Adding Home Grown Hops To My Brew

[Dez.]

G'day all. I'm new to this forum so go easy on me.
Currently in the keg I have a Muntons mount melick irish style cream ale, which was brewed with a tin of light liquid malt and 250grams of light dried malt. I used safale s-04 yeast. It is a good beer and I'm quiet happy with it.
In the fermenter is the exact same beer, but the plan is to add some of my home grown hersbrucker hops to it when I rack it in a cube, prior to kegging it. Hopefully to add some nice aromatics to the beer.
I will then have both kegs in the fridge side by side to compare and see what I think.
What do you guys think? Any oppinions or advise appreciated.
Cheers. Dez

 

[Angus]

G'day all. I'm new to this forum so go easy on me.
Currently in the keg I have a Muntons mount melick irish style cream ale, which was brewed with a tin of light liquid malt and 250grams of light dried malt. I used safale s-04 yeast. It is a good beer and I'm quiet happy with it.
In the fermenter is the exact same beer, but the plan is to add some of my home grown hersbrucker hops to it when I rack it in a cube, prior to kegging it. Hopefully to add some nice aromatics to the beer.
I will then have both kegs in the fridge side by side to compare and see what I think.
What do you guys think? Any oppinions or advise appreciated.
Cheers. Dez

Sounds like a great idea Dez, and a scientific way of conducting your experiment, with just the one variable.
Why didn't you add the hops earlier at the brewing stage?
I have been trying to source hop rhizomes, for my own home growing, without success so far. Where did you find the Hersbrucker hop plants?
I am new to this forum too, but it looks good value, with the collected wisdom and experience of so many like-minded brewers and cognoscenti of the amber fluid.

 

[Dez.]

I didn't add the hops earlier into the brew as I didn't really know how, or how much was needed.
I've added packeted finishing hops befor to the cube with good results, hopefully fresh hops will do even better.
I bought the hop rhizomes over ebay just befor spring time, thats when they all started appearing. I also have saaz hops but it hasn't started flowering yet, so I got a bit of time to learn the best way to incorporate them into my brews.
This is what has brought me to this site as my local brew shops havent been any help, on the fresh hop subject.

 

[JaffaMan]

Sounds like a great idea Dez, and a scientific way of conducting your experiment, with just the one variable.
Why didn't you add the hops earlier at the brewing stage?
I have been trying to source hop rhizomes, for my own home growing, without success so far. Where did you find the Hersbrucker hop plants?
I am new to this forum too, but it looks good value, with the collected wisdom and experience of so many like-minded brewers and cognoscenti of the amber fluid.

I think I read somewhere that you can purchase them on ebay throughout july, not sure how long for but.
Im real keen to get my hands on some this year, my old man owns and live on a chestnut farm, so I'm planning to have about ten out there. Hop plants, that is.

 

[Dez.]

Will putting them straight into the cube raw be too much of an infection risk?
Should I boil them or something first?
Any help appreciated, will be racking it tomorrow.

 

[Dez.]

Decided to boil up some water and put the hops into that, mashed em up with a potato masher. Then chucked em into the cube, has been in the fridge for a few days now. I had a taste and it seems good, cant wait till it's in the keg and carbonated.
My first beet with home grown hops. mmm

 

[Bizier]

Should be good Dez.

I find hersbruker in general to have a drying lemony thing (try Harvieston Bitter and Twisted & Schiehallion Lager if you have not), which is great. I find that my homegrown hersbruker is much more citrusy and pungent, more like a US hop.

 

[Lobby Lobster]

Decided to boil up some water and put the hops into that, mashed em up with a potato masher. Then chucked em into the cube, has been in the fridge for a few days now. I had a taste and it seems good, cant wait till it's in the keg and carbonated.
View attachment 36163My first beet with home grown hops. mmm

Keep us posted on how you go Dez.

Over a couple at a mates place today, I discovered that they have a hop plant, in flower, so I scored a heap. My mate doesn't brew, sadly, so I did well.
Not sure what variety they are but man they smell great.

Anyway, tomorrow I am going to give them a crack in a Brewcraft Pilsener and see how we go.

My plan will be to boil/simmer them (a handful) along with some cracked light malted barley for around an hour and whack 'em in.
Certainly adds some intrigue to it.

How good is brewin'!