Beginners Hops

[Chookers]

I was hoping to get some advice on hops,

I have a Coopers Mexican Cerveza, a Tooheys Draft kit and Lager kit, and I wanted to put some hops, I've been reading various posts on different hops, I have a few kilos of DME-light, BrewEnhancer 1 and 2, and 1kg Dextrose.. I also have at hand Demerera Sugar and Brown Sugar..

I wanted a fruitiness to the beer, but lite on the bittering side. A refreshing summer drink.

Has anyone used Summer Saaz, can you recomend or advise? also interested in Galaxy.


Any advice hints or tips anyone can offer would be welcome.

 

[Bubba]

If you want fruity, stick to the ones like Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook and Williamette.

 

[Brewlord]

I was hoping to get some advice on hops,

I have a Coopers Mexican Cerveza, a Tooheys Draft kit and Lager kit, and I wanted to put some hops, I've been reading various posts on different hops, I have a few kilos of DME-light, BrewEnhancer 1 and 2, and 1kg Dextrose.. I also have at hand Demerera Sugar and Brown Sugar..

I wanted a fruitiness to the beer, but lite on the bittering side. A refreshing summer drink.

Has anyone used Summer Saaz, can you recomend or advise? also interested in Galaxy.


Any advice hints or tips anyone can offer would be welcome.

Chookers, never used summer Saaz or galaxy, but have made many light 'blonde' style beers and added Cascade (got one in secondary as we speak). It adds a citrussy sweetness and is my second favourite behind amarillo as far as the lower IBU sweeter usage type hops go. Reckon Cascade would be great in the Cerveza or the Lager. From your list, what about the Cerveza, Brew Enhancer 1 and a 12g cascade infusion. IIRC, BE1 is 500g dextrose, 250g LDME, 250g Maltodextrin so its gunna be light on in LDME to keep the maltiness down but the bit of Maltodextrin will give mouthfeel and head retention and all the DEX should ferment out. Reckon that might be refreshing. The BE2 might be too malty (500g LDME IIRC). Alternatively do the same with the BE1 and cascade substituting Lager for the Cerveza but watch the temperature in either case. Get a better yeast instead of the kit one if you can as well.

 

[Yob]

If you want fruity, stick to the ones like Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook and Williamette.

+1 to that.. Ive been blending cascade and perle, but also like chinnok for flavour... havnt tried Williamette but will keep my eye open now for it..

(edit clarity) a handy hops link below

http://www.yakimachief.com/hopvarieties/williamette.html

:icon_cheers:

 

[mkstalen]

I've just done the following:
Coopers Mex
1kg LDME
500G Dex
250g Crystal steeped
20g Galaxy 20min
15g Galaxy 7min
10g Galaxy dry hopped
Nottingham yeast

It's turned out pretty good. Heavy fruity flavours from the Galaxy, probably a little overboard. I'd probably drop it back to 10g at each addition.
Has a fair ammount of residual sweetness from all the malt. To me a little like Fat Yak.

With your ingredients I'd go:
Coopers Mex
BE1
(an extra 500g dex optionally)
10g Galaxy 20min
10g Galaxy 7min
And go with US-05 yeast. (I've discovered the Nottingham doesn't clear anywhere near as well)

Ammarillo as other have mentioned is another good fruity hop.

Edits for clarification.

 

[stuchambers]

Chookers,
I have been brewing for a few years but last month I took a big steep and did my first hop additions, I made a Pilsner using Saaz hops it had only been in the bottle for 8 days but compared to any other beer I have made in the past it was so much better and is only going to improve with age. Im going to say that it rivals most standard commercial beers eg. Carlton draft, TED. I am very biased tho.

I have put on another brew using east kent goldings and fuggles that I will bottle next week.
From my little experience with these few hops and going mainly on smell the saaz is very spicy and the other two are earthy almost cheesy in a way.

My next beer will be a raddler style so I too will be looking for some citrus from what i have read I think I will be going with Cascade.
I will use a light kit add a small amount of cascade in a boil for some flavour and also dry hop at secondary as well as adding the juice of a lime and a lemon.

Cheers Stu

 

[Chookers]

I read in one of the topics here that Amarillo taste like Rexona deodorant.??

I have some Danstar Nottingham yeast on the way. I also currently have safbrew T-58. Would anyone recommend Wyeast Deny's Favourite?
or SafAle S-04?

So with the kit, do you boil them for 30mins total?

 

[argon]

I was hoping to get some advice on hops,

I have a Coopers Mexican Cerveza, a Tooheys Draft kit and Lager kit, and I wanted to put some hops, I've been reading various posts on different hops, I have a few kilos of DME-light, BrewEnhancer 1 and 2, and 1kg Dextrose.. I also have at hand Demerera Sugar and Brown Sugar..

I wanted a fruitiness to the beer, but lite on the bittering side. A refreshing summer drink.

