The Pilgrim Hop

[shamfein]

Hey All,

I'm hoping someone here might have used this hop before.

After reading the profile of the hop (Grapefruit, Flowery) and the fact it was on sale I said I would do a single hop beer with it.

im planning on doing only a small bitter charge and then the majority of the hop as a whirlpool and dry hop additions.

I wanted to ask if anyone here as used the hop in a single hop beer and the results.

There isn't much talk about this hop on the old interwebs.

Cheers

 

[shamfein]

below is the little description on my homebrew shop website for the Pilgrim hop

Pilgrim has a deeply fruity, lemon/grapefruit aroma with flavour characteristics including verdant, berries and pears. As a bittering hop it provides a refreshing, full-bodied and rounded bitterness. Pilgrim hops are versatile and are used from beginning of the boil to finishing additions in the wort. Unearth a little gem with this one, a must try.

 

[Paps]

I've recently made an ESB using this hop exclusively.
While not a S.M.A.S.H. , the grainbill was predominantly Marris Otter.
It got good reviews at the monthly homebrew club.

 

[RustyHorn]

I used it and ended up with a beer that tasted like Perry! (Pear cider)
I wasn't massively impressed with it.

 

[shamfein]

Thanks for the input,

Rustyhorn, I don't want to sound like a prick but can I ask if the flavour you got from the beer was from the hop itself or from a possible flaw in the beer, appley cidery flavours are common off flavours in beer.

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

Probably tastes like corn and squash. Ok that's my comment from the peanut gallery.

 

[TheBeerGuy]

I made a Pilgrim ale using only Pilgrim hops. I only used 0.5 at 60, 0.33 at 30 and then 0.2 at flame out whirlpool. I also added cranberries so it was a little sour from them but very drinkable.

 

[RustyHorn]

Thanks for the input,

Rustyhorn, I don't want to sound like a prick but can I ask if the flavour you got from the beer was from the hop itself or from a possible flaw in the beer, appley cidery flavours are common off flavours in beer.

I have wondered that myself, but it did calm down a bit. It's described as giving pear flavours so I assumed it to be that. It doesn't taste cidery, it tasted like perry.

 

[secondbase]

I've used Pilgrim a bit. I did a Best bitter SMaSH using only Pilgrim hops. I got a soft bitterness from them and a very english fruit character. A little too fruity for my tastes, maybe. I use them for bittering mostly now, though I just did an old ale that was dry hopped with pilgrim and sonnet goldings and it's delicious.

 

[RustyHorn]

Thanks for the input,

Rustyhorn, I don't want to sound like a prick but can I ask if the flavour you got from the beer was from the hop itself or from a possible flaw in the beer, appley cidery flavours are common off flavours in beer.

And I should have stated that I used a lot. I did a huge flameout addition. Maybe be subtle with them. Coincidentally, I had an Asda (owned by Wal-Mart!) Golden Ale tonight and it had the pear flavour of Pilgrim but it wasn't over bearing. It was actually very nice.

 

[imasickboy]

Englishy-fruity and kind of woody are the things I typically get from them, but I also only have used them in English beers, so it's really only been in small quantities.

 

[shamfein]

And I should have stated that I used a lot. I did a huge flameout addition. Maybe be subtle with them. Coincidentally, I had an Asda (owned by Wal-Mart!) Golden Ale tonight and it had the pear flavour of Pilgrim but it wasn't over bearing. It was actually very nice.

ah good stuff, yes i know ASDA, we dont have them in Ireland but they are a massive English brand supermarket. do you know the name of that golden ale, i can try find it easy enough, i plan to brew next weekend so i think im just going to go with the original plan, its gonna be a 200g singe Pilgrim hop beer.

 

[RustyHorn]

ah good stuff, yes i know ASDA, we dont have them in Ireland but they are a massive English brand supermarket. do you know the name of that golden ale, i can try find it easy enough, i plan to brew next weekend so i think im just going to go with the original plan, its gonna be a 200g singe Pilgrim hop beer.

I should have worked out you're Irish from the name!
The beer was an Asda own brand called Golden Ale. It's made and packaged by Shepard Neame.

 

[shamfein]

I just wanted to give an update to this batch, I added dry hops about 5 days ago and kegged it last night, bottled about 12 bottles also.

The aroma is very unique to any other hop I have come across, fleshy grapefruit, pear and others I cant put my finger on.

Ill post back in about two weeks when I open the first bottle.

 

[sky4meplease]

Curious what size batch and dry hop quantity?
I just built a recipe for a Belgian IPA that I'm planning to dry hop with 3 ounces of Pilgrim.
Looking forward to hear your results.

 

[shamfein]

Howdy Sky, batch size was 27 Litres,

Dry hopped with 50g of Pilgrim, Its a very distinct aroma that I never quite came across before, not unpleasant by any means I just cant narrow down what im smelling

Ill post up a note when I open the first bottle next week. I sure do hope I like it, ive 27 litres to get through :fro:

 

[sky4meplease]

What beer style is this?
From YCH website the description is: compared to U.K. Target, distinct fruit and spice characteristics with pleasant lemon, grapefruit, pear and berry flavors.

 

[shamfein]

Its a hop forward pale ale, 60% Vienna, 40% Maris Otter.

Colour is a fine golden orange which is very nice.

It will have a low bitterness and a big hop flavour and aroma,

that's what I was going for anyway

 

[shamfein]

Morning all,

I decided to open the first bottle last night,

Its carbed up nicely already, however the hop flavour is "interesting" not sure if I say that in a good or bad way,

Smells a touch like weed, tastes a little like a spice such as cinnamon, a little lemony, quite a strong flavour.

Im going to have to give this some time to see how it mellows over time. really hoping it improves.

 

[Chesterbelloc]

I just did an old ale that was dry hopped with pilgrim and sonnet goldings and it's delicious.

I've got a pound of each sitting in the freezer. I was thinking of doing something similar -- make a big ale for the late Fall.