# Galaxy hops and astringency. Is there a solution?



## Oakers

I've used Galaxy hops a few times now. I've used once in the boil for a single hop extract beer, once cube hopped and once dry hopped. The beers made with Galaxy in the boil and cube hopping both ended up with a bitterness that was quite astringent. The single hop extract beer with Galaxy was almost undrinkable. In contrast the beer that was dry hopped with Galaxy was fine. Anybody else have this problem? I'm thinking that the only way to use Galaxy is for dry hopping.

Oakers.


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## AJ80

I've used Galaxy as a bittering hop twice now (once in an all Galaxy APA and another in a Galaxy/Amarillo APA) and am yet to taste the harsh or astringent flavours others on here have reported. Maybe it is just me...


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## Yob

How much galaxy are we talking about here?

It is a fairly dominating hop, and one that (imo) needs companions to be at its best, just a hint is better than the main attraction.


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## Oakers

In my most most recent beer - a very simple pale ale using just pilsener malt (due to a misunderstanding with the LHBS) - I used 25g of Galaxy as a cube hop which my software tells me is about 20 IBUs and then 25g of Galaxy as a dry hop. I used 15g POR for bittering (14 IBUs) giving a total of 34 IBUs. I BIAB and no-chill. I think you are right Yob, perhaps 20 IBUs (IBUs were possibly more since it was a cube hop) is a little too much from Galaxy on its own. In future I'll definitely use less and pair with something else. I also think that the recipe was out of balance and slightly over-bittered for the malt profile.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I

For me, only ever as a flavour addition, never dry hop (too grassy), never bitter at more than 30mins (assume chilling).

I love galaxy, but like Nelson sauvin, it has its idiosyncrasies.

Goomba

Ps, works well with american hops, nz hops. Can't imagine it playing well with por.


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## Oakers

@Goomba - Interesting that you mention Nelson as I also made a beer that was overpowered by it. I am only on my sixth AG brew and still learning the unique properties of different hops and also that sometimes less is more


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## Yob

Nelson and galaxy are both hops that can be over powering with just being a little bit heavy handed, as goomba indicates though, pair it with a C hop and it's happy days.


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## micblair

yeah I've dropped my galaxy additions to the last 10 minutes of the boil, and used some crystal. Changed too many things to actually know what solved it.


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## roverfj1200

I have used galaxy a few times now and use less each time. It seems to me it is like less is more.

Cheers.


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## growler

FWIW ...20 IBU Galaxy @60min + 15 IBU Nelson S or Amarillo @ 15min is my "house" Pale

No astringency noted even with no Chill.

cheers G.


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## Scottye

I am loving Galaxy in my Extract brews and I'm putting down a couple this week; a single hoped brew and I'm looking for a companion hop. The times mentioned above, for AG, are interesting to me and I am left wondering whether using extracts counters the bitterness more than AG. Honestly I don't know? But I will have to know as I move to partials and eventually AG.

My additions in 3kg of extract (LME & WME) with 200g Crystal with a 6l boil where:
20g & 40 min
15g @ 25 min
15g @ 10 min
10g @ day 5

IBU 35.8


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## Yob

People's tastes are different, what is harsh to him may not be for you.

Smoker v's non smoker etc


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## Pickaxe

bum gave me some great advice lately.
Galaxy hops used late will still give big IBUs and are less risky than 60min additions.

I made a simple Pale Ale:
3.5KG Pale Malt Extract.
10L Boil - 25L batch
20 @ 20min
20 @ 15min
30 @ 0
US05 yeast.

Big passionfruit hit, but with enough perceived bitterness to balance the beer. My best beer to date (probably due to simplicity). Beersmith tells me 22IBUs. Up the 20 and 10 min additions to 30g and you have 32 IBUs, but I personally wouldn't. I like em real pale, real hoppy with lower bitterness. Got it with Galaxy.

I've tried using Galaxy to flavour Kit and Extract recipes in the past and had big bitterness issues, but I put that down to shitty Pride of Rookwood not going with Galaxy, As Lord Goomba said above. F&*^&*$ing horrible actually.

Used the way described above, this will basically be my quick session beer from now on. Simple ingredients, quick prep, not huge $$ spent on hops for big $$ on flavour.




IMHO - This is where POR is from and where it should stay.


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## Amber Fluid

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Ps, works well with american hops, nz hops. Can't imagine it playing well with por.





Pickaxe said:


> but I put that down to shitty Pride of Rookwood not going with Galaxy, As Lord Goomba said above. F&*^&*$ing horrible actually.


I have used POR and Galaxy together a couple of times now. It seems ok to me :blink:


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## Nick JD

This is how I like to use Galaxy.

