Chinese Varieties

[gregs]

Hey QLD Kev i notice an oily film on the top of all of my wort when i no chill, i usually whirlpool and leave for 10-15 mins for it all to settle into a nice cone. this is usually very prominent with high hopping rates so i wouldnt be worried.

So, have you tasted your Saaz Pilsner?

Does you usual oil slick look like mother of pearl with white plastic floaty bits, because if it does you may need help.

 

[bradsbrew]

Well I would re-add my feedback about the usage and results of the Cluster and Cascade but I couldnt be bothered. To put it simply I will not purchase these again as I believe they are poor quality! And the hops that I buy from Ross must be better quality because they make my skills seem a lot better.
I cant believe how much of a piss poor brewer I become when I use chinese hops.

Brad

 

[scotteth]

Like many I picked up the Cascade and the Saaz. So far I've only tasted the cascade in a pale ale and my experiences were the same as most here, the bittering was reasonable and the flavour was present but certainly much less than if some "real" cascade was used. Dry hopping and flameout additions made no difference in terms of aroma, ie none. Only at the beginning of my all grain adventure so I won't attempt to describe the flavours that I can taste other than to say its like a more subdued US cascade to me.

Brewing a Pilsner with the Saaz so am keen to see how this goes.

I'm not unhappy with the purchase because I think supplementing these hops with some more traditionally grown is a good way to keep costs down. Having said that I won't be going in for the next hop round unless theres some better feedback.

Given the time the hops spent on the dock (or was it the airport?), perhaps many of the volatiles were long gone by the time they got to us? Looking at cold storage in the distribution chain is something that might improve the aromatic potential later on?

 

[daemon]

Given the time the hops spent on the dock (or was it the airport?), perhaps many of the volatiles were long gone by the time they got to us? Looking at cold storage in the distribution chain is something that might improve the aromatic potential later on?

Based on the lack of aroma and subdued flavours, it really seems like we were sold old hops. If they were really as fresh as touted then a week or two without refrigeration would not have made much difference. They're just simply lower quality.

It seems that the Marco Polo has been designed for iso-hop extraction (given the harsh bittering it gives normally) and the other hops for plain lagers. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to bode well with making "craft" brews.

I'll be using the remainder of the Cascade in basic house ales, where flavour and aroma take a backseat to quaffability.

 

[benno1973]

I cant believe how much of a piss poor brewer I become when I use chinese hops.

Same here Brad. I have yet to master the elusive Chinese hop. I seem to be able to capture aroma and flavour from European and American hops, but my brewing practices just aren't up to scratch when it comes to the Chinese varieties.

 

[bum]

but my brewing practices just aren't up to scratch when it comes to the Chinese varieties.

Perhaps you should be using "THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY"?

 

[Fourstar]

Does' you usual oil slick look like mother of pearl with white plastic floaty bits, because if it does' you may need help.

No, no they dont! (and they didnt with the Chinese hops either) It sounds like grain protein to me.

 

[TidalPete]

Well I would re-add my feedback but I couldnt be bothered.

Just as well! :lol:

TP

 

[AndrewQLD]

Cleaned up thread please keep this to the topicand please note this post

 

[Steve]

Cleaned up thread please keep this to the topicand please note this post

Far out! I only offered Killer some free hops as he lost out! I will say it again, If anyone wants some free hops PM me.
Cheers
Steve

 

[browndog]

I've done a chinese cascade APA that went like this

30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.9 IBU
30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (30 min) Hops 14.6 IBU
30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.8 IBU
30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (0min) Hops -

Now would expect a rather hoppy beer from that amount of hops in an APA, anyone would. I checked out the gravity today, down to 1010 and thought right time to give it a try. First off, there was bugger all aroma and as for the taste, very little hop flavour and a bitterness I do not like at all (does this mean I don't know how to brew?) The cascade I got looked old, had bugger all aroma and the pellets were pale and hard as a rock. I'm not shy of calling a spade a spade and will say they are absolute crap and I would not pay anything for them, in fact I won't even give them away, they are going in the bin where they belong. I hope I don't come across as pissed off, as I am not, I knew the risk and was happy to take it. What does piss me off is all the talking up of them, Chappo has adressed the issue wonderfully in the no topic section.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Fourstar]

First off, there was bugger all aroma and as for the taste, very little hop flavour and a bitterness I do not like at all (does this mean I don't know how to brew?)

