Single Hop Beers(info Thread)

[Mr Bond]

I have been tinkering with beers made with a single variety of hop on and off for a few years.
It allows me to get an idea of the true character of a hop so i can figure out if i like it,and where it might fit into a future style or beer i wish to make.
From reading various other threads I've noticed that there are quite a few other brewers who are doing the same or thinking of adopting this method.
My thoughts are that starting this thread would be a good opportunity for us to post some notes/results and share our collective knowledge for all to see.
With the ever increasing range of new hops becoming available it seems timely.
Being lucky enough to score a place in MAH's tassie halertau trial has been the catalyst for this idea.

I will be posting a review of my all palisade ale shortly as a starter, but if anyone wants to jump in first with a post go 4 it.

A simple format of grist, yeast and of course hopping regime with IBU's etc would be good. Followed by tasting and results.
If a beer is then shared with other forum members they could add to the the thread with their impressions of the hop.
To keep things on topic and to avoid clogging withcrap a forum member could then PM the author for more info or help, rather than endless questions and opinions based on guesswork.Without trying to sound too Nazi like I would hope to keep it to tried and tested info and not conjecture.

If for example you wanted info on a hop,just typing it into the search function should bring this thread up on the list page if that hop has been featured on it.

Cheers ,Dave

 

[warrenlw63]

Totatlly brilliant Dave... What a great idea! :beerbang: :beerbang:

Edit: I know T.D. has done a few hop varietal beers. He should be able to post some good stuff.

Warren -

 

[Mr Bond]

Palisade Ale

85% Weyerman Munich II
3% Carapils
5% Maize
7% Dextrose

Single infusion mash @ 66c(90 min).

Palisade(7.3 AA) to 35 IBU @ 60 min
1 gram/litre @15 min
1 gram/litre @5 min
1 gram/litre @0 min.

Tim Taylor LL yeast.

This was an experiment with M II as a base malt also.The maize and dex were added to counter what I thought may be a heavier body from the Munich.I was reading alot of guff on Brit ales at the time and borrowed the idea from the fullers london pride recipes.
The TT yeast is supposed to dry things out a bit as well.

Nice orange colour with a chill haze similar to what MO gives me.

Aroma is dominantly apricots with a faint undertone of citrus.
taste is of stone fruit and oranges.Vague cattiness that some US hops give me.
Finish is clean and crisp with a woody dryness.

This hop reminds me of Challenger in its flava and Northern brewer in its Bitterness and woody finish.
Not really a great hop for aroma,but I could see it fitting into a californian common/steam beer as a flava component that would compliment and add depth to NB.

 

[brendanos]

No longer do we each have to trial every single hop - viva la wiki!

 

[T.D.]

Yeah, of late I have been doing quite a few single hop beers. In fact on Sunday I am doing another one with none other than Tassie Hallertau!

My general recipe for trying new hops is as follows:

1.045-1.050 OG

80% Ale malt
15% Munich
5% Wheat

60min addition to around 28-30 IBUs
1g/L @ 20
1g/L @ 10
1g/L @ 5
1g/L @ flameout or dry hop


So far I have used this recipe, or very small variations of it, for Mt Hood, Aussie Cascade and Nelson Sauvin. And in the future I will be doing it for Tassie Hallertau, Aussie Cluster (may drop the 10min and flameout addition for this one), Hallertau Mittelfrueh and possibly NZ Willamette.

This grain bill is perfect for a sessional pale ale and is also clean enouigh to show off the characteristics of the hops properly. The Mt Hood version is probably one of the best beers I have brewed. It really did go down well. I am really keen to try the Hallertau Mittelfrueh plugs in the exact same quantities to see how it compares.

Its great fun to try all these different hop varieties, and it also helps to build experience of what hops do what to the final beer.

I know Duff has also played around with recipes very similar to this. I had the peasure of trying one of these beers he brewed with 100% Columbus. It was a top class drop!


Edit: I will put together some tasting notes etc when I get a chance over the next few days and post them...

 

[Mr Bond]

Its great fun to try all these different hop varieties, and it also helps to build experience of what hops do what to the final beer.


