First Gold is Wonderful

[AlexKay]

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.

 

[wepeeler]

Good to hear. I've never heard of it! I was thinking one of your beers won a gold medal

 

[user 246304]

First Gold is one of my mainstays in bitters and pale ales. Agreed. First tried it a long time ago (might be as long as 30ish years ago, would have to look through my recipe archives) and have never been without it, if I can source it.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Really good with Bramling Cross.

 

[rmr9]

I’ve wanted to get my hands on first gold for a while - where is everyone sourcing them from?

 

[passedpawn]

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

I wonder if the namers of the hop were thinking of this Robert Frost poem. I probably invented that connection.

 

[Velnerj]

Would anyone care to describe a flavor profile? "So good" piques interest but it would be helpful to know what to expect from it...

 

[AlexKay]

Would anyone care to describe a flavor profile? "So good" piques interest but it would be helpful to know what to expect from it...

Goldings, but with some subtle (but certainly noticeable) orange marmalade.

 

[AlexKay]

I’ve wanted to get my hands on first gold for a while - where is everyone sourcing them from?

I bought a large bag from Northwest Hop Farms. Northern Brewer seems to have it now, too.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I just bought an oz from NB for a small batch I'm brewing soon. They were the only place I could find them by the oz. Hop Alliance also has them by the pound.

 

[AmarikinBrew]

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

I wonder if the namers of the hop were thinking of this Robert Frost poem. I probably invented that connection.

Have you been drinking?

 

[passedpawn]

Have you been drinking?

8:40 am? LOL.

 

[Deadalus]

I got First Gold ftom Annapolis Home Brew previously but currently it said sold out. Good to know about these other sources.

 

[AmarikinBrew]

Are First gold best used late or early? Dry hop? I would expect you Brits to have used these quite often? Step up, whir ru? Whir iz muh boss with the cigar emoji? Ahh ther he iz

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Are First gold best used late or early? Dry hop? I would expect you Brits to have used these quite often? Step up, whir ru? Whir iz muh boss with the cigar emoji? Ahh ther he iz

First Gold is a multi purpose hop although of the 15 recipes where I use it 10 have FG as a bittering hop, but I have it also for late hopping and dry hopping.
Example Sea Fury bitter

Hops (85 g)​

35 g (24 IBU) — First Gold (Whole) 6% — Boil — 60 min

25 g (12 IBU) — Bramling Cross 6.5% — Boil — 15 min

25 g (4 IBU) — Bramling Cross 6.5% — Aroma — 20 min hopstand @ 85 °C

 

[AmarikinBrew]

OMG Whole hops from across the pond! We yanks can only dream of this these days. We do get USA hops as whole if we invest in at least a pound or more.
These First Gold hops exuberate orange, it would be great if a USA hop did that. IMO our fruit forward hops are only just that -Generic Fruit Loops, and where used in boil could be junk.
I prefer the old ones. The noble ones and the old stand by's.
-Thanx for the hoppage advice, Mate.

 

[AlexKay]

OMG Whole hops from across the pond! We yanks can only dream of this these days. We do get USA hops as whole if we invest in at least a pound or more.
These First Gold hops exuberate orange, it would be great if a USA hop did that. IMO our fruit forward hops are only just that -Generic Fruit Loops, and where used in boil could be junk.
I prefer the old ones. The noble ones and the old stand by's.
-Thanx for the hoppage advice, Mate.

Lotus and Bergamot both give a ton of orange. Specifically orange, not generic citrus. Apparently the growers nicknamed Bergamot "O.A.F.."

 

[user 246304]

OMG Whole hops from across the pond! We yanks can only dream of this these days. We do get USA hops as whole if we invest in at least a pound or more.
These First Gold hops exuberate orange, it would be great if a USA hop did that. IMO our fruit forward hops are only just that -Generic Fruit Loops, and where used in boil could be junk.
I prefer the old ones. The noble ones and the old stand by's.
-Thanx for the hoppage advice, Mate.

I hear you, one of my great laments too. That said, The Malt Miller (UK) is now set up to ship to the U.S. Shipping is costly, but even before he went through the hoops to get his site user-friendly for shipment to the U.S. I'd bought a number of yeast slants from him, all shipped fast and really well. I like him.

Here's his whole hop page.

 

[tracer bullet]

Lotus and Bergamot both give a ton of orange. Specifically orange, not generic citrus. Apparently the growers nicknamed Bergamot "O.A.F.."

I've got those on my list to try, but have never found them. Funny it might be because you have mentioned them before.

My First Gold came form Hop Alliance. I definitely like the hops, but haven't done any comparisons to other hops w/ the otherwise same recipe.

And of course when I put Lotus or Bergamot into their search box, both come up. Hmmmmmm. If it's not too off-topic, would Bergamot be suited to an "ESB inspired" beer? As a substitute / alternate to the First Gold I normally use. Or would Bergamot better go with say an American Pale?

 

[AlexKay]

I've got those on my list to try, but have never found them. Funny it might be because you have mentioned them before.

My First Gold came form Hop Alliance. I definitely like the hops, but haven't done any comparisons to other hops w/ the otherwise same recipe.

And of course when I put Lotus or Bergamot into their search box, both come up. Hmmmmmm. If it's not too off-topic, would Bergamot be suited to an "ESB inspired" beer? As a substitute / alternate to the First Gold I normally use. Or would Bergamot better go with say an American Pale?

I think of both Lotus and Bergamot as IPA hops. First Gold has more floral/herbal things going on that make it, in my opinion, more suited to ESBs, APAs, and whatnot.

Michigan Hop Alliance looks like it carries both. Northwest Hop Farms has both. Annapolis Homebrew and Farmhouse have both. MoreBeer has Lotus. Hang ‘em High has Bergamot.

Edit to add: I have ordered from all of these places at one point or another, with no problems.

 

[jdauria]

Good to hear. I've never heard of it! I was thinking one of your beers won a gold medal

Ha! I thought the same!

 

[Deadalus]

I think of both Lotus and Bergamot as IPA hops. First Gold has more floral/herbal things going on that make it, in my opinion, more suited to ESBs, APAs, and whatnot.

Michigan Hop Alliance looks like it carries both. Northwest Hop Farms has both. Annapolis Homebrew and Farmhouse have both. MoreBeer has Lotus. Hang ‘em High has Bergamot.

Edit to add: I have ordered from all of these places at one point or another, with no problems.

If you order hops from Annapolis, remember to mark the bags as I've had their labels fall off in the freezer.

 

[day_trippr]

I had that happen once. Now I always stick my one pound hop packages inside Ziplock bags before stuffing them in the deep freeze...

Cheers!

 

[user 246304]

I had that happen once. Now I always stick my one pound hop packages inside Ziplock bags before stuffing them in the deep freeze...

Cheers!

+1, though I use vacuum seal bags.

 

[BongoYodeler]

+1, though I use vacuum seal bags.

Same here.

 

[scrap iron]

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.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Use First Gold as the single hop in a British bitter or golden ale with just Maris Otter. Look to achieve 40ish IBU’s. I wouldn’t mix it with an American hop except maybe Willamette. It works well with Bramling Cross in an amber bitter.

 

[redrocker652002]

8:40 am? LOL.

And????? LOL.

 

[redrocker652002]

Looks like Morebeer has it as a single hop recipe that I have used, but it is sold out. Might try NB as this sounds really good.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Looks like Morebeer has it as a single hop recipe that I have used, but it is sold out. Might try NB as this sounds really good.

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