First Gold is Wonderful

[AlexKay]

I just got some First Gold from Hop Alliance. I've never used this hop before, any recommendations for what to use in addition to them. I have Willamette, US Golding, Vojvodina [homegrown] and some German hops, Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger and some Sazz. And also, American Amarillo, Centennial. New Zealand Pacifica [citrus orange zest marmalade] and Nelson Sauvin. Looking to use what I have on hand.

This is for an upcoming Strong Bitter. Man, I got a lot of hops.

Certainly for the first time (and maybe forever after, depending on how you like it), use it alone. It'll stand by itself.

It fits thematically with Goldings, of course, and (depending on how much you think it tastes like Fuggle) Willamette. Vojvodina would be interesting, and might work. The noble hops, particularly Saaz, wouldn't clash. And maybe Pacifica, I'm not so sure. Certainly not Amarillo, Centennial, or Nelson. Yikes.

 

[redrocker652002]

May want to think twice about ordering from NB. My recent order with them took 22 days to arrive.

Thanks. I will wait then until either Morebeer gets it in their kit or look elsewhere. I have a full keg and two or three recipes I want to try, but this one sounded kinda cool and easy.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Thanks. I will wait then until either Morebeer gets it in their kit or look elsewhere. I have a full keg and two or three recipes I want to try, but this one sounded kinda cool and easy.

They are the only ones I found that had First Gold by the oz. There may be others, I just stopped looking once I found them there. If you're not in a hurry NB might make sense, if you can't find them anywhere else.

 

[day_trippr]

fyi...

https://northwesthopfarms.com/products/2022-uk-first-gold-copy?variant=44063990481086

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I wonder if the namers of the hop were thinking of this Robert Frost poem.

Probably not. The big significance of First Gold is that it was the first dwarf/hedgerow hop, so I suspect its name comes from being a shortened Golding.... I may be able to find out.

As above - it's one of those hops that works really nicely on its own, it doesn't need diluting so especially if you're new to it I would just use it neat, mostly late in the copper - 10 minutes and flameout, maybe a bit in whirlpool. If you must, then keep it English-ish, or eg Styrians.

It's perfect for a southern-style best bitter - 4.2% ABV, a really good English malt, up to 7% light crystal but no more than that (USians tend to put way too much crystal in their English beers, a lot only have 2-3% but you get more in the Thames Valley), maybe Imperial Pub or harvested Fullers yeast to double down on the orange thing.

 

[tracer bullet]

... up to 7% light crystal but no more than that (USians tend to put way too much crystal in their English beers ...

I've been doing 5% Medium Crystal, combined with 5% by weight #2 Invert (store bought). I'd be curious your opinion on that combo - too much? Too dark?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I've been doing 5% Medium Crystal, combined with 5% by weight #2 Invert (store bought). I'd be curious your opinion on that combo - too much? Too dark?

It's fine - it's not really my style/taste, but the sugar will balance out the crystal to some extent. I wouldn't go much more though.

 

[AlexKay]

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

 

[MaxStout]

@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

 

[mac_1103]

I see that William's has it.

I was just about to post that.

 

[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?