# Challenger Hops



## PhilA (23/1/09)

:icon_chickcheers: G'day all
yer i have a sh#t load of challenger hops left over from other recipes any ideas ?
:icon_cheers: cheers Phil


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## BoilerBoy (24/1/09)

Philbrewalager said:


> :icon_chickcheers: G'day all
> yer i have a sh#t load of challenger hops left over from other recipes any ideas ?
> :icon_cheers: cheers Phil



Do an all Challenger pale ale, Challenger is a great dual purpose hop.

Did one a couple of years back and it was almost a pleasant marmalade flavour.

Makes a good single malt single hop English summer ale, or chuck in a bit of crystal either way 
It will be very nice.

Cheers,
BB


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## Muggus (24/1/09)

Made an English bitter with it a while back with nothing but Challenger.
Very nice, excellent aroma and, as mentioned above, marmalade-like citrus and spice, with maybe a touch of grassiness.
Generally has an pretty good AA so don't need shitloads.


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## Steve (24/1/09)

BoilerBoy said:


> Do an all Challenger pale ale, Challenger is a great dual purpose hop.
> 
> Did one a couple of years back and it was almost a pleasant marmalade flavour.
> 
> ...



yep - go the all challenger ale - I did one ages ago and it was great. One single ale malt with 5% light crystal.
Cheers
Steve


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## Peter Wadey (24/1/09)

Yes, the flavour & aroma additions will get rid of it sooner, but if you try it & don't fancy it, use it as a bittering hop in your English Ales. Generally more economic than EKG or Fuggle, much less so than Target.
Target, Challenger or Northdown are my standard bittering additions in English Ales, unless harvest time is pending & its time to clear out the stash of aroma hops.

Pete
Eastwoo


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## rough60 (24/1/09)

I'd do sort of a summer ale and have some american hops in the later additions.
eg:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 22.00 L 
Boil Size: 26.23 L
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 12.5 EBC
Estimated IBU: 40.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 81.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
3.00 kg Pale Malt (JW) (5.0 EBC) Grain 73.2 % 
1.00 kg Wheat Malt, Aus (3.0 EBC) Grain 24.4 % 
0.10 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (250.0 EBC) Grain 2.4 % 
10.00 gm Challenger [7.90%] (60 min) Hops 9.2 IBU 
20.00 gm Challenger [7.90%] (30 min) Hops 14.2 IBU
10.00 gm Amarillo [8.20%] (30 min) Hops 7.3 IBU 
20.00 gm Challenger [7.90%] (10 min) Hops 6.7 IBU 
10.00 gm Amarillo [8.20%] (10 min) Hops 3.5 IBU


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## warra48 (24/1/09)

I've just racked an English Old Ale, and dry hopped with 20 gr Challenger.
The brew has 132 gr hops in total, 55 gr of which are Challenger.
The smell of the opened packet of Challenger is terrific. 
I like the idea of a single hop beer, must try that at some stage.


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## drsmurto (27/1/09)

Been meaning to try this hop as well.

Its down to 2 recipes, an ESB using TF MO with a touch of choc for colour and all challenger.

Or ramp up the same recipe to IPA territory.....

1026 cask ale yeast.


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## warrenlw63 (27/1/09)

Timely post Dr... Did this Summer Ale yesterday. Cooling it's heels in the cube (in 38 degree Melbourne) waiting for the West Yorky to fire up.  

Yorkie SA

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 45.00 Wort Size (L): 45.00
Total Grain (kg): 9.20
Anticipated OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.34
Anticipated EBC: 14.3
Anticipated IBU: 35.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.7 2.00 kg. JWM Wheat Malt Australia 1.040 4
2.2 0.20 kg. BB Caramalt Australia 1.036 40
65.2 6.00 kg. BB Ale Malt Australia 1.038 8
10.9 1.00 kg. Weyermann Munich II Germany 1.038 31

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. Challenger Pellet 7.90 0.0 Dry Hop
20.00 g. Challenger Pellet 7.90 2.3 10 min.
20.00 g. Challenger Pellet 7.90 3.9 20 min.
33.00 g. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.50 22.9 60 min.
20.00 g. Challenger Pellet 7.90 5.9 30 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.00 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil) 


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1469 West Yorkshire




Warren -


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## drsmurto (27/1/09)

Looks tasty Wazza. :chug:


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## warrenlw63 (27/1/09)

Hope so Dr... With Melb's temps not expected to get any lower than around 38 in the next 4 days I may have to pitch the yeast during the night. <_< 

Just hope my dodgy old ferment fridge can hold around 18-20 degrees so I can see some of that beautiful 1469 plumage major. :blink: 

Warren -


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## drsmurto (27/1/09)

I couldnt get my beer down below 26 out of the chiller on Friday so pitched the yeast and let it sit outside on concrete overnight.

Next morning it was all go and the temp had dropped to 20.

The 1275 is currently trying to climb out of the fermenter. 20L in a 30+L fermenter. Top cropper?


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## warrenlw63 (27/1/09)

DrSmurto said:


> Top cropper?



Yep, sounds like it's trying to do a bunk... Had it do that on me once and it took a while to finish. You may have to implement a little rousin'.  

Warren -


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## drsmurto (27/1/09)

The last batch was 22L and 1275 went thru the airlock...... 

For top cropping is it simply a case of scooping up the krausen with a sanitised cup? The wash it into a container with boiled, cooled water?

Planning on keeping some and storing it rather than washing the cake after racking.


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## warrenlw63 (27/1/09)

DrSmurto said:


> The last batch was 22L and 1275 went thru the airlock......
> 
> For top cropping is it simply a case of scooping up the krausen with a sanitised cup? The wash it into a container with boiled, cooled water?
> 
> Planning on keeping some and storing it rather than washing the cake after racking.



Haven't done it myself DS. Seems a sound philosophy all the same.

Warren -


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## buttersd70 (27/1/09)

DrSmurto said:


> The last batch was 22L and 1275 went thru the airlock......
> 
> For top cropping is it simply a case of scooping up the krausen with a sanitised cup? The wash it into a container with boiled, cooled water?
> 
> Planning on keeping some and storing it rather than washing the cake after racking.



Exactly. I find a soup ladle to be good. The one thing I've found with top cropped is that if you bottle it, make sure that you don't seal the bottle too early, unless you like gushers.  I just leave mine with the lid on but cracked slightly for a few days in the fridge, allowing the yeast to settle...then pour off any remaining liquid and cover with cooled boiled water.


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