Edit: I will put together some tasting notes etc when I get a chance over the next few days and post them...

Couldn't agree more!

Input from brewers of your ilk is the main reason i started this thread.All this data is too good not to share.
Looking 4ward to your contributions.

 

[T.D.]

Below are some notes on some of the single hop beers I have done so far.

Mt Hood

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 16.25 L
Boil Size: 21.25 L
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated Color: 10.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 30.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
2.70 kg Joe White Traditional Ale (5.9 EBC) Grain 81.1 %
0.50 kg Joe White Munich, Light (17.7 EBC) Grain 15.0 %
0.13 kg Joe White Wheat Malt (3.5 EBC) Grain 3.9 %
30.00 gm Mt. Hood [3.70%] (60 min) Hops 18.4 IBU
17.00 gm Mt. Hood [3.70%] (20 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
17.00 gm Mt. Hood [3.70%] (10 min) Hops 3.8 IBU
17.00 gm Mt. Hood [3.70%] (5 min) Hops 2.1 IBU
19.00 gm Mt. Hood [3.70%] (0 min) -
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale


I was seriously blown away by this hop! It is closely related to hallertau, and is more or less the US equivalent. My interest in Mt Hood began when I was on a microbrewery tour in Canada and snuck a look at the brewsheet on one of the fermenters. The beer was a straw coloured pale ale that had a really nice hallertau hop character. I was totally expecting to see "hallertau" in the hop schedule but it was 100% Mt Hood! I had been keen to try and make a sessional pale ale with hallertau ever since tyrying Mountain Goat Pale Ale. This Mt Hood is a great hop for this style. The recipe above is hoppier than Mountain Goat Pale Ale but it has a very similar flavour. If you can grab a bottle of the Mountain Goat it will be a good example of the characteristics of Mt Hood (even though I believe it is brewed with hallertau).

 

[T.D.]

Ahtanum

The grain bills I have used for these single hop beers differs depending on the hop and the mood I'm in. In this case, since its an American hop I decided to go with a fairly stock standard APA grain bill.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 17.00 L
Boil Size: 22.73 L
Estimated OG: 1.040 SG
Estimated Color: 17.5 EBC
Estimated IBU: 38.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
2.90 kg Joe White Traditional Ale (5.9 EBC) Grain 94.5 %
0.17 kg Joe White Dark Crystal (216.7 EBC) Grain 5.5 %
12.00 gm Saaz (Belgian) [8.00%] (60 min) Hops 15.6 IBU
25.00 gm Ahtanum [5.70%] (20 min) Hops 14.0 IBU
25.00 gm Ahtanum [5.70%] (10 min) Hops 8.4 IBU
50.00 gm Ahtanum [5.70%] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep)Hops -
1 Pkgs Safale American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-56) Yeast-Ale


Unfortunately with this one I totally missed my target gravity and ended up with a BU:GU ratio getting close on 1:1. Not exactly the ideal outcome for a 1.040 OG beer! :angry:

Anyway, if nothing else this gave me a really clear idea of what AHtanum is like as a hop variety. All the stats say its basically a substitute for cascade. I think it would be a closer substitute for Chinook. Or possibly somewhere between Centennial and Chinook. It has quite a bite to it, and a fairly strong "pine needle" aroma and flavour. I found it a little harsh in this beer, but I would say this had much more to do with the OTT bitterness than the actual hop variety.

I think the main thing I found with this hop is that I don't think its a perfect substitute for cascade, and its nowhere near amarillo (which are the two varieties the specs compare it to). It is still very much that quintessential American citrus etc, but it has quite a bite to it, more like Chinook (but not as grapefruity) I reckon. I think it could be really nice if used in conjunction with cascade and amarillo in a big APA or AAA. It would probably also be a really good hop in an American IPA.


Edit: I know this beer isn't technically 100% Ahtanum but it is in terms of flavour/aroma hops...

