Making the most of Galaxy

[brewtas]

I always have a look at these numbers whenever I'm making a recipe. I find it gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of balance and sweetness. The style guidelines info is just a another reference point based on the averages of each style range. It's helpful to use it until you get an idea of what a balance value of 1.5 actually tastes like.

You can use the drop down box to select a style and then fill in the yellow highlighted boxes, it'll tell you how many IBUs you should shoot for given your target OG, balance value and attenuation.

My spreadsheet is built using the info from the BJCP 2008 style guidelines and a few styles from the AABC guidelines.

I'll add this disclaimer: making this totally maxed out my excel skills so I apologise that it's not clearer/arranged better/nicer to look at. If anyone has the ability and inclination to turn it into something better, please feel free.

View attachment BV & RTE.xlsx

 

[fletcher]

I always have a look at these numbers whenever I'm making a recipe. I find it gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of balance and sweetness. The style guidelines info is just a another reference point based on the averages of each style range. It's helpful to use it until you get an idea of what a balance value of 1.5 actually tastes like.

You can use the drop down box to select a style and then fill in the yellow highlighted boxes, it'll tell you how many IBUs you should shoot for given your target OG, balance value and attenuation.

My spreadsheet is built using the info from the BJCP 2008 style guidelines and a few styles from the AABC guidelines.

I'll add this disclaimer: making this totally maxed out my excel skills so I apologise that it's not clearer/arranged better/nicer to look at. If anyone has the ability and inclination to turn it into something better, please feel free.

mate, legend. never apologise for stuff like that. i calculate my beers with stone blocks and sticks as counters i'm so backwards with technology. thanks heaps.

 

[brewtas]

No worries, it's good to share. I traded my blocks and sticks in for an abacus.

 

[Dips Me Lid]

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.

What kind of yeast strain did you use and what was your pitching rates?

On a lot of Brewing Network shows they talk a lot about the affects of different yeast strains on perceived bitterness and suggest that certain yeast's may scrub out more bitterness units/compounds than others.

I wonder if yeast selection may have played a part? From my own beers I've made at a similar OG, I've always been higher than 30 IBUs on my calculations (Beersmith 2, I assume Tinseth is the main formula used) and had no problems with excessive bitterness, if anything I've thought they were lacking in bitterness, but I guess everyone's overall hop utilization is different for each system.

You said that your sulphate/chloride ratio was balanced, so I guess that would eliminate that factor as a cause of excessive bitterness.

 

[Not For Horses]

1272 with about 50-60ml of compact washed yeast in 8.5L.
I haven't used 1272 enough to comment on how it affects bitterness.

 

[Yob]

On a lot of Brewing Network shows they talk a lot about the affects of different yeast strains on perceived bitterness and suggest that certain yeast's may scrub out more bitterness units/compounds than others.

Absolutely, pitch rate is also a factor, have you ever tasted yeast slurry at the end of a ferment? they seem to absorb quite a bit of bitterness.

 

[Not For Horses]

Does the yeast strain make a big difference though yob?

 

[Yob]

to a degree I guess so, though exactly how much is a little hard to get a gauge on as I rarely brew the same beer twice, you'd really need to do a side by side, same wort, different yeast, same yeast different pitch rates etc. my guess is minimal but peoples taste perceptions are vastly different, what is imperceptible to me may be pronounced to someone else... would be more important to lighter styles of beer I guess.. when using hops like Galaxy, scrubbing a bit of bitterness isnt really a bad thing IMO

As with most things home brewing, we seem to do trial and error really well with small changes (making vast differences) made to suit our own tastes over time.

 

[Dips Me Lid]

1272 with about 50-60ml of compact washed yeast in 8.5L.
I haven't used 1272 enough to comment on how it affects bitterness.

I haven't used that strain myself so I couldn't comment either, but that pitching rate seems right for that size batch, so I guess that might eliminate that factor.