*Galaxy Pils* (German Pilsner (Pils))

Original Gravity (OG): 1.048 (°P): 11.9
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.72 %
Colour (SRM): 4.3 (EBC): 8.5
Bitterness (IBU): 21.4 (Average)

98.59% Pilsner
1.41% Caramunich III

0.8 g/L Galaxy (14% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 64°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 12°C with Wyeast 2001 - Urquell Lager


Recipe Generated with *BrewMate*


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## pcmfisher

I dunno. I have tried the lots @ 30min and later thing with galaxy and to me it makes the bittness harsher than using less at 60min.
Could be in my head!


High cohumulone?


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## Markbeer

Hi

I get astringency in Galaxy, especially when dry hopping. I find all additions in the last 10 mins, making sure that the flameout is hot for a minute to take the grassiness away is the best use for my tastes.

Try Citra, very similar tatse/aroma but far smoother. Great for dry hopping, not grassy in the least for me.

Mark


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## Beerisyummy

Drinking a Galaxy and NS beer right now. Premium pilsner malt and Danish lager yeast.
Damn tasty with no astringency.

Galaxy was used @ 60mins and 20 mins. NS @60mins.
The NS stands out more than the Galaxy IMO.

Happy brewing.


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## Oakers

Glad to see it's not just me experiencing the harshness with Galaxy. Perhaps there is a bit of individual variation in how different people are perceiving the bitterness. I get a hit of harsh bitterness at the front of the tongue right on the first sip. I do get a bit desensitised to it after a while. The simple lesson for me is to go easy on the Galaxy and combine with another hop, especially in lighter flavored beers.


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## Nick JD

I wouldn't call Galaxy's harshness "astringency".

I've heard cohumulone percentages generally convey the harshness of a hop, and if you go through a list of your favourite hops there's a correlation between those know as "harsh" being high in CH compared to those high AA hops known as powerful, but mellow bitterers. 

Maybe hop "harshness" is simply cohumulone...

Look at Galaxy's compared to others.


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## Oakers

Nick JD said:


> I wouldn't call Galaxy's harshness "astringency".
> 
> I've heard cohumulone percentages generally convey the harshness of a hop, and if you go through a list of your favourite hops there's a correlation between those know as "harsh" being high in CH compared to those high AA hops known as powerful, but mellow bitterers.
> 
> Maybe hop "harshness" is simply cohumulone...
> 
> Look at Galaxy's compared to others.


OK, I don't want to get into a discussion on semantics of "harshness" versus "astringency", they are pretty much synonyms in my opinion. Anyway, I agree that the perceived harshness of Galaxy is probably due to high cohumulone and therefore dictates careful use of Galaxy. I must admit that as my recent Galaxy pale ale has aged the harshness has ameliorated but not completely disappeared. The lesson for those inexperienced with this hop is to use with caution.


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## Beerisyummy

The cat normally coughs up something that he's eaten along the way. It's often rough looking, but it is what it is.

Maybe, it's just you that's sensitve to galaxy hops? I might have missed it, but have you had other people try your brews?

I'm in the same experimental stage with hops as you and the 10 or so variaties (in my freezer)can really change the finished product.
Sometimes you go back to a hop you tried before (and disliked) and it hits a sweet spot.
Tastes mature very quickly when you start experimenting and it's often worth revisiting more potent ingredients down the track.

It's very possible that it's not the hops that are giving you an astringent sensation. Then again, you might just learn to give galaxy a miss for your own tastes.
Personally, I tend to keep my hopping rates on the low side until I get my head around the different flavours. A little like getting used to spicy dishes.

It's nice when my mates rave about my brews. It's better when I really enjoy something that I made.

Happy brewing!


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## Nick JD

This is how I like to use Galaxy.

*Joan St IPA* (American IPA)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.069 (°P): 16.8
Final Gravity (FG): 1.016 (°P): 4.1
Alcohol (ABV): 6.96 %
Colour (SRM): 10.4 (EBC): 20.4
Bitterness (IBU): 52.8 (Average)

88.61% Pale Ale Malt
6.33% Caramunich III
5.06% Cane Sugar

0.7 g/L Galena (12.5% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
1.4 g/L Cascade (7.8% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
0.7 g/L Citra (11.1% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
1.1 g/L *Galaxy *(13.4% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 64°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with Safale US-05


Recipe Generated with *BrewMate*


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## Sam England

Love Galaxy, but I now only use it later than 20mins in the boil. I've bittered one brew at 60mins with Galaxy and I could have used it for paint stripper for the first few weeks. I left the keg at room temp for a month or so and it became a hell of a lot more drinkable, but I'm not going there again.
Interestingly my last Galaxy brew used homegrown POR at 60 mins for bittering and i had no issues with it at all. I think the massive flavour/aroma of the Galaxy just stomps over whatever is left after boiling POR for that long.