 

[jimmyjack]

I did a single hop Nelson Sauvin which came out sensational
Taste was Passionfruit and grapes

3.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 56.3 %
1.00 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) (1.6 SRM) Grain 18.8 %
1.00 kg Wheat Malt, Malt Craft (Joe White) (1.8 SRM) Grain 18.8 %
0.33 kg Carared (Weyermann) (24.0 SRM) Grain 6.2 %
25.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [12.20%] (20 min) Hops 20.8 IBU
40.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [12.20%] (5 min) Hops 11.0 IBU
15.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [12.20%] (10 min) Hops 7.5 IBU
40.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [12.20%] (1 min) Hops 2.4 IBU
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 90.0 min) Misc
1.16 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale

Also just carbed up a single hopped Saaz B CAP which is the tastiest Lager I have ever brewed.
Taste is Lemons and Lime

4.00 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) (1.6 SRM) Grain 75.5 %
1.00 kg Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 18.9 %
0.30 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.7 %
30.00 gm B Saaz [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 19.6 IBU
30.00 gm B Saaz [7.00%] (10 min) Hops 7.1 IBU
30.00 gm B Saaz [7.00%] (3 min) Hops 2.4 IBU
1.00 tsp Koppafloc (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
22.00 L Rain water Water
1 Pkgs SafLager German Lager (DCL Yeast #S-189) Yeast-Lager

Cheers, JJ

 

[Jye]

Ahtanum

It has quite a bite to it, and a fairly strong "pine needle" aroma and flavour. I found it a little harsh in this beer, but I would say this had much more to do with the OTT bitterness than the actual hop variety.

Thanks for this review TD, I have mean meaning to try Ahtanum and dont mind the aroma of pine needles. This will definitely be the hop for my next blonde.

Somebody posted this link in another thread that I cant find now, 'Experimenting with Hops'. It could also be useful when trying to describe your single hop beers since it has a large list of descriptive terms.

 

[Stuster]

Well, I've done quite a few of these. Unfortunately, none have had the same recipe which kind of detracts from the experiment, but I've been very interested in seeing how one hop works at a time. My record keeping gets better through the time of these brews so there may be some missing info here and there.

BTW, liked the info on Ahtanum and Mt Hood, T.D. I've got both those hops in the freezer and have been wondering exactly what to do with them. :super:

Starting with a Glacier Pale Ale.

32L batch
OG 1050
EBC 12
IBUs 34

Traditional Ale Malt 6kg
150L Crystal Malt 260g
JW Wheat 640g

All glacier - 30g@60, 30, 15, FO
Pacific Ale Yeast WLP041

This was a great summer beer. Glacier is citrusy, perhaps lemony was the best description. But it's a very smooth hop and gave a balanced beer that was very light and refreshing.


Chinook Pale Ale

26L Batch
OG 1050
FG 1012
EBC 14
IBUs 43

2.3kg JW Trad Ale
2.3kg JW Export Pilsner
450g JW Munich
450g Powells Wheat
270g JW Crystal

All Chinook. 11g@30, 12g@25, 11g@20, 12g@15, 11g@10, 13g@5, 13g@0

California Ale V WLP051

A rather different beast to the Glacier PA, this one was all late hops, but had a strong, harsh hoppiness. I wasn't overly happy with this one, although others whose opinion I respect did like it. The hoppiness balance was much more to the bitterness, even though it was a hopburst, with not enough aroma. Chinook definitely packs some wallop. Definitely use with care.

More to come when I have some time.

 

[T.D.]

I have mean meaning to try Ahtanum and dont mind the aroma of pine needles. This will definitely be the hop for my next blonde.

Sounds good Jye, report back on how it goes. I wouldn't go too hard on the hopping though, maybe just 1g/L for flavour and 1g/L for aroma, or perhaps less than that even. I think this is definitely a hop that can be overdone.