If the yeast you used was a washed re-pitch perhaps it's characteristics may changed after a generation or two?

 

[Dips Me Lid]

Absolutely, pitch rate is also a factor, have you ever tasted yeast slurry at the end of a ferment? they seem to absorb quite a bit of bitterness.

Yeah I tried a sample from an IPA I did, it was really bitter, pretty tasty though!

 

[gaijin]

I thought I would add my 2 cents into how my Galaxy additions have turned out...

Just tasted my Stone and Wood Pacific Ale clone after just over a week in the bottle and IMO, it's bloody good. In saying that, I tasted it after brewing and just before it finished the ferment and it was as bitter as Gillard after the Labour leadership coup. Surprisingly, a bit of bottle conditioning has knocked the bitter edge off and it is now pleasantly bitter, but I think a bit more than the 25IBU that it was meant to be (30-35). I think that's probably because my chilling coil sprung a leak and with all my screwing around fixing it, the boil probably stayed hot for an extra 10-15mins (adding to the bitterness).

In a 46L batch (58 initial boil), my additions were:
Hops Weight Time IBU
Waimea 18 60 11.3
Galaxy 20 20 6.5
Galaxy 20 10 3.9
Galaxy 40 0 4.2
Galaxy 20 dry 7day addition

I've picked up a really distinct pawpaw aroma in the glass, with intense tropical flavours. I got a message from a mates' SWMBO who thought it was "out of this world good". She's been drinking Henningers for the last 6 months, so anything with some flavour was always going to taste pretty good

 

[Not For Horses]

have you ever tasted yeast slurry at the end of a ferment? they seem to absorb quite a bit of bitterness.

Just did this after bottling a brew tonight. Took a spoonful just to be sure.
Sweet holy jesus bitter is an understatement. I think it broke my face.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Sweet holy jesus bitter is an understatement. I think it broke my face.[/quote]

Hahahaha, that's hilarious.

 

[professional_drunk]

I did an APA with galaxy all the way through. Bitterness is harsh. I'm sure it will mellow out a bit more with age. Galaxy is a strange flavour for me. If I were to describe it, it would be subdued citrus peach with sweaty feet. In future I think I'll restrict it's usage and have it complement another hop.

 

[BlueMutt]

The last few Pales I have put down with Galaxy have had Cascade for bittering and Galaxy in for the hop stand.
Some of the hop stands have been straight Galaxy and some as a combination of Galaxy, Cascade and or Citra.
Galaxy is just different early.

 

[RJB510]

Hi guy's,
I have been doing some reading on the grassiness of hops and and dry hopping. Good reading on this site here: http://www.mrmalty.com/late_hopping.php
Now through reading this it seems it has some pretty good info on dry hopping and late additions which make sense.

My question regarding the galaxy is, I've already got my beer fermenting and IBU's are at about 24, which I would like to keep close to. Should I dry hop for a couple of days then remove? Or should I risk taking some water or some of the brew (i'm willing to sacrifice some alcohol etc) and boil it to sterilise, then add 25gm or so of Galaxy and let it steep until cool (like a hop tea someone was talking about) which should hopefully remove that "grassy" taste and pitch after krausen?

Cheers

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

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:

Hey mate did you manage to brew the two different batches?

 

[brewtas]

Not yet unfortunately. Normally I just brew whatever I'm interested in but I'm trying to stick to a plan this year so the next slot I've got open is in June. I'm itching to try it out though!

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Well referring back my my OP in this thread, im brewing that chestnut pilsner for the july case swap. Going to leave the grist the same and get rid of the 60min addition, do 2 g/L at 0min and the same cube hopped (cube once convections have slowed and whirlpool), then a hefty dry hop once i cold crash in a hop bag so I can remove it after 2 days for bottling, then lagering in the bottles.

Will get feedback from everyone at the case swap as well as my own comparison to the first use of galaxy and report back here, so should be around same time as your own test