# Could you or have you had too much Nelson Sauvin?



## Mattmedia (30/7/13)

Hello fellow brewers, recently I have purchased a fair amount of Nelson Sauvin Flowers, and am thinking of making an extremely hopped IPA with them, and I was thinking of doing a 90min constant addition with these, at 15g every 10min, on top a fairly simple base, probably 90% pale and 10% amber, much like the Dog Fish Head IPA clones you can find on the internet.

I guess the real question is, has any one around here tried anything on the high end with this hop, and had any bad results? I don't mind it being very bitter, as it will be fairly big, probably 1.06 - 1.07 (depended on efficiency), so it will keep for a little while. 

Any discussion would be appreciated. 

Thanks


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## Rowy (30/7/13)

I would be very careful with lots of straight NS it is one of those hops you either like or you dont. Even people who like it don't necessarily like heaps. To comment on how your particular recipe would taste we would need the full recipe. Volumes, IBU's etc.


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/7/13)

I have used it.....not my type...very strong.


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## joshF (30/7/13)

I did a SMaSH with nelson (a slight alteration from Ross's recipe) and it was an absolute winner. Then i tried a different brew with amarillo (75% nelson, 25% amarillo) however it was supposed to be 75 amarillo and 25 nelson. It was bitter as hell and overpoweringly 'nelson-esque'.

Like Rowy said though, be really careful with it. It's a hop that can stand on it's own very well. Use the right amount of it = awesome. Use too much of it = Woaaahhhh overload. If hopping late or dry hopping tone down your additions a bit cause it's one of those 'less is more' types 

Personal preference/taste though, i'd prefer the more grassy and citrus type IPA's such as fugglese and cascade for example. I think a single hopped Nelson IPA would probably be for a more selective kind of palate :kooi:

good luck with it anyway mate


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## slash22000 (30/7/13)

I was never really into Nelson Sauvin until I tried Kooinda Black IPA. Everything about that beer is fantastic, and it's hopped exclusively with NS.

I made a clone based on an AHB recipe that will be ready to drink by Friday. Fingers crossed. :lol:


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## Lecterfan (30/7/13)

I loved it. And loved it. And loved it. Then one day I never wanted to smell or taste it again. Same with amarillo. NS is a great hop until you are an idiot and OD on it due to poor brewing choices.


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## Byran (30/7/13)

I think Nelson is a fantastic aroma hop and have used it many times........It also can be quite overpowering so be careful how you use it. I find it is absolutely wonderful in the 20 to 5 min range of the boil. If used super late and dry I find it gives a huge amount of gooseberry and sav blanc wine flavour that can be ........interesting or shit house depending on your personal opinion..


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## wereprawn (30/7/13)

_Ordered some hops today. Glad I shied away from these at the last moment after reading this. My supply atm consists of mosaic and galaxy. So ordering a couple of less extreme hops was a good move.Something for the future when the freezer holds more options._
_  cheers._


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## petesbrew (30/7/13)

wereprawn said:


> _Ordered some hops today. Glad I shied away from these at the last moment after reading this. My supply atm consists of mosaic and galaxy. So ordering a couple of less extreme hops was a good move.Something for the future when the freezer holds more options._
> _ cheers._


NS is one of the first hops I experimented with.
I've made a few good beers with it, and one beer that needed to be thrown, but let's blame the brewer for that one.
I think it could be easy to overdo, but if you go with Ross' Summer Ale on the Recipe DB you're off to a good start.


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## Byran (30/7/13)

I love the way that Nelson gives a special flavour to sweeter beers, such as the Little creatures pale ale style. A sweeter more caramel flavour it seems to complement, but not in huge quantities. Love the hop but it needs to be used in moderation.


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## jacknohe (30/7/13)

I love NS. But like everyone else says, in moderation. I know there have been some successful commercial beers where they've combined NS with other hops. My personal experience though I've found that NS doesn't play well with others...


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## krausenhaus (30/7/13)

Ross' NS summer ale was the first brew I made, and it tasted great. A few brews later I repeated the same hopping schedule (plus an additional dry hop) with a 60/40 pale/wheat malt bill (as opposed to the almost 100% Maris Otter in the original recipe), and it was shit. Tasted like white wine and feet. 

So my advice would be that if you're loading up on NS, the grain bill really needs the balls to back it up.


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## punkin (31/7/13)

I do a Kooinda black IPA clone with buckets of Nelson and it's a cracker. Nearly always on one of the taps here. Drinking one over the last couple of weeks and putting another in the fermenter in two days.





Try a search for Punkin's Cascadian there's a pretty long thread on it.