Has anyone used Summer Saaz, can you recomend or advise? also interested in Galaxy.


Any advice hints or tips anyone can offer would be welcome.

for a nice fruity light ale try BSaaz love it in a summer ale... or Nelson Sauvin again great for light late hop aroma and flavour.. not too overpowering, subtle and refreshing

 

[Yob]

So with the kit, do you boil them for 30mins total?

you dont intend on boiling the Kit goop do you?... :blink:

you can add your hops to the beer for flav/aroma, tea type, throw in pellets, etc... toward the end of ferment, perhaps at half to 3/4 of the total.. (I usually do this at 1020 if expecting a FG @ 1010).. if you add at the beginning of ferment you will drive off alot of what you want out.. if it's a kit (I do plenty of these with additions) add late and :icon_drunk:

 

[Chookers]

yeh, I thought you were meant to boil the kit, are'nt you? I thought it was like to boil out the protien or something..
I dont know its been a long time sine I did anything with a kit, and I only did about 3 in total. I havent opened them so I havent read their instuctions yet. But I read a book that said they're much better if you add extras.

do you just add boiling water to it in your fermenter?

Im going to order online, but only want to get two types of hop at the moment.

what you guys think of Bsaaz and Galaxy??

 

[earle]

I don't even use boiling water. I add a few litres of tap temperature water to the fermenter, heat the tin in boiling water, tip it in and give a good stir.

For your hops, if you don't want bitterness from them you just need to steep them (mentioned as infusion in an above post) rather than boil them. Pour some boiling water over them in a clean glass/mug, leave for 5-10 min then add to your fermenter. You can also use a coffee press.

 

[Chookers]

I just bought some Bsaaz hop flowers, grrr.. I meant to get pellets.!! Sh#t!!! :angry:

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

hop flowers should be OK, just strain them after leaving them in the boiled water for the desired time.

 

[Chookers]

Im going to get some Galaxy hop pellets tomorrow.. and maybe some Safale US-05, and maybe also some Coopers LME, but I dont know whether I should get Light or Amber LME.

Whats BSaaz like?

 

[The Giant]

bubba had a good recipie he had up recently for the cerveza

i to have made it and its bubbling away as we speak

1 coopers mex can
1 be2 mix i think
extra 200g of dex
2 limes, zest and juice
20g cascade hops
and i did 15g american ale yeast as opposed to kit yeast

boiled the zest, juice and hops in 1 litre of water and 200g of be2 mix for 10mins
i had to strain this as the hop sock broke and the hops went everywhere
added this to fermenter with an extra litre of hot water, then added the rest of the be2 and dex and the coopers can
stirred in plenty of cold water to take up to 23l
got the temp down to 18 and pitched the yeast
og reading was 1038
48 hours down and still bubbling away nicely, temp is creeping due to the warm weather but managing to keep it at 22

 

[earle]

Im going to get some Galaxy hop pellets tomorrow.. and maybe some Safale US-05, and maybe also some Coopers LME, but I dont know whether I should get Light or Amber LME.

Whats BSaaz like?

I wouldn't go with Amber LME in the style your talking about, I think you would end up with a bit too much body and residual sweetness.

 

[argon]

I just bought some Bsaaz hop flowers, grrr.. I meant to get pellets.!! Sh#t!!! :angry:

Flowers can be a bit of a pain as they can sometimes get caught in the tap at packaging time. However flowers are perfect for french pressing (that is a coffee plunger, i didn't know first time i heard it!) Pellets swell too much when hydrated in a french press.

About 5 days after pitching, when fermentation has slowed right down
Put 20g or so in the french press
Boil up 500-100ml of water and add it in with the hops (obviously dependent on how big a plunger you have 2L one are good)
leave for 5 mins
press down the plunger
Pour hot hop tea into the fermenter, which will immediately cool the tea and lock in the flavour and aroma from the hops.

Put another 20g into a hop bag and throw it straight into the fermenter too, for another hit of aroma.

Shoudl come out nice, with a big punch of late hop flavour and aroma

 

[Jerry]

Has anyone used Summer Saaz, can you recomend or advise? also interested in Galaxy.

Hi Chookers,

I've used Summer Saaz once.

It was used for flavour and aroma with Pride of Ringwood for bittering in an AG beer.

My notes describe a flavour of 'mild citrus' and 'no hop aroma'.

My memory, was of being 'underwhelmed'.

Galaxy will give you far more fruit.

Scott

 

[bignath]

Whats BSaaz like?

Stunning. I love it. Heaps...

Also called Motueka, and it goes beautifully well with Cascade (Tony's LCBA uses this combo).

Have never used Galaxy so don't know how well it would go with BSaaz/Motueka.

I'm sure someone's tried this combo and will chime in soon to assist..

Nath

 

[DU99]

You can get hop bags to put flowers in from our sponsors