Favorite Hops to use.

[Sleepy T]

Hey everybody, I am pretty new to the homebrewing circles although I have enjoyed and appreciated good beer for quite a while. What are some of your favorite hops to use when brewing (I know alot of it depends on the style)??

I have made a hybrid type of beer (kind of an amber ale/lager) with Goldings and some German finishing hops (Hallertau, Hersbrucker last 5-10 minutes..dry hopped at cold temps for 3 weeks with an ounce of Hallertau) and the hop flavor came out very good and somewhat spicy. I think the Hallertau is why I like BBC beers so much.

Also just transferred a batch of American Pale Ale (with small amounts of Chinook and Horizon for bittering and Cascade for flavoring/aroma) and am dry hopping with an 1/2 ounce of Cascade pells and 1/2 ounce of Ramling Cross whole leafs. Anyone have any experience with RC hops?? It smells v ery different and may be slightly overpowered by the Cascade. Just wanted to go small and see what I came out with.

 

[wartyOne]

Hey everybody, I am pretty new to the homebrewing circles although I have enjoyed and appreciated good beer for quite a while. What are some of your favorite hops to use when brewing (I know alot of it depends on the style)??

I have made a hybrid type of beer (kind of an amber ale/lager) with Goldings and some German finishing hops (Hallertau, Hersbrucker last 5-10 minutes..dry hopped at cold temps for 3 weeks with an ounce of Hallertau) and the hop flavor came out very good and somewhat spicy. I think the Hallertau is why I like BBC beers so much.

Also just transferred a batch of American Pale Ale (with small amounts of Chinook and Horizon for bittering and Cascade for flavoring/aroma) and am dry hopping with an 1/2 ounce of Cascade pells and 1/2 ounce of Ramling Cross whole leafs. Anyone have any experience with RC hops?? It smells v ery different and may be slightly overpowered by the Cascade. Just wanted to go small and see what I came out with.

Bramling Cross? I haven't seen those in a while. They definitely aren't on my normal hop selection.

In general, I only dry hop with a single specie (not that this is the law or anything, but as a guideline it's what I've followed).

When I first started brewing, I put Cascades in everything. Lately, I'm trying to be creative with my recipes and avoid America's top gun. For Pales and IPA's (American, if I'm creating a British recipe, all bets are off), my personal favorites right now are Simcoe, Amarillo and Chinook. I had an IPA today that was single-hop built off of Centennial. It was underwhelming. Too much pine in the flavor. Centennial is a great bittering hop, but the flavor needs to be adjusted, in my opinion.

Willamettes are a great subtle hop if you're brewing something on the maltier side like a blonde ale, or spring/summer seasonals. Most brewers I know have never tried this flavor/aroma hop, but when somebody does, they become converts. Can be used in all types of applications, too. I'm probably going to design a porter in the next month or two using exclusively Willamettes.

For German style lagers, you have a littany of great hops to choose from. The Nobles are obviously in play (Saaz, Tettnanger, Hallertauer Hersbrucker or Mittelfruh), but Liberty and Mt. Hood are great stand ins as well.

For anything British (ESB, Pales, IPA's, etc.), Fuggles, East Kent Goldings and Challenger are my stand bys. EKG's are tremendous flavor/aroma hops, but in high enough quantity, can be used as bittering hops as well.

I'm discovering that playing with the bittering hop boil times is having wonderful results. By moving the boil hops from 60 to 40 minutes, you create approximately the same IBU's, but with much more subtle flavor and lack of harsh bitterness.

 

[Cobrabit]

Willamettes are a great subtle hop if you're brewing something on the maltier side like a blonde ale, or spring/summer seasonals. Most brewers I know have never tried this flavor/aroma hop, but when somebody does, they become converts. Can be used in all types of applications, too. I'm probably going to design a porter in the next month or two using exclusively Willamettes.

Actually used them in the Oktoberfest I bottled a few weeks ago.

 

[wartyOne]

Actually used them in the Oktoberfest I bottled a few weeks ago.

You lagering that until September? I've got a Marzen going with my brewing partner right now. We go into the lager phase tomorrow.