I also have lots of kegs of Ross's Summer Ale over the warmer months and they go down a treat. Seems like you like it or you don't, but i haven't had anyone try either beers and say they don't like em.


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## slash22000 (31/7/13)

Punkin's clone is the one I was talking about.  Will be cracking the keg Friday afternoon ...

Looks like you've changed up the recipe though? Version I made was the one with chocolate and Victory malt.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (31/7/13)

Love Nelson, but I've always used the gently-gently approach with it. Except for one 10 minute 100% pils at about 25IBU. That was actually an interesting beer. It did taste like I'd made white wine without the tannins.

It plays well with Cascade (think fat yak), Citra, Chinook and Galaxy. But again, with Galaxy I'm a bit gently-gently.

I tend to use one fruity hop with it, one resinous hop (Chinook) and if I could be bothered, something else to add an extra dimension.

I also hate it as a bitterer at 60 minutes plus. But Ross' NS Summer Ale is so highly rated (and I've tasted it on tap, it's a good beer) that it might be the brewer as well.

If you want it big, make sure the malt bill backs it up.


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## punkin (31/7/13)

slash22000 said:


> Punkin's clone is the one I was talking about.  Will be cracking the keg Friday afternoon ...
> 
> Looks like you've changed up the recipe though? Version I made was the one with chocolate and Victory malt.



Sorry, yes that's the current No Chill recipe, but the vienna should be victory.


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## Mattmedia (31/7/13)

So I guess the general consensus is that Nelson is rarely ever a foot note, and more than often over powering.


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## Blitzer (31/7/13)

Punkin you also have one with Crystal 120 floating and a tiny bit different percentages, like 81% pale.
What is the right one? Or better one?


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## Cosh (31/7/13)

I used Nelson Sauvin with Cascade in my first AG APA many years ago, early, late and dry-hopped. I found, as others do, that the Nelson is very potent and needs to be used sparingly, especially late and dry hopped. I found it had a very harsh "grassy" flavour when used dry hopped.

However; I recently made a batch of Ross's NS Summer Ale for a party with a full 90g pack of NS, 20L brew with no dry hopping, and it was one of the best beers I've ever made.


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## tricache (31/7/13)

Totally agree, Nelson is a BEAST! Love it though, did a Nelson/Cascade Ale and the poor cascade is almost non existent! I do love the flavour of Nelson though, love the gooseberry and almost juicy flavour it gives :icon_drool2:


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## punkin (1/8/13)

Blitzer said:


> Punkin you also have one with Crystal 120 floating and a tiny bit different percentages, like 81% pale.
> What is the right one? Or better one?


The one above is the one i'm drinking now, reviewing my noes i subbed the vienna for caramel light as i didn't have any vienna. I have also used victory.

It changes as to my ingredients available, i don't think small changes like the type of crystal are anything i'm good enough to really pick up on in a beer as tasty as this one.

The biggest changes came when i went no-chill.


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## seamad (1/8/13)

NS is a very good bittering hop as it has it has low cohumulone ( very similiar to magnum for example). Recently made an anzus ale with NS bittering and simcoe galaxy late and was very tasty.


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## Bizier (1/8/13)

I will second the awesomeness as NS as a 'booster' to push fruitiness with other hops providing more of a structure.

My favourite beers using NS are probably Parrotdog Bitter Bitch and the "Fresh" (wet hopped) Hopwired, they are spectacular when fresh.


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## wbosher (1/8/13)

The only time I used NS I had to tip it, truly bloody awful. Don't think it was the fault of the hop though, it was only my 2nd AG brew I think, and I suspect it may have been infected. One commercial example that I quite like is Macs Hop Rocker, a combination of NZ Cascade and NS.


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## Phillo (1/8/13)

I had a bad experience with NS, but it was entirely recipe related. Ended up with late and dry additions with under 30IBU. :icon_vomit:


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (1/8/13)

I don't think NS is _that_ bad as a dry hopper. So long as it's paired with something else. I've used it with Citra and Cascade as a dry hop, and if understated, it works.

It's again great as a 10 minute (chilled) addition to an APA, again if paired.

I think it shines best at 30 minutes, the bittering is good and all those good gooseberry flavours come out nice and prominent.


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## tricache (1/8/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I don't think NS is _that_ bad as a dry hopper. So long as it's paired with something else. I've used it with Citra and Cascade as a dry hop, and if understated, it works.
> 
> It's again great as a 10 minute (chilled) addition to an APA, again if paired.
> 
> I think it shines best at 30 minutes, the bittering is good and all those good gooseberry flavours come out nice and prominent.


