Yellow_Boots
Member
I am not usually much for standard-issue Christmas ales. I find them too sweet, overly-spiced and more or less just a festive excuse to drink a high-gravity beer. That said, my wife asked me if I would be making one within the next few months... I was less than enthusiastic.
Instead, I want to make a massively-hopped Double IPA. I decided on "The Twelve Hops of Christmas." As such, I picked twelve different varieties of hops to blend together. The problem, however, is that I am still trying to understand the complexity of different types of hops and how to make a hugely aromatic beer without it being too bitter for anyone (but me!) to enjoy. What I pieced together is based mainly on hops I have used before and those I have always wanted to play with.
Here is what I have:
1 oz Columbus [60 min]
1 oz Cascade [15 min]
1 oz Williamette [10 min]
1 oz Fuggle [5 min]
1 oz Olympic [5 min]
1 oz Centennial [0 min]
1 oz Nugget [0 min]
0.5 oz Fuggle [0 min]
Dry Hop [14 days]:
1 oz Northern Brewer
1.5 oz Simcoe
1.5 oz Chinook
1 oz Cascade
1.5 oz Amarillo
2 oz Ahtanum
So am I crazy? Am I on the right track? Am I both? Admittedly I love hop bitterness, but I am far more inclined to stress aroma. I read that Bell's makes Hopslam with a massive aroma-only focus, and I believe it. I want to make a much bigger, truly memorable Double IPA.
Please feel free to tear it apart--amounts, order, timing... but I still want to stick with twelve varieties. My goal is something at least seventy and no more than 110 IBUs. The grainbill will remain something classic for an IIPA.
Thanks!
Instead, I want to make a massively-hopped Double IPA. I decided on "The Twelve Hops of Christmas." As such, I picked twelve different varieties of hops to blend together. The problem, however, is that I am still trying to understand the complexity of different types of hops and how to make a hugely aromatic beer without it being too bitter for anyone (but me!) to enjoy. What I pieced together is based mainly on hops I have used before and those I have always wanted to play with.
Here is what I have:
1 oz Columbus [60 min]
1 oz Cascade [15 min]
1 oz Williamette [10 min]
1 oz Fuggle [5 min]
1 oz Olympic [5 min]
1 oz Centennial [0 min]
1 oz Nugget [0 min]
0.5 oz Fuggle [0 min]
Dry Hop [14 days]:
1 oz Northern Brewer
1.5 oz Simcoe
1.5 oz Chinook
1 oz Cascade
1.5 oz Amarillo
2 oz Ahtanum
So am I crazy? Am I on the right track? Am I both? Admittedly I love hop bitterness, but I am far more inclined to stress aroma. I read that Bell's makes Hopslam with a massive aroma-only focus, and I believe it. I want to make a much bigger, truly memorable Double IPA.
Please feel free to tear it apart--amounts, order, timing... but I still want to stick with twelve varieties. My goal is something at least seventy and no more than 110 IBUs. The grainbill will remain something classic for an IIPA.
Thanks!