Fuggles IPA: how can I make it hoppier?

[cbmoore43]

I recently purchased a Fuggles IPA kit from Midwest. I have read that it doesn't come out very hoppy, but I would like to purchase some extra hops in order to brew a hoppier beer. Does anyone have any suggestions of what hops I should add and how much? Should I dry hop? I love hoppy beers and would love any input you guys might have as I am new to all this and have no idea what I'm doing.

The ingredients included in the kit are as follows:
6 lb. Gold liquid malt extract
1 lb. Caravienne malt
1 oz. Fuggles bittering hops (added into boil for at least 45 minutes)
1 oz. Fuggles flavoring hops (added into boil for 30 minutes)
1 oz. Fuggles aroma hop (added into boil for 2 minutes)

THANKS!

 

[jester5120]

I would just order some more fuggles and keep it simple. one way to make it a little more bitter is to do a 90 minute boil. Then change your hop schedule to 90, 30, and 2. More hops at the beginning will give you bitterness more towards the end will give you aroma and flavor. so figure out if you want it more bitter or flavorfull and go from there.

 

[brewguy82]

fuggles are very earthy or woody type of hops...I wouldnt say it is the best kind of IPA style hop...if you are looking for an english ipa then go with east kent goldings very popular spicy/ floral type...

if its an american ipa then start with cascade and amarillo or citra more citrus style hops

oh and dont forget you can always Dry hop in the secondary once primary fermentation is complete for more hop flavor/aroma

hope that helps

 

[cbmoore43]

I already bought the kit from Midwest. So would you suggest just buying different hops (say cascade) and using those hops with the other ingredients that came in the kit? Would that work?

 

[jonmohno]

I would do some FWH and dryhopp,its suppose to be a milder hop and not real intense or anything, but im shure if you do more flavoring and dryhopp you could get it hoppier.I would keep it all fuggle.Shipyard makes one-a fuggles ipa,(im assuming its all fuggle)that hasnt really got the best reviews but i dont care what they say sometimes they just think the hoppiest,imperials are always highest rated,but i want to try it. I made a goldings pale ale and it was pretty hoppy and that is a milder type hop.

 

[mewithstewpid]

dryhop with fuggle

 

[BrewMU]

Add more fuggles. Shipyard has a fuggle IPA that I like a lot.

 

[ajf]

I'd get about 3 oz EKG then change the hopping schedule to:
2 oz Fuggles at 60 minutes
1 oz Fuggles at 20 minutes
1 oz EKG at 10 minutes
1 oz EKG at flameout (end of boil)
1 oz EKG dry hop for about 7 days.
That should up the IBU's from about 36 to 57, give you a lot more hop flavor and aroma, and give you a better flavor and aroma using the EKG rather than the Fuggles.
A word of warning though. You did say you liked hoppy beers. That schedule would give you bitterness in the upper range for an English IPA, while the OG would be slightly below the lower range (assuming a 5 gallon batch). I think you could improve it even more by adding 1 lb light DME with about 15 minutes left in the boil which would bring the OG up to the middle of the range, and give you a more balanced beer.

-a.

 

[cbmoore43]

Thanks a lot everyone who has responded, I really appreciate the input. Someone had mentioned a longer boil. Would boiling the wort for 90 minutes possibly lead to more of a hoppy flavor?

 

[prrriiide]

I'd buy some "C" hops (Cascade/Centennial/Citra, etc.) and use them in the IPA and put the fuggles in the fridge for something they're more suited to, like milder English styles: ESB, porter, stout, etc. But that may just be me.

Something like:

.5 oz Centennial @ 60
.5 oz Centennial @ 15
1 oz. Cascade @ 10
1 oz. Cascade @ 2
1 oz. Centennial dry hop
1 oz. Cascade dry hop

Thanks a lot everyone who has responded, I really appreciate the input. Someone had mentioned a longer boil. Would boiling the wort for 90 minutes possibly lead to more of a hoppy flavor?

It won't necessarily be more hop flavor, but more hop bitterness. The longer you boil hops, the less flavor and aroma you get and the more bitterness. The shorter the boil, the more flavor and aroma. That's why a lot of people are just moderately hopping their beers @ 60 for bittering, and then bombing them in the last 20 minutes for the flavor and aroma.

I'm doing an IPA tomorrow that has 7 oz. of hops in the boil, only 1 of which is before the 20 minute mark; an oz. of Magnums @ 60, so it'll get some good bitterness but won't singe your taste buds or make you feel like shaving your tongue.

The reason a longer boil was mentioned is that IPAs are very hoppy, but also have a pretty high bitterness to them. Fuggles are low-alpha hops, so they won't impart a lot of bitterness. But if you boil them longer, you'll get more of the available bitterness out of them.

 

[HawksBrewer]

Thanks a lot everyone who has responded, I really appreciate the input. Someone had mentioned a longer boil. Would boiling the wort for 90 minutes possibly lead to more of a hoppy flavor?

A longer boil will get you more bitterness from the initial hop addition. If you want hops FLAVOR then add more hops later in the boil (i.e. 10 min addition).

 

[Quaker]

+1 to ajf's recommendations; with or without the extra DME

 

[BrewMU]

I already bought the kit from Midwest. So would you suggest just buying different hops (say cascade) and using those hops with the other ingredients that came in the kit? Would that work?

It's your beer, but if you want to learn whether or not YOU like Fuggles, don't bury it under c-hops.

 

[maffewl]

First Wort Hop FTW!

 

[BradleyBrew]

+1 to First Wort Hopping... maybe look at Target or Northdown hops. Both are very nice.

 

[Piratwolf]

First Wort Hop FTW!

Blessings of your heart! You give good advice!!!

FWH FTW +1,000,000,000

 

[maffewl]

Blessings of your heart! You give good advice!!!

FWH FTW +1,000,000,000

 

[Draken]

I agree with BrewMU. !!IF!! this is one of your first IPAs (or first brews for that matter) you might want to stick with an all Fuggle flavor/aroma hops to learn their flavor and aroma. If you are looking for something a bit more bitter, I would toss in a C hops during the 60 and save that ounce of fuggle for flavor. Something like Centennial would impart a lot of IBU's if you dropped in .5 or 1 oz at 60 (I've been drinking, do the math on a brewing calculator before you toss in an ounce of Centennial @60)

Plus doing it that way gives you more bitterness +more hoppy flavor from the extra ounce of fuggles you can use to flavor later in the boil.