pick some up. I’m drinking a single-hopped pale ale I made, and it may be the best thing I’ve ever brewed.

Bought a lb from Hop Alliance; hope you're right. Using an oz in a dry Irish stout this afternoon.

 

[MaxStout]

Try using Bramling Cross with First Gold in a bitter. FG as a bittering hop and Bramling X as a late addition at 15m and whirlpool 20m.

None of my usual suppliers have it, and I've always wanted to try the variety. I found them at Northwest Hop Farms (2023 harvest), for $19.00/lb. I ordered a pound. They have a CAD$10 discount going now, btw. My total, shipped to the U.S., was about $32.00 USD.

 

[leedspointbrew]

The First Gold I ordered a few months ago have been used in 2 recent beers. I did an ordinary bitter and a London Porter. In both brews I used it both as a bittering hop and a late boil addition, around 5 minutes. I'm really enjoying both of those beers and will use the hop next time for those styles.

Would there be any advantage to bittering with First Gold in an extract stout - was planning on Northern Brewer for bittering in the stout I'm brewing today, First Gold at 10.
??

 

[Broothru]

8:40 am? LOL.

I'll take that as a "yes."

 

[MaxStout]

Would there be any advantage to bittering with First Gold in an extract stout - was planning on Northern Brewer for bittering in the stout I'm brewing today, First Gold at 10.
??

Not sure if there would be an advantage, one way or the other. I used First Gold for both bittering and late boil because that's what I had on hand. Did the same schedule for both beers. It probably doesn't matter much which hop you use for bittering. First Gold late boil gives a nice aroma and flavor.

 

[leedspointbrew]

Not sure if there would be an advantage, one way or the other. I used First Gold for both bittering and late boil because that's what I had on hand. Did the same schedule for both beers. It probably doesn't matter much which hop you use for bittering. First Gold late boil gives a nice aroma and flavor.

That's what I thought; thank you for confirming.

 

[day_trippr]

None of my usual suppliers have it, and I've always wanted to try the variety. I found them at Northwest Hop Farms (2023 harvest), for $19.00/lb. I ordered a pound. They have a CAD$10 discount going now, btw. My total, shipped to the U.S., was about $32.00 USD.

fwiw, this outfit lists Bramling Cross. I think I've bought hard-to-find strains from here so you might get lucky...

https://www.artisanhomebrew.org/hops.html

Cheers!