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

Challenger

Balltearer IPA
India Pale Ale


Type: All Grain
Date: 20/06/2004
Batch Size: 21.00 L
Brewer: Mark Rasheed
Boil Size: 28.00 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: My Equipment

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.70 kg Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt (9.9 EBC) Grain 100.0 %
30.00 gm Challenger [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 29.5 IBU
20.00 gm Challenger [7.00%] (30 min) Hops 10.0 IBU
30.00 gm Challenger [7.00%] (15 min) Hops 7.9 IBU
20.00 gm Challenger [7.00%] (5 min) Hops 3.3 IBU
20.00 gm Challenger [7.00%] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Measured Original Gravity: 1.068 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 7.6 %
Bitterness: 50.6 IBU
Est Color: 17.4 EBC

This was a beer brewed sometime ago (almost 3 years) however it stands out in my memory as great single hop drop.
The aroma was unbelievably like marmalade and flavour was dominated by citrus fruit (not like the US C hops) more like oranges but with some real spicy flavours too.
I would like to brew it again now that this thread has come up and I have just picked up a bag of Maris Otter so it is on the list and I will report back when I have brewed it. I will probably try it with Wyeast 1028.

C&B
TDA

 

[mje1980]

On tuesday i will be brewing an all first gold bitter. After that i will be dumping an exact same grist on the slury, and doing an all hallertau ( german ) bitter. I love the crisp smoothness of hallertau, and i've got 400g, so it i better use it up!. Good topic !

 

[johnno]

I like to make a beer with one hop variety to try and get a good idea of what to expect from the hop.

I currently have an all Aussie cascade apa in primary, wil rack to secondary today if it is ready and hopefully bottle next weekend.

One thing I did notice making this last weekend was that the Aussie cascade did not seem as aromatic or as strong in flavour as the US cascade.

cheers
johnno

 

[Mr Bond]

Cool, Looking 4 ward to seeing your sensory notes in the future.Glad to see this thread being embraced ,should be a good reference .

 

[T.D.]

I bottled an Aussie Cascade APA this morning actually. I agree with Johnno that it doesn't seem to have as much of that intense American aroma as the US stuff, but it does seem to have a bit of spicy citrus there which is good. I have posted my recipe below, I'll post some comments when its carbed up and ready to drink. This was another one where I missed my efficiency estimate and got a very high BU:GU ratio. I really need to get some more consistency in my extract efficiency. Gave the mill a good going over the other day so hopefully it will be ok from now on.


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 24.00 L
Boil Size: 30.01 L
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 16.6 EBC
Estimated IBU: 39.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.20 kg Joe White Traditional Ale (5.9 EBC) Grain 94.9 %
0.28 kg Joe White Crystal (141.8 EBC) Grain 5.1 %
20.00 gm Pride of Ringwood [10.00%] (60 min) Hops 22.0 IBU
25.00 gm Cascade (Aussie) [5.50%] (20 min) Hops 9.2 IBU
25.00 gm Cascade (Aussie) [5.50%] (10 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
25.00 gm Cascade (Aussie) [5.50%] (5 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
25.00 gm Cascade (Aussie) [5.50%] (Dry Hop) Hops -
1 Pkgs Safale American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-56) Yeast-Ale

 

[johnno]

5.00 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.9 EBC) Grain 83.3 %
1.00 kg Wheat Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.0 EBC) Grain 16.7 %
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (60 min) Hops 14.2 IBU
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (45 min) Hops 13.0 IBU
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (30 min) Hops 10.9 IBU
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (15 min) Hops 7.1 IBU
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (5 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Thames Valley Ale (Wyeast Labs #1275) Yeast-Ale



Hi T.D.

There is my recipe. I must say that this version of the cascade is not very good. I did not even get any strong citrus flavour in the tasting.

They have a lng way to go before they are anywhere near the US cascade.

cheers
johnno

 

[tangent]

helped a mate brew this the other day:

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
German Pilsner Malt 4.40 kg 96.7 % In Mash/Steeped
German Melanoidin Malt 0.15 kg 3.3 % In Mash/Steeped


Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
NZ Sticklebract 12.0 16 g Pelletized Hops All Of Boil
NZ Sticklebract 12.0 5 g Pelletized Hops 5 Min From End

quite surprised how good the old Sticklebract smells as the pellets hit the wort.

 

[lucas]

this is apparently a wiki topic discussion, but I'm unable to find the corresponding wiki page. anyone know where it went?