Red Earth hops

[Bellyup]

Guys,
I'd like your advice. I have just put a Samuel Adams Boston Lager into my F.V. Done in the Grainfather:
5.6 k pale
.25 k light crystal
75 min. mash
60 min. boil
20g. Magnum@ 60
13g Tett.@ 15
13gTett.@5
Nottingham yeast ( yeah, I know)
Now the recipe says 17g Tett. @7 days dry hopped.

My mate has given me a shipload of frozen, vacuumed Red Earth hops that he has grown as well as some cuttings that I've started on the chook fence ( he doesn't brew). I have never used or tasted RE hops. I have never used hop cones before.
Red Earth hops are Aust.and described as " spicy, earthy with citrus underneath" -'sounds like it would work with the Tett hops/ lager combo.
How much and when to add?
How long do you leave in the f.v.?
Any and all advice appreciated.
Bruce.

 

[MHB]

Never heard of Red Earth Hop, just read the very sparse amount of information available, looks like its recommended for Californian Common, APA and IAPA,
Sam Adams Boston Lager uses Hallertau Mittlefruh as its finishing hop.
They might have another hop for bittering, Hallertau Magnum would be a good choice, as would German grown Northern Brewer, strangely enough not the American versions of either hop.
Nothing against Tettnang (its a personal favourite) and it would taste good in a Lager, just not what the brewer uses if you are trying "clone" the beer.
Mark

 

[manticle]

Actually SA website mentions both hall mit and tett (no info on what stage of brewing though).

Can't help with RE as I've never used it but depending on how close you want to be with your homage beer, I'd agree with Mark in principle - use the closest thing you can find, if not the real thing. Hop descriptors like spicy, earthy, citrus are pretty generic.

If you just want a nice beer that reminds you a bit of a commercial example then widen the boundaries.

 

[MHB]

I had a chat with a SA brewer, given the chance it was one of the questions I asked - at that time they had a standing order for all the hall-mitt they could find, anywhere on the planet
Quite possible that they have made some changes as Mitt is getting harder to get and more and more expensive. Tet wouldn't be a bad sub.
Mark

 

[Bellyup]

Mark, you are right, it is Hallertau.... must have Tettnanger on the brain. I did use Hallertau.
Ok maybe I should stick with the recipe.
Can anyone point me in the direction for using hop cones for my next brew?
Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Finally found it. In (Hop Descriptions) sub heading under the Hops forum.
This is the longest thread on the Red Earth hops.https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/red-earth.70658/
I made a Red Ale with them was pretty good although I was pretty cautious using for the first time and never had a lot to experiment with for other styles etc.
They're probably best in darker maltier type beers but I've only brewed with them the once.

 

[MHB]

I do like Tettnang, interesting that it is genetically identical to Saaz, any difference is down to terroir (to borrow a wine making term).
With the Red Earth, I would just make a simple not totally OTT Pale Ale, preferably one you know well (for me it would be SNPA or Little Creatures), use about 10% more whole flowers than you would pellets, all things being equal you are going to get a good beer, and will have a very good idea of how the hop is going to preform - from there it's just a matter of how brave you are feeling...
Mark

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I figure the Red Earth flowers at about 6% Alpa Acid.

 

[MHB]

Went looking for a bit more information, little on Red Earth, but... isn't there always a but in brewing, found this PDF from NSW DPI - well worth a look at!

Hops a guide for new growers
Saved the PDF, but too big to upload on AHB

Mark

 

[Bellyup]

Ok, next beer will be my stand-by Sierra Nevada PA, (normally I swap out the Cascade for Citra) I'll keep the std. bittering hop and replace the flavour and aroma with Red Earth hop.
So rule of thumb is 10% more if using hop cones?
Thanks Danscraft - I'll go with your 6% Alpha.
Bruce.

 

[MHB]

What most people call hop plugs are technical called a T-100 pellet (whole hop flowers pressed into a plug), most pellets are called T-90 which means they have taken out 10% of the less useful hop matter, leaves, snails, bits of string, bird poo...
For bittering the alpha in pellets is also more available because the hop flower is ground, the yield on pellets is probably about 13-15% higher than the flowers they are made from.
There are other types of hop pellets called T-45 where even more of the vegetative matter is removed and these new Lupin pellets and powders where the flowers are frozen in liquid nitrogen so the lupin granules aren't sticky, followed by more concentration.
So yep for taste and aroma about 10% more flowers than pellets of the same alpha, for bittering I use 15% more, but there is an element of guess work involved if you don't have a lab report on the hops.
Mark

 

[Bellyup]

OK, I have had the Sierra Nevada p.a. in the fermenter for 7 days now.
I used Red Earth hops for the flavour and aroma component of the brew.
Had my first taste yesterday as I measured the gravity - Apricot was my first impression.
The gravity was still around 1.030 so a little hard to gauge how the final product will taste.... I'll let you know in a couple of weeks.

 

[rydoba]

I got this info about them from the fella I got my rhizomes off

RED EARTH


Name is derived from the red hues of cones in their early stage of development, (just out of burr stage) and a brewers flavour description of ‘earthy and woody’.


The Red Earth was trialled by Birbeck’s Brewing Company over two seasons, The owner said on last years trial:


"I really like the Red, it proved to be an exceptional hop in the beer I brewed with it last year and has again come to the fore with the Alt this year. I really didn't know if it would work with the Alt but it has and it is simply divine. The taste is amazing, one of the best hops I've tasted. It has some lovely flavour and a nice woodiness that works with so many beers. The bitterness isn't harsh so it will work well to bitter and the flavour and aroma is fantastic.

I've used it in an Alt and a California common. the cal common (last year's effort) I think was the better beer. That would also put it in good stead for an American Pale Ale I think with a little help from some Cascade or something.
It has an earthy woody character, over the top of a light citrus. Its a great blend of a number of hop characters. There is a great woody spicy aroma which does come though in the flavour. Like a blend of the best of the Euro/UK hops with some subtle new world character underneath. I recall the aroma is great with that spice, woody and light fruit, such an interesting blend. It would be great to do a Red Earth brew commercially."