Hop Of The Week 1/11/06 - Northern Brewer

[argon]

Argon,

After tasting yours at Babbs had a look at JB recipe and it only had 1 oz at 15 minutes! I assumed you used the same amount and if so it sticks out like the dogs preverbials!

Yep a little under 1 ounce per cube 22.5g. Not good was it. Your comments re fermentation problems were where my first thoughts were too. Lesson learnt. Next time I'll be keeping the NB as bittering only.

 

[DKS]

Yep a little under 1 ounce per cube 22.5g. Not good was it. Your comments re fermentation problems were where my first thoughts were too. Lesson learnt. Next time I'll be keeping the NB as bittering only.

Probably my favourite hop for most things English when used as bittering. I may be bias as I had a kilo or so in the freezer but then tried a 10min IPA, not good!.Struggling to get through the keg, but lesson learned. This hop covers so many bases, it can be used in smaller quantities for mid to late additions also but needs to be a support or underlying flavour. Goes really well with late EKG for instance. As above, also agree with combining with piney Simcoe or similar American hops which Ive done and they turned out well. For me its a must have in the freezer. Top hop.
Daz

 

[tallie]

Used US Northern Brewer for the first time in a Janet's Brown ABA. While I enjoy the beer, I have noted, as have others the presence of mintiness. I only used NB at 60mins but the mint is quite strong. Had me thinking it was some weird fermentation off flavour before looking into the ingredient profiles. Not sure I'll be using it again if this is what I get out of 60g @ 60 in 40L knockout.

Edit: recipe in my sig as Cleveland Steamer ABA

Edit 2: just had a look again at the recipe and I cube hopped it too. That'd be the culprit. Won't be doing that again.

Is the ABA one that our table judged at the February meeting (I presume so, as I think we did all the ABAs)? I brewed the same recipe and thought the same thing re weird fermentation off flavours, and then I was reminded of it during judging of one of the beers (although I didn't make the connection to minty characteristics). I brewed it last year too and don't recall the flavour at all, which is why I thought something went awry and didn't want to waste dry hops on it! I nearly chucked it, but it's still sitting in a keg. I'll bring some along to BABBs tonight - would be good to do a side-by-side if you've still got any to see if it's the same flavour. Maybe I didn't have to replace that fermenter after all... <_<

Cheers,
tallie

 

[argon]

Yes mate I submitted it to last months BABBs and you must have scored it. Ended up giving it 37 from memory. There was no mention of mint on the scoresheet. Sim was the one who confirmed it for me. Once he tried it he mentioned mint. I already had that in my mind and hadnt mentioned it prior to his sampling. He then asked about Northern Brewer, which I confirmed. Not a bad spot.

The mintiness has dissipated somewhat since then, but its still not 100% what I was expecting. If I can get there tonight Ill bring a bottle for comparison.

 

[tallie]

Yes mate I submitted it to last months BABBs and you must have scored it. Ended up giving it 37 from memory. There was no mention of mint on the scoresheet. Sim was the one who confirmed it for me. Once he tried it he mentioned mint. I already had that in my mind and hadnt mentioned it prior to his sampling. He then asked about Northern Brewer, which I confirmed. Not a bad spot.

The mintiness has dissipated somewhat since then, but its still not 100% what I was expecting. If I can get there tonight Ill bring a bottle for comparison.

Cool. I've still got a bottle that's been kept cold (the keg has been out of the fridge for a while now), so I'll have that with me. Haven't tried it since just before the Feb meeting, so will be interesting to see if it's changed any. Might be worth dry hopping after all!

And yes, a good flavour to lock into the memory banks for future judging.

Cheers,
tallie

 

[freezkat]

Cool. I've still got a bottle that's been kept cold (the keg has been out of the fridge for a while now), so I'll have that with me. Haven't tried it since just before the Feb meeting, so will be interesting to see if it's changed any. Might be worth dry hopping after all!

And yes, a good flavour to lock into the memory banks for future judging.

Cheers,
tallie

I want to try it in a chocolate stout. I had a choco, milk stout recently and thought a little mint would be tasty