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## Maxt

I have posted on this a few times. I am now at the point where I use it at 10 mins or less only...too astringent..back of the mouth lingering bitterness that is unpleasant. I think flameout or steeped is the way to go (especially if you are a NC brewer)


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## razz

I'm currently fermenting an all Galaxy IPA that has additions at 60, 20 and 5 mins (50 IBU) It's finished primary and went from 1.064 to 1.013 (US05) I plan to get it down to 10 degrees, dump the trub and add 40 or 80g of Galaxy. *I'm not getting any astringency at this stage, *it has good hop flavour and the aroma is ok. It does have a sweetish flavour which I think is the hops not residual sugar. The hops are last years crop and were quite moist and sticky when I added them. I can't see any astringency being contributed by the dry hop unless someone can add more info.


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## Pickaxe

I think what the original poster is describing is not astringency, which is sharp bitter taste which dries the mouth - Tannins are the best example of astringency I can think of. Is there another factor in the brew contributing? One of my first brews I steeped some spec grain with boiling water - now THAT was astringent. Massive tannin levels only welcome i a cab sauv.

It may just be that Galaxy isnt your taste. I personally love the bigness of this hop. Then again, I love lemon tart so strong it puckers the mouth. I used to eat Tang (that ascorbic acid drink mix) by the spoonful as a kid. Vitamin C were lollies to me. So Galaxy makes beer fun, just like an acid drop candy, only beer.


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## Nick JD

Chew on the skin of a passionfruit. If you enjoy the taste, then dry-hopping Galaxy is for you!


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## mje1980

I add small amounts to the keg in S&W inspired ales. 10 grams or so, and love the results. 

I found the same thing when I tried Simcoe. I found it a very harsh buttering hop, but it was only one batch I tried, and others loved it, so i just figured my taste buds find it harsh, or I had an old batch, or my ph was off, or I used too much etc etc haha


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## sluggerdog

Bit of an old thread however it sounds like the same issue I have just gone though with my latest brew.

I knocked up a galaxy summer ale using the following:

30 grams cubed hopped
30 grams dry hopped for 7 days

It was about 20 IBU however it tastes like it's closer to 40 IBU, the malt profile was light so the beer is out of balance for what I was chasing. The aroma is fantastic though. Just the harshness takes over flavour wise.

I checked through my beersmith recipes, well over a year ago I did something similar but with this galaxy hop schedule:

35 grams cubed hopped
10 grams dry hopped for 7 days

Pretty sure I didn't have the harshness with that brew, so I'm wondering is it the amount of galaxy dry hopping that causes the harshness see that looks to be the difference? One thing to note both times I used galaxy leaf, not pellets.

I want to try again and see what I can do to get something along the lines of S&W Pacific Ale from a galaxy flavour / aroma hop point of view, my malt bill is different but still light.

Thanks


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## Lord Raja Goomba I

Saw this topic and read my original reply, and I still stand by that.

Have since used both flowers and pellets (flowers were from Yob to test Tassie customs at the time) and I still don't like using it as a bitterer.

Played well with Citra, Mosaic, and other newer American style hops, as a flavour addition (no-chill cube addition).

I tend to stick to Chinook (and if necessary CTZ) as a bittering addition early on - it ticks all the boxes for me.


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## sluggerdog

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Saw this topic and read my original reply, and I still stand by that.
> 
> Have since used both flowers and pellets (flowers were from Yob to test Tassie customs at the time) and I still don't like using it as a bitterer.
> 
> Played well with Citra, Mosaic, and other newer American style hops, as a flavour addition (no-chill cube addition).
> 
> I tend to stick to Chinook (and if necessary CTZ) as a bittering addition early on - it ticks all the boxes for me.


I would agree with you regarding the harshness from galaxy as a bittering hop, I won't be doing that again.

My brew above however was only cube and dry hopping where I still got the harsh bitterness so I'm confused as to how it happened / how to best use galaxy to get the most flavour / aroma without the harshness.

Cheers


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## Goose

would you consider using Ella as a bittering hop, or is it in the same camp as Galaxy ?

asking because I have a bunch of ella and galaxy, thinking how to use the combination....


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## sharpcliff

I've found Ella to be extremely resinous and leave a harsh bitterness, even added @ whirlpool. Haven't actually used it yet @ 60. I love it for dry hopping though. I get a lot of tropical / pineapple from it.


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