greypilgrim76
Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2020
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 3
Hi All,
So as I mentioned in my intro post, I'm getting back into brewing after a decade or so away from it. I've always done extract brewing, but the new all-in-one systems (and especially the Anvil Foundry) have got me chomping at the bit to jump over to all-grain. I love the idea of having a bit more freedom to design/tweak both batch size and the recipe itself, and one of the things I'd like to take advantage of when I make this move is the Cascade and Crystal hop vines I've had growing in my back yard the last few years. (I planted them hoping I'd finally get back into homebrewing, so I guess I owe past me a high five!)
So here's my question. I'm thinking that I'd like to brew a pretty big IIPA for my first all-grain brew, but as far a whole hops go, I don't know much about them generally, or the two varieties I planted specifically. (I mostly planted them because my wife is from the Northwest, and we both went to Oregon State University, so we liked the idea of the Cascade as a NW hop, and the Crystal as a hop that was actually created at our alma mater!) If you were brewing an IIPA, how would you use these hops, and where in the brewing process? Wet hopping? Dry hopping? Both? Or in a different beer style entirely?
I've got a while before I have to decide, but I thought I'd throw the question out there early, just to see what people thought. This forum has really helped me find answers to a lot of questions as I've gotten back into homebrewing, so I figured I'd try throwing this one out there, too.
Side note: hops grow surprisingly well in the central Indiana climate. I put a ten-foot growing post in the ground when I planted them, and they've grown far past that each summer so far. I think I may put an extension in this year! I don't know how their flavor is yet, but man, the aroma when you roll them in your hands is heavenly...
So as I mentioned in my intro post, I'm getting back into brewing after a decade or so away from it. I've always done extract brewing, but the new all-in-one systems (and especially the Anvil Foundry) have got me chomping at the bit to jump over to all-grain. I love the idea of having a bit more freedom to design/tweak both batch size and the recipe itself, and one of the things I'd like to take advantage of when I make this move is the Cascade and Crystal hop vines I've had growing in my back yard the last few years. (I planted them hoping I'd finally get back into homebrewing, so I guess I owe past me a high five!)
So here's my question. I'm thinking that I'd like to brew a pretty big IIPA for my first all-grain brew, but as far a whole hops go, I don't know much about them generally, or the two varieties I planted specifically. (I mostly planted them because my wife is from the Northwest, and we both went to Oregon State University, so we liked the idea of the Cascade as a NW hop, and the Crystal as a hop that was actually created at our alma mater!) If you were brewing an IIPA, how would you use these hops, and where in the brewing process? Wet hopping? Dry hopping? Both? Or in a different beer style entirely?
I've got a while before I have to decide, but I thought I'd throw the question out there early, just to see what people thought. This forum has really helped me find answers to a lot of questions as I've gotten back into homebrewing, so I figured I'd try throwing this one out there, too.
Side note: hops grow surprisingly well in the central Indiana climate. I put a ten-foot growing post in the ground when I planted them, and they've grown far past that each summer so far. I think I may put an extension in this year! I don't know how their flavor is yet, but man, the aroma when you roll them in your hands is heavenly...
