Cluster

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What do you think of this hop?

  • 5 - What a great hop!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4 -

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3 -

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2 -

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1 - The English cricket team of hops!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 0 - Never used it

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Stuster

Big mash up
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So, by popular demand ;) , this week we look at a traditional American variety, Cluster.

So what can you tell us about this hop? How do you use them - bittering, flavour, aroma? What styles have you used them for? What hop combinations are they good for? Are there any commercial beers available here using this hop? Any other tips for using this hop?

Tell us all you know so we can all make the best beer we can. :chug:

From here.

Cluster (United States)
Specifications
Pedigree: Not known but possibly a result of a cross between an English variety and an American male hop.
Aroma: Floral and spicy

Alpha Acids: 5.5 8.5% w/w
Beta Acids: 4.5 5.5 %w/w
Co-Humulone: 36 42% of alpha acids
Storageability: 80 85% alpha acids remaining after 6 months storage at 20 C
Total Oil: 0.4 0.8 mls/100 grams
Myrcene: 45 55% of whole oil
Humulene: 15 18% of whole oil
Caryophyllene: 6 7% of whole oil
Farnesene: <1% of whole oil

General Trade Perception: An excellent general purpose hop with medium and well-balanced bittering potential and no undesirable aroma properties.
Possible Substitutions: Galena, possibly US Northern Brewer
Typical Beer Styles: Ale (Aroma), Lager (Bittering), Stout
Additional Information: For years the standard US cultivar, improved mass selection in the mid-sixties. Limited acreage grown today.
 
Dont they use it in XXXX and carlton?
If they do its not bad
 
I used Cluster flowers quite a bit last year mostly for bittering in English style bitters & pales.
It didn't seem to have too much individual character - a bit bland, although finishing with EKG or Cascade probably masked most of that anyway.

I did one Bitter that was Cluster all the way through & it was fairly underwhelming.

So for me, nothing to write home about.

And yes, apparently it is used in XXXX.
 
I used Cluster flowers quite a bit last year mostly for bittering in English style bitters & pales.
It didn't seem to have too much individual character - a bit bland, although finishing with EKG or Cascade probably masked most of that anyway.

I did one Bitter that was Cluster all the way through & it was fairly underwhelming.

So for me, nothing to write home about.

And yes, apparently it is used in XXXX.


anyone in Canberra want to buy a kilo of cluster flowers :lol:
 
They certianly use it in sparing quantities in XXXX as a flavour/aroma hop. I make a "Forecks" Pale Ale as a crossover beer for my megaswill drinking mates. Haven't got the recipe here but I think I used a plug addition for both flavour and aroma with 24gm? POR as bittering. Drunk fresh it has a reasonably floral note diminishing noticebly to a XXXX aroma after a month or so in keg (a good easy drinker so it doesn't last that long).
 

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