Making the most of Galaxy

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Looks good brewtas, ETA for tasting? ;-)

 

[brewtas]

I'll have to see but I'll definitely post the results here. There are way too many beers I want to brew right now. That's definitely a whinge for the first world problems thread. :lol:

 

[brendo]

I have used Galaxy quite a lot and really love it as a hop. I found that moving to FWH certainly seemed to smooth out the perceived bitterness. I have dry hopped with Galaxy with good results, but like others have said, not leaving it too long in the fermenter is key. I have also found that dry hopping prior to the end of active fermentation can help to scrub some of the potential harshness out of it.

An alternative to dry hopping is to make a hop tea using a french press - this was my go to method with no chilling for quite a while, although I have found myself going back to dry hopping more.

Cheers,

Brendo

 

[Dips Me Lid]

I use Galaxy a fair bit in pale ales and IPA's, I usually use some Horizon for a 60min bittering charge and save the Galaxy for all late additions, recently started using a whirlpool addition of 20g for 20min and I've noticed an increase in hop aroma and flavour.
I've also been experimenting with cold crash dry hop additions and had good results, I guess the yeast being relatively inactive during the cold crash doesn't allow them to scrub as much aroma compounds.
I haven't had a problem with any extra perceived harshness from double dry hopping, but I might be using fairly conservative additions, I've just recently done 10g at 5 days at 20c and 15g at 3 days at 3c for a 45l batch of 6% IPA using WLP001.
I did two batches and had great results.
I love seeing other people's fermentation and dry hop schedules, makes me damn thirsty!

 

[BilBrewing]

I love these types of experiments. I'm formulating a DIPA after reading several Bertus Brewing threads and Galaxy was also on my radar. Would love to taste/smell the results!

 

[brewtas]

For sure, I'll PM you when it's done. Might be a couple of months though before I get to brew it.

 

[Dan Pratt]

For sure, I'll PM you when it's done. Might be a couple of months though before I get to brew it.

a couple of months? h34r:

 

[brewtas]

a couple of months? h34r:

Book your flights now :beer:

 

[Dan Pratt]

Book your flights now :beer:

haha, funny you should suggest it, Im going to Launceston 3rd week of April for the Marine Teachers Conference my wife is attending.

Whats that a 20min drive from Hobart...lol

 

[Not For Horses]

haha, funny you should suggest it, Im going to Launceston 3rd week of April for the Marine Teachers Conference my wife is attending.

Whats that a 20min drive from Hobart...lol

Launceston is a 0 minute drive from me.
Drop me a message when you're down, I've usually got something with galaxy in it :drinks:

 

[Not For Horses]

Oh wait, I knew there was a reason I came in here...

I've just started drinking an all galaxy ale with a big addition at 15 minutes.
It was 1044 and about 30 IBU and man alive is that sucker bitter.
It's borderline unpleasant with the bitterness but I'll soldier through.
It's not the first time this has happened either.

I'm kinda thinking that you probably need to limit your IBUs from galaxy, even late additions, to about 0.5 IBU/GU
Eg, for my latest beer, should have been 22IBU as it was all galaxy.

 

[BilBrewing]

It would be interesting to know how the level of sulfates affected the bitterness perception with Galaxy?

 

[Not For Horses]

The beer I'm talking about had a balanced sulfate/chloride water profile.

 

[carniebrew]

NFH, did your all galaxy include much/any dry hopping? If so, how much and for how long?

 

[technobabble66]

@NFH: ...And when you say balanced sulfate/chloride profile, how much did you add or what total levels were you hitting with your additions?
Thanks!

 

[Not For Horses]

NFH, did your all galaxy include much/any dry hopping? If so, how much and for how long?

2g/L for 4 days dry hop.

@NFH: ...And when you say balanced sulfate/chloride profile, how much did you add or what total levels were you hitting with your additions?
Thanks!

I don't have it in front of me but it was roughly in the middle-high of the green range in Ezy water calc for calcium, sulfate, chloride and magnesium.

 

[brewtas]

Oh wait, I knew there was a reason I came in here...

I've just started drinking an all galaxy ale with a big addition at 15 minutes.
It was 1044 and about 30 IBU and man alive is that sucker bitter.
It's borderline unpleasant with the bitterness but I'll soldier through.
It's not the first time this has happened either.

I'm kinda thinking that you probably need to limit your IBUs from galaxy, even late additions, to about 0.5 IBU/GU
Eg, for my latest beer, should have been 22IBU as it was all galaxy.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Bill. What was the FG? I wonder if a lower alcohol (and especially low FG) beer has more trouble handling the rougher bitterness?

 

[Not For Horses]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Bill. What was the FG? I wonder if a lower alcohol (and especially low FG) beer has more trouble handling the rougher bitterness?

1.008 on this one.

Could be the case. I guess I'll just have to brew some more to find out. Bugger

 

[brewtas]

Ah, that's interesting. I use the balance value formula rather than BU:GU ratio when I'm planning my brews because it takes the FG into account which radically alters how we perceive bitterness. When I punch your numbers into my spreadsheet it suggests that your beer is balanced a bit closer to an IPA than an APA so that might be part of the issue.

Obviously the Galaxy is enhancing the perception of bitterness on top of that. Like you said, more 'work' needs to be done.

 

[fletcher]

Ah, that's interesting. I use the balance value formula rather than BU:GU ratio when I'm planning my brews because it takes the FG into account which radically alters how we perceive bitterness. When I punch your numbers into my spreadsheet it suggests that your beer is balanced a bit closer to an IPA than an APA so that might be part of the issue.

Obviously the Galaxy is enhancing the perception of bitterness on top of that. Like you said, more 'work' needs to be done.

just had a quick read of that formula mate and like the look of it. do you have a template spreadsheet you could attach here in this thread? i'd be keen to use it and test some of mine. i could do it, but i'm at work and being very lazy