 

[757Hokie83]

i dont really think i have a "go-to" hop, per se...i like using a lot of stuff that i havent used too much before...

i guess if there is one that i tend to use more often than others though, it would probably be Cascade

 

[Sleepy T]

Great info warty. I'm a big fan of the European noble hops thus far (in particular Hallertau). I stumbled upon the BC leafs (leaf hops are so hard to come by round here) and also picked up an ounce of EK Golding leafs for my next batch (English Brown Ale). I dry hopped with both because from what I read they are very similar in character and although european, is sometiimes referred to as an 'American" type aroma. 3 days in the wort is smelling great. Will stick it in the fridge to tomorrow and bottle in a week. Been planning to try some of the others you listed as well, especially Willamette and Challenger..may play with that boil time as well.

 

[Cobrabit]

You lagering that until September? I've got a Marzen going with my brewing partner right now. We go into the lager phase tomorrow.

Have half of the batch sitting in a fridge that won't be touched until my birthday (Sept. 27). The other half will be consumed before then.

Didn't lager it because I don't have the proper equipment, but the yeast I used also works as an ale yeast.

 

[757Hokie83]

Have half of the batch sitting in a fridge that won't be touched until my birthday (Sept. 27). The other half will be consumed before then.

Didn't lager it because I don't have the proper equipment, but the yeast I used also works as an ale yeast.

Cry Havoc? I did an Oktoberfest ale with that yeast a couple years ago, turned out really good

 

[Cobrabit]

Cry Havoc? I did an Oktoberfest ale with that yeast a couple years ago, turned out really good

Yep, that's what the owner of the homebrew supply store recommended. Hopefully it will come out well.

 

[Sleepy T]

Where do you go for homebrew supplies Cobra (I assume you live in the Rocky Mount/Martinsville area)?? I typically go to Blue Ridge in Roanoke (The owner Chris is really cool and knowledgable), but always looking at other places when I can..not sure what else is around here. You probably have access to something in Greensboro I would imagine..

 

[Cobrabit]

Where do you go for homebrew supplies Cobra (I assume you live in the Rocky Mount/Martinsville area)?? I typically go to Blue Ridge in Roanoke (The owner Chris is really cool and knowledgable), but always looking at other places when I can..not sure what else is around here. You probably have access to something in Greensboro I would imagine..

That's where I go as it's the closest I could find. I'm sure there are other places in Greensboro, but that is over an hour drive for me while Blue Ridge is just about 50 minutes. I live near the Franklin Co./Henry Co. line. I've only just now started heading there to get supplies rather than ordering online.

 

[wartyOne]

Have half of the batch sitting in a fridge that won't be touched until my birthday (Sept. 27). The other half will be consumed before then.

Didn't lager it because I don't have the proper equipment, but the yeast I used also works as an ale yeast.

I live in the desert southwest. Lagering has long been a point of contention. Fortunately I now have enough refrigeration capacity with temp control. As Americans, ales are easy to achieve. Lagers, not so much. Now that I have the ability to control this stuff, I'm very interested to start exploring the traditional German styles, and decoction mashing.

Sorry to beer-geek out. Just got a job in a brewery today. First step toward the eventual ownership of my own.

Here's a llama:

 

[wartyOne]

Have half of the batch sitting in a fridge that won't be touched until my birthday (Sept. 27). The other half will be consumed before then.

Didn't lager it because I don't have the proper equipment, but the yeast I used also works as an ale yeast.

Nice. Another strain that works well in ale temps is Wyeast 2112 (55-60 degrees). This starts getting away from the lager characteristics (hints of sulfur and very crisp, clean beer), by introducing esters (fruit-like character in beer), but it is still a bottom-fermenting yeast.

Be diligent on keeping that one in the fridge until September (40 degrees for lagering. We fermented at 52 for three weeks, then dropped to 39 today for the next 6 months). Technically, a Marzen is brewed in March, and lagered until September. Beer nazis will call you out on that in a competition. I look at it like this: I don't want to tie up an entire fridge with one batch for 6 months, but the end result is going to be so worth it.

Again, sorry to beer-geek out.

 

[Sleepy T]

I live in the desert southwest. Lagering has long been a point of contention. Fortunately I now have enough refrigeration capacity with temp control. As Americans, ales are easy to achieve. Lagers, not so much. Now that I have the ability to control this stuff, I'm very interested to start exploring the traditional German styles, and decoction mashing.

Sorry to beer-geek out. Just got a job in a brewery today. First step toward the eventual ownership of my own.

Here's a llama:

Its all good warty. I am quickly turning into a beer geek myself. My first brew I used a Saflager Lager Yeast and despite not having temperature control for the low fermentation temps was able to keep it low enogh to get it to do its thing. The beer turned out well but does have some ale characteristics but is very clear..like a lager. Been thinking about building a mother of fermentation chiller in the near future. Any experience with that??