My last pale ale's hop additions were as followed :- 

20.00 gm Cascade (60 min)
20.00 gm Cascade (25 min) 
20.00 gm Cascade (5 min) 
20.00 gm Nelson (Flame Out) 
15.00 gm Cascade (Dry Hop)
20.00 gm Nelson (Dry Hop)

And that sucker is Nelson crazy and get next to no Cascade. I will admit I had tried someone elses beer which had some Nelson in it and I fell in love with it so I went a bit crazy with it!


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (1/8/13)

tricache said:


> My last pale ale's hop additions were as followed :-
> 
> 20.00 gm Cascade (60 min)
> 20.00 gm Cascade (25 min)
> ...


You might not taste much cascade, but it will tone down the 'bad parts' of NS and accentuate all that is good.

I hope. That's my experience, but not science to back it up.


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## Econwatson (1/8/13)

I am just waiting on my bottled Fatter Yak to be ready, which was dry-hopped with 15g of Nelson Sauvin. The beer tastes pretty bad ATM, but it's got a great aroma.

NS additions for this recipe were at 10 minutes and flame-out, so pretty much only for flavour and aroma. It's the first time I've used it, and I'm really pleased. Seems to work well with this Fat Yak style of beer.


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## Patrick78 (8/8/13)

I too have found Nelson to be quite potent and learned very quickly to balance it appropriately. In my case with some cascade & amarillo. Im not sure if its the alpha levels (?) but I had to back off the nelson to get the right result in the end. Good post...P


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## lukiferj (8/8/13)

Not a big fan of this hop. Have tried to brew with it a few times and drunk a few beers with it. Always get the same winey taste that I really don't enjoy.


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## dannymars (11/10/15)

About to embark on a 100% pale ale with all late and dry hops... wish me luck :0


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/10/15)

Be VERY gentle with it...it a good hop, but needs to be used wisely & sparingly


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## Dozer71 (11/10/15)

Just bottled a pale ale with amarillo for bittering then 25g NS at 10min, flame out and dry hop for 4 days prior to cold crashing. Early hydro after 1 week was all white wine, but that has settled and smelt quite good going into the bottles. Will know in a couple of weeks.


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## Tilt (12/10/15)

NS is used very effectively in the Yeastie Boys Digital IPA. They've open sourced the recipe and it's a cracker. Crucially though NS is used big at 10 mins with a bit of Pacifica, and then conservatively with big flameout amounts of Motueka and Pacifica. No dry hop NS. I've heard it said its like MSG for beer!


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## dannymars (12/10/15)

I was gonna try to cram 300g in... lol...

have rethought this and will go with 80g and try to balance with some cascade.


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## technobabble66 (13/10/15)

300g !!! :lol: :lol:
Given pretty much everyone has said it's great but use with caution, that's hilarious. 
I've gone overboard with NS once before - namely with dry hopping an equal (large-ish) amount of Cascade and NS in a Fat Yak-ish Amber. Something *really* didn't work in it and it took 8 months for it to mellow - ie: I'm pretty sure it was from too much NS and it was a bit like drinking a beer that someone had poured Sav Blanc into. So it took the 8 months for the NS aroma to fully dissipate. 
Subsequently I'd either never dry hop with NS or do so in low amounts (eg: 0.5g/l or less). 
In general use, I'd probably stick with using only half as much as any other hop, such as with cascade in the FY clones. At least until I'm a bit more comfortable with it. 
Fwiw though, it's an amazing hop that seems to do something few other hops do - the way it accentuates malts and blends with other hops. I see it as being similar to EKG and Fuggles in that sense, even though the specific aroma/flavour is quite different.


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## dannymars (13/10/15)

Recipe... 

25L

grain (all gladfield)
3KG Gladfield Ale
2.3KG Gladfield Pils
.3KG Gladfield Aurora
.2KG Gladfield Red Baron
.15KG Gladfield Toffee


Hops
20G Nelson sauvin @ 20mins
20G Cascade @ 5 mins
10G Nelson Sauvin @ 5mins
30G Cascade 15min whilpool @ 80C
15G Cascade 15min Whirlpool @ 60C
15G Nelson Sauvin 15min Whirlpool @ 60C

30G cascade dry hop 7 days
10G Nelson Sauvin Dry hop 3 days

Est OG: 1.052
Est FG: 1.012
41 IBUs

thoughts?


thinking I'd like to throw some chinook in too... not sure when or what amount.


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## Matplat (13/10/15)

I did a single hop NS ale a while ago and my hop schedule looked like this:

25g @60
20g @15
20g @5
20g Dry

As I was only doing a partial boil using DME that equated to 40IBU.

It was up there in the top 2-3 beers I have made to date.


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