Fuggle Hop Flavor

[geoffny25]

So I took a hydrometer reading tonight on Orfy's english mild. It smelled and tasted rather woody, almost musty. It wasn't bad, tasted quite nice actually.

Is that flavor from the Fuggles? I fermented with nottingham and the brew has been in the fermenter for a week. (has hit 1.008 from 1.037).

Thanks,

Geoff

 

[Yooper]

Yes, I'd say it's the fuggles. I don't like them- I think they taste like dirt!- but earthy is a good description!

 

[SumnerH]

Earthy or woody is good wording. I love them, my British IPA is all Fuggles (hoppier than many Brits, though: ~70 IBUs).

If you like that, try Northern Brewer hops too.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I had the same impression with them and Northern Brewers when I first used them. I even gave away a pound of NB because of it.

For me it took about 6-8 weeks to get rid of that flavor.

After that the beer tasted good...and I regretted giving the hops away.

 

[hopdawg]

Mmmmm a good ESB with a generous dose of Fuggles, yum. Give them a 3-4 weeks they'll taste and smell way better then.

 

[geoffny25]

Hey SummerH, do you drink your beers young while they still taste earthy? Or do you let them mellow? I think it's a very interesting taste, not bad, but interesting.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Maybe they work well with fruity esters from British ale yeasts? But less so with 'clean' yeasts?

 

[kryolla]

how did you get FG so low if the recipe calls for a high mash temp? It might be why you are tasting the hops more

 

[johnnyc]

Earthy or woody is good wording. I love them, my British IPA is all Fuggles (hoppier than many Brits, though: ~70 IBUs).

If you like that, try Northern Brewer hops too.

How'd you get up to 70 IBUs? I used 8oz in my last EIPA and its nothing like that. Did you bitter w/ something else?

 

[SumnerH]

How'd you get up to 70 IBUs? I used 8oz in my last EIPA and its nothing like that. Did you bitter w/ something else?

5 oz@60, 1 oz @10, 1 oz@ flameout, 1 oz dryhop in a 1.074 OG 5-gallon full boil.

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator?item=8937

 

[SumnerH]

Hey SummerH, do you drink your beers young while they still taste earthy? Or do you let them mellow? I think it's a very interesting taste, not bad, but interesting.

It's an IPA, I drink it young--aging it very much will eliminate all the good dry-hopping tastiness. Likewise my Cali commons (northern brewer all the way) I don't age.

 

[geoffny25]

My mash temperatures were lower than I would have liked, . Still tastes good.

 

[SumnerH]

My mash temperatures were lower than I would have liked, . Still tastes good.

Incidentally, if you find the earthiness unpleasant you can switch to East Kent Goldings and maintain an English feel without the Fuggles flavor. I've done my Brit IPA both ways*. Personally, I prefer the Fuggles taste, but some people don't like it as much.

*The Sunset IPA is inspired by 1820s-style Br IPAs; the name comes from the old expression "the sun never sets on the British Empire". The opening line of Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar" inspired me to name the East Kent Goldings versinon "Evening Star IPA".

 

[jjones17]

Every single time I have used Fuggles in a beer, I have LOVED it. Mind you, I have never gone 100% fuggles.... perhaps thats my next batch? It goes very well with Willamette. They are a related hop, but for some reason those two make a damn fine IPA.

 

[geoffny25]

It's interesting, I have used purely fuggles in other batches, but this batch is the first time I've done a pure full boil (bought a turkey fryer). It's interesting to taste the different hop utilization.

 

[johnnyc]

5 oz@60, 1 oz @10, 1 oz@ flameout, 1 oz dryhop in a 1.074 OG 5-gallon full boil.

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator?item=8937

Ah, I used 2oz @60, @15, @5 @flameout and stopped up my ball valve I may use willamette or something a little higher AA at 60 so I don't use as much.

 

[SumnerH]

Ah, I used 2oz @60, @15, @5 @flameout and stopped up my ball valve I may use willamette or something a little higher AA at 60 so I don't use as much.

I think northern brewer would do well for bittering with fuggles.