Also, what brewery do you work for (if you don't mind me askin')?? Are you an aspiring brewmaster???

 

[Cobrabit]

Well my wife and I will be off to the homebrewing supply store today to return a wine equipment kit we bought earlier in the week but haven't touched. Got a gift certificate to Midwest Supplies from my parents and will order one of their kits along with bottles. Saw one that came with 24 bottles and an ingredient kit for $144. Even with shipping costs, it will come in cheaper than what I could have gotten in Roanoke.

We'll probably only make a couple batches of wine a year (one for us and one for Christmas presents), so might as well get the wine making kit and use it to make 5 gallon beer batches in between. Will keep the extra 6 gallon carboy we bought though to use for beer. Figured I could order a spigot and install it on the 7.9 gallon fermenter to use it as a bottling bucket as well for the beer.

Now if I can convince her that since I'm saving half of my Oktoberfest until my birthday, I'll need to pick up another beer today to have ready for the next couple months. I've always been a fan of amber/blonde ales.

 

[Cobrabit]

Well I didn't get to return the things I bought on Monday as evidently the owner doesn't know how to refund a credit card purchase (???) and didn't have enough cash on hand. That was after he pointed to a sign that said "all sales final" on the front of the register and he admitted that he just put the sign up this week. He would try to refund my purchase on another day when he's made enough money that day to give a cash refund. Never mentioned even offering store credit.

We just left and I'll probably never go back as I'll just eat the difference in price. I'm not going to waste another trip in gas up there and from now on I will be ordering online or looking towards the Greensboro area.

 

[wartyOne]

Its all good warty. I am quickly turning into a beer geek myself. My first brew I used a Saflager Lager Yeast and despite not having temperature control for the low fermentation temps was able to keep it low enogh to get it to do its thing. The beer turned out well but does have some ale characteristics but is very clear..like a lager. Been thinking about building a mother of fermentation chiller in the near future. Any experience with that??

Also, what brewery do you work for (if you don't mind me askin')?? Are you an aspiring brewmaster???

Not at all. The brewery is La Cumbre Brewing Co. Ultimately, the goal is get my own (with a partner) brewery going, but we're still a couple years out at this point.

 

[wartyOne]

Well I didn't get to return the things I bought on Monday as evidently the owner doesn't know how to refund a credit card purchase (???) and didn't have enough cash on hand. That was after he pointed to a sign that said "all sales final" on the front of the register and he admitted that he just put the sign up this week. He would try to refund my purchase on another day when he's made enough money that day to give a cash refund. Never mentioned even offering store credit.

We just left and I'll probably never go back as I'll just eat the difference in price. I'm not going to waste another trip in gas up there and from now on I will be ordering online or looking towards the Greensboro area.

That's a shame. We have two homebrew supply shops in Albuquerque, and they go out of their way to ensure customer satisfaction. It's more important to retain repeat business than keep some money from a purchase that they can sell again. That guy doesn't sound like a very good businessman.

 

[Cobrabit]

That's a shame. We have two homebrew supply shops in Albuquerque, and they go out of their way to ensure customer satisfaction. It's more important to retain repeat business than keep some money from a purchase that they can sell again. That guy doesn't sound like a very good businessman.

Pretty much what I thought on the matter. Just didn't seem kosher that he would have put that sign up within the last few days and said he didn't know how to refund a credit card purchase. Isn't that one of the first things you have to know when you get the capability of taking credit cards?

Makes me wonder if he's had a lot of returns recently and just didn't want to do another one.

Really wish there was another store in the area because I do like to talk with someone there before I buy anything, but looks like I might be getting a lot more information from you guys here.

 

[757Hokie83]

I live in the desert southwest. Lagering has long been a point of contention. Fortunately I now have enough refrigeration capacity with temp control. As Americans, ales are easy to achieve. Lagers, not so much. Now that I have the ability to control this stuff, I'm very interested to start exploring the traditional German styles, and decoction mashing.

Sorry to beer-geek out. Just got a job in a brewery today. First step toward the eventual ownership of my own.

Here's a llama:

Congrats. What brewery? I got a buddy out in Davis CA that brews at Sudwerk, went to UC Davis brewing school before getting the job

Opening a brewery has always been a dream of mine too, since i started brewing anyways.

edit: never mind, just saw where you already mentioned the brewery