Browndog, whats the bitterness like thats so offensive as i'll just dump mine if they are stuffed. A bit of a flavour/mouthfeel description if you could?

 

[browndog]

Browndog, whats the bitterness like thats so offensive as i'll just dump mine if they are stuffed. A bit of a flavour/mouthfeel description if you could?

I've got a sample right in front of me now and it tastes........ the best I can describe is a lingering bitter metallic aftertaste that suddenly appears once the beer is swallowed, no hint of it until you swallow. Yuck. Hope that helps mate.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Fourstar]

I've got a sample right in front of me now and it tastes........ the best I can describe is a lingering bitter metallic aftertaste that suddenly appears once the beer is swallowed, no hint of it until you swallow. Yuck.
cheers
Browndog

Think this has a chance of cleaning up after filtration and crash chill?

 

[bradsbrew]

I've got a sample right in front of me now and it tastes........ the best I can describe is a lingering bitter metallic aftertaste that suddenly appears once the beer is swallowed, no hint of it until you swallow. Yuck.

cheers

Browndog

Good description Browndog. It is a lingering bitterness that comes after swallowing. I took some to some local brewers ( of whos opinion is experienced an of value to me) yesterday and that was the overall feedback from the use of the cluster. Though with the cluster the aroma of the beer seemed fine, it was the flavour and bitterness that was bad.

Brad

 

[bradsbrew]

Think this has a chance of cleaning up after filtration and crash chill?

I have found that the cascade does seem to taste a little better a month out. But does not have the cascade qualities though. It may go ok as a bittering addition in conjunction with US Apa hops.

Brad

 

[browndog]

Think this has a chance of cleaning up after filtration and crash chill?

Hmmm..... if I had to take a guess, I'd say no, but I really hope I'm wrong. I've got it chilling now and it will be ready to drink by saturday week, I'll report back then.

 

[RobW]

I've done a chinese cascade APA that went like this

30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.9 IBU
30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (30 min) Hops 14.6 IBU
30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.8 IBU
30.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (0min) Hops -

Now would expect a rather hoppy beer from that amount of hops in an APA, anyone would. I checked out the gravity today, down to 1010 and thought right time to give it a try. First off, there was bugger all aroma and as for the taste, very little hop flavour and a bitterness I do not like at all (does this mean I don't know how to brew?) The cascade I got looked old, had bugger all aroma and the pellets were pale and hard as a rock. I'm not shy of calling a spade a spade and will say they are absolute crap and I would not pay anything for them, in fact I won't even give them away, they are going in the bin where they belong. I hope I don't come across as pissed off, as I am not, I knew the risk and was happy to take it. What does piss me off is all the talking up of them, Chappo has adressed the issue wonderfully in the no topic section.

cheers

Browndog

I have a similiae beer on the go but I went a bit bigger on the late additions after the mixed early reports :

50.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (45 min)
50.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (10min)
50.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (0 min)
50.00 gm Chinese Cascade [6.00 %] (dry)

Should be ready to drink by next week but I'm not getting too excited about it.

 

[bradsbrew]

I have made quite a few different brews using the Cluster, from English mild , aussie lager, aussie old/brown and stout and each one has a distinguished offensive bitterness when used solely as a biterring , it also has a terrible flavour. I had offered a sample of this and a couple of the other Chinese hops to some local brewing friends and I am glad that they have not yet taken them! I will be throwing out the remainder of the cluster and and 100% of the saaz. I may still use the cascade as a bittering hop. But haonestly and seriously the Cluster is crap.
This is not a hit out at any of the organisers of the bulk buy and I DO OT have sour grapes, it was a gamble and i lost. I now have a couple of kegs and cubes of below par beer to get through.

brad

 

[rosswill]

I made an APA (Jamil's recipe) with the Marco Polo and it turned out quite OK. It is quite a nice drop. I made it a little understated as I wanted to ease into it to see what it was like. I hopped at 15g 60, 15 & 2 mins. Most other recipes Ive seen so far have gone a lot heavier on the hopping.
Now I have not tasted Columbus, so I have no idea how it compares to the original. I'll not be tossing my Marco Polo. My next attempt I will up the hopping rate to say 20g.
Gunna try the Cluster next in an Aussie Fourex type of beer. Not so confident about the results of this hop given the feedback so far.