Galaxy hops and astringency. Is there a solution?

[Oakers]

I've used Galaxy hops a few times now. I've used once in the boil for a single hop extract beer, once cube hopped and once dry hopped. The beers made with Galaxy in the boil and cube hopping both ended up with a bitterness that was quite astringent. The single hop extract beer with Galaxy was almost undrinkable. In contrast the beer that was dry hopped with Galaxy was fine. Anybody else have this problem? I'm thinking that the only way to use Galaxy is for dry hopping.

Oakers.

 

[AJ80]

I've used Galaxy as a bittering hop twice now (once in an all Galaxy APA and another in a Galaxy/Amarillo APA) and am yet to taste the harsh or astringent flavours others on here have reported. Maybe it is just me...

 

[Yob]

How much galaxy are we talking about here?

It is a fairly dominating hop, and one that (imo) needs companions to be at its best, just a hint is better than the main attraction.

 

[Oakers]

In my most most recent beer - a very simple pale ale using just pilsener malt (due to a misunderstanding with the LHBS) - I used 25g of Galaxy as a cube hop which my software tells me is about 20 IBUs and then 25g of Galaxy as a dry hop. I used 15g POR for bittering (14 IBUs) giving a total of 34 IBUs. I BIAB and no-chill. I think you are right Yob, perhaps 20 IBUs (IBUs were possibly more since it was a cube hop) is a little too much from Galaxy on its own. In future I'll definitely use less and pair with something else. I also think that the recipe was out of balance and slightly over-bittered for the malt profile.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

For me, only ever as a flavour addition, never dry hop (too grassy), never bitter at more than 30mins (assume chilling).

I love galaxy, but like Nelson sauvin, it has its idiosyncrasies.

Goomba

Ps, works well with american hops, nz hops. Can't imagine it playing well with por.

 

[Oakers]

@Goomba - Interesting that you mention Nelson as I also made a beer that was overpowered by it. I am only on my sixth AG brew and still learning the unique properties of different hops and also that sometimes less is more

 

[Yob]

Nelson and galaxy are both hops that can be over powering with just being a little bit heavy handed, as goomba indicates though, pair it with a C hop and it's happy days.

 

[micblair]

yeah I've dropped my galaxy additions to the last 10 minutes of the boil, and used some crystal. Changed too many things to actually know what solved it.

 

[roverfj1200]

I have used galaxy a few times now and use less each time. It seems to me it is like less is more.

Cheers.

 

[growler]

FWIW ...20 IBU Galaxy @60min + 15 IBU Nelson S or Amarillo @ 15min is my "house" Pale

No astringency noted even with no Chill.

cheers G.

 

[Scottye]

I am loving Galaxy in my Extract brews and I'm putting down a couple this week; a single hoped brew and I'm looking for a companion hop. The times mentioned above, for AG, are interesting to me and I am left wondering whether using extracts counters the bitterness more than AG. Honestly I don't know? But I will have to know as I move to partials and eventually AG.

My additions in 3kg of extract (LME & WME) with 200g Crystal with a 6l boil where:
20g & 40 min
15g @ 25 min
15g @ 10 min
10g @ day 5

IBU 35.8

 

[Yob]

People's tastes are different, what is harsh to him may not be for you.

Smoker v's non smoker etc

 

[Pickaxe]

bum gave me some great advice lately.
Galaxy hops used late will still give big IBUs and are less risky than 60min additions.

I made a simple Pale Ale:
3.5KG Pale Malt Extract.
10L Boil - 25L batch
20 @ 20min
20 @ 15min
30 @ 0
US05 yeast.

Big passionfruit hit, but with enough perceived bitterness to balance the beer. My best beer to date (probably due to simplicity). Beersmith tells me 22IBUs. Up the 20 and 10 min additions to 30g and you have 32 IBUs, but I personally wouldn't. I like em real pale, real hoppy with lower bitterness. Got it with Galaxy.

I've tried using Galaxy to flavour Kit and Extract recipes in the past and had big bitterness issues, but I put that down to ****** Pride of Rookwood not going with Galaxy, As Lord Goomba said above. F&*^&*$ing horrible actually.

Used the way described above, this will basically be my quick session beer from now on. Simple ingredients, quick prep, not huge $$ spent on hops for big $$ on flavour.




IMHO - This is where POR is from and where it should stay.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Ps, works well with american hops, nz hops. Can't imagine it playing well with por.

but I put that down to ****** Pride of Rookwood not going with Galaxy, As Lord Goomba said above. F&*^&*$ing horrible actually.

I have used POR and Galaxy together a couple of times now. It seems ok to me :blink:

 

[Nick JD]

This is how I like to use Galaxy.

Galaxy Pils (German Pilsner (Pils))

Original Gravity (OG): 1.048 (°P): 11.9
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.72 %
Colour (SRM): 4.3 (EBC): 8.5
Bitterness (IBU): 21.4 (Average)

98.59% Pilsner
1.41% Caramunich III

0.8 g/L Galaxy (14% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 64°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 12°C with Wyeast 2001 - Urquell Lager


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

 

[pcmfisher]

I dunno. I have tried the lots @ 30min and later thing with galaxy and to me it makes the bittness harsher than using less at 60min.
Could be in my head!


High cohumulone?

 

[Markbeer]

Hi

I get astringency in Galaxy, especially when dry hopping. I find all additions in the last 10 mins, making sure that the flameout is hot for a minute to take the grassiness away is the best use for my tastes.

Try Citra, very similar tatse/aroma but far smoother. Great for dry hopping, not grassy in the least for me.

Mark

 

[Beerisyummy]

Drinking a Galaxy and NS beer right now. Premium pilsner malt and Danish lager yeast.
Damn tasty with no astringency.

Galaxy was used @ 60mins and 20 mins. NS @60mins.
The NS stands out more than the Galaxy IMO.

Happy brewing.

 

[Oakers]

Glad to see it's not just me experiencing the harshness with Galaxy. Perhaps there is a bit of individual variation in how different people are perceiving the bitterness. I get a hit of harsh bitterness at the front of the tongue right on the first sip. I do get a bit desensitised to it after a while. The simple lesson for me is to go easy on the Galaxy and combine with another hop, especially in lighter flavored beers.

 

[Nick JD]

I wouldn't call Galaxy's harshness "astringency".

I've heard cohumulone percentages generally convey the harshness of a hop, and if you go through a list of your favourite hops there's a correlation between those know as "harsh" being high in CH compared to those high AA hops known as powerful, but mellow bitterers.

Maybe hop "harshness" is simply cohumulone...

Look at Galaxy's compared to others.