Ray03 Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 Hey brewers! I’m after some hopping suggestions! I’m making my first brew (finally It’s been a bit of a process), with the pictured cans, which were recommended by the local home brew shop. Has anyone worked with the same cans that could recommend hops to boost it? I quite like the stone and wood style beers, and the Squires hop thief. I’ve managed to keep my fermentation temp between 18-23.. the cans recommended 22-27 but I was told it needed to be a little cooler for an ale. Also how often should I be taking a hydrometer reading? Thank you all in advance! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 Given you're fermenting already, you're wanting to dry hop? I don't know the SW hops, other will. But for pales in general, there are many options, Cascade, Simcoe, Amarillo, Mosaic... the list is quite extensive. Have a search for hops for pales on the net, find one that has a flavour prfile you're after, and try that. Combos work well too. For my tastes, I usually throw in 50g. For a 'big' hop like Mosaic, I wouldn't do any more. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 Yeah dry hopping. Sweet, might look at some cascade maybe or mosaic At about day four is usually the standard is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 (edited) Yes, when the most active part of the ferment is over. Day 4 would do it, or by the hydrometer, when it's on the low teens. I only take about 4 readings. So OG, then 4 days later if I'm going to add a dry hop, then a few days later, and a final to confirm it's stabilised. An ale ferment will only take about 5 days or so, but always good to leave it a bit longer. I usually bottle at day 9 or 10, some will leave their beer for 2 weeks. I always bump up the temp a few degrees at day 5, to ensure the yeast finishes. 18-23 should be fine if you've no temp control available (old fridge and external controller). A stable temp is better, but hard to do when brewing ambient. It'll work, you'll still get a good beer. Edited June 9, 2020 by Lab Cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosta2020 Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 Hey guys. I have just bottled my first brew with hops - following the Lightning Strike Summer Ale recipe. What age do you think would be optimal to drink this beer. Before starting to use extra hops, I was working off the assumption that the longer I leave the beer conditioning in botttle, the better it would taste... Cheers Rosta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 2 hours ago, rosta2020 said: Before starting to use extra hops, I was working off the assumption that the longer I leave the beer conditioning in botttle, the better it would taste... Not always. Pales are past their best after about 2 months, as the hops fade. If you've overhopped as I've done once or twice, then they'll be better drinkers then. Dark beers will usually improve over time. Lagers need time to condition properly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 6 hours ago, Lab Cat said: Yes, when the most active part of the ferment is over. Day 4 would do it, or by the hydrometer, when it's on the low teens. I only take about 4 readings. So OG, then 4 days later if I'm going to add a dry hop, then a few days later, and a final to confirm it's stabilised. An ale ferment will only take about 5 days or so, but always good to leave it a bit longer. I usually bottle at day 9 or 10, some will leave their beer for 2 weeks. I always bump up the temp a few degrees at day 5, to ensure the yeast finishes. 18-23 should be fine if you've no temp control available (old fridge and external controller). A stable temp is better, but hard to do when brewing ambient. It'll work, you'll still get a good beer. Legend! Thank you. Cool so I put it down on Sunday morning, I’ll take reading on Thursday then pop in some hops and see how I go! Appreciate your advice! Yeah as it’s my first brew just giving it a crack without temp control but where I’ve got it set up in the laundry seems to be “fairly” stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ray03 said: Legend! Thank you. Cool so I put it down on Sunday morning, I’ll take reading on Thursday then pop in some hops and see how I go! Appreciate your advice! Yeah as it’s my first brew just giving it a crack without temp control but where I’ve got it set up in the laundry seems to be “fairly” stable. I brewed in the laundry ambient for the first few months. It'll work, but results can be inconsistent when you do more beers and the weather changes. In the hottest and coldest months it can be a real pain babysitting it. That's why like many here, I got an old fridge Edited June 9, 2020 by Lab Cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 10, 2020 Author Share Posted June 10, 2020 Cool so I got 2x cascade and 2x centennial hop packs (48g total) which is meant to be similar to the hop thief recipe. Should I put them all in at the same time? After I take a reading on day 4 (tomorrow)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 Yes, you can throw them in together. Depending on your tastes, you may find 50g too much. Centennial is quite a 'big' hop, having a high AA rating, which means more flavour, so up to you whether you dial back the hop addition for a first run. That said, I've dry hopped 100g a couple of times. Won't do it again as it costs too much, so I usually short boil a bit and dry hop a bit more, to try and get max value Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 10, 2020 Author Share Posted June 10, 2020 Hmm.. yeah good call.. maybe I’ll go for a pack of cascade and pack of centennial Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 Not a bad idea, you can always big up next time. Personal tastes are impossible to help with. Be interested in how it turns out, not used any of Morgans stuff before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 10, 2020 Author Share Posted June 10, 2020 Cool I’ll let ya know! Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boozadog Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 Watched a YouTube video ,where bloke adds 100g dry hopping of cascade to his stout the other day and weeks after bottling he's like woohoo wooo says maybe 50g next time I just did a pale ale dry hopped with about 30g of cascade I'm still waiting for my bottles to mature but from warm taste test it had a little kick without overpowering the beer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 18 hours ago, Boozadog said: Watched a YouTube video ,where bloke adds 100g dry hopping of cascade to his stout the other day and weeks after bottling he's like woohoo wooo says maybe 50g next time I just did a pale ale dry hopped with about 30g of cascade I'm still waiting for my bottles to mature but from warm taste test it had a little kick without overpowering the beer Nice! Let us know! I went for just the 12g of each the cascade and centennial this time. Love me some hops so I’ll adjust my next brew if it’s not quite up there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 On 6/9/2020 at 6:06 PM, Ray03 said: Legend! Thank you. Cool so I put it down on Sunday morning, I’ll take reading on Thursday then pop in some hops and see how I go! Appreciate your advice! Yeah as it’s my first brew just giving it a crack without temp control but where I’ve got it set up in the laundry seems to be “fairly” stable. 20 hours ago, Lab Cat said: Not a bad idea, you can always big up next time. Personal tastes are impossible to help with. Be interested in how it turns out, not used any of Morgans stuff before. So I took my first reading this morning and it was 13 (low teens like you mentioned) so I think I maight actually be doing something right Hops are in so I’ll see we I end up! Any recommendation on when I should take my next reading? Around day 7-8 if it’s usually done in about 9 days? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Give the hops 2 days then take a reading, it should be done by then. I think it will bottom out at 1010 or 1011. Then take another the next day to see if its stayed the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 (edited) 22 hours ago, Lab Cat said: Yes, you can throw them in together. Depending on your tastes, you may find 50g too much. Centennial is quite a 'big' hop, having a high AA rating, which means more flavour, so up to you whether you dial back the hop addition for a first run. That said, I've dry hopped 100g a couple of times. Won't do it again as it costs too much, so I usually short boil a bit and dry hop a bit more, to try and get max value Isn’t AA rating alpha acid ?which relates to bitterness rating in the boil rather than flavour/aroma in whirlpool/dry hopping? I would just hate for someone to buy a bag of magnum for dry hopping for instance Galaxy is the hop for stone and wood pacific ale and I think summer which is hard to get where I am sometimes Edited June 11, 2020 by RDT2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 FYI, if the S&W Pacific Ale is what you like or are trying to replicate, you will want to use some wheat malt (around 50/50 or 60/40 pale to wheat). It also uses Galaxy hops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 16 minutes ago, RDT2 said: Isn’t AA rating alpha acid ?which relates to bitterness rating in the boil rather than flavour/aroma in whirlpool/dry hopping? Yes, the AA rating tells you how 'big' a hop it is. I dry hopped 50g Mosaic in my last pale. Still too much for me, so the AA translates to dry hop too. This was after steeping 20g of it in a previous beer, which was also way too much, no dry hop. So you probably do extract more with short boils and steeps Maybe I should try some Magnum? I'll ask Beerlust what he does with his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 17 minutes ago, RDT2 said: Isn’t AA rating alpha acid ?which relates to bitterness rating in the boil rather than flavour/aroma in whirlpool/dry hopping? I would just hate for someone to buy a bag of magnum for dry hopping for instance Alpha Acids can also relate to flavour or aroma. Only "isomerized" alpha acids are bitter. To become isomerized they must first be added to isomerization temps (usually above 80C or so). If they aren't isomerized then they add to the flavour/aroma of the beer. There are other factors too, but that is how the AA side of things works with hops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray03 Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 41 minutes ago, MitchellScott said: FYI, if the S&W Pacific Ale is what you like or are trying to replicate, you will want to use some wheat malt (around 50/50 or 60/40 pale to wheat). It also uses Galaxy hops. Not necessarily that particular drop, but yeah I do enjoy that and if I can brew something along those lines I’d be stoked! Thanks for the tip mate, I’ll definitely give that a go next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 1 hour ago, MitchellScott said: Alpha Acids can also relate to flavour or aroma. Only "isomerized" alpha acids are bitter. To become isomerized they must first be added to isomerization temps (usually above 80C or so). If they aren't isomerized then they add to the flavour/aroma of the beer. There are other factors too, but that is how the AA side of things works with hops. No worries will need to do more reading then 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 10 hours ago, MitchellScott said: Alpha Acids can also relate to flavour or aroma. Only "isomerized" alpha acids are bitter. To become isomerized they must first be added to isomerization temps (usually above 80C or so). If they aren't isomerized then they add to the flavour/aroma of the beer. There are other factors too, but that is how the AA side of things works with hops. I understand how isomerization works with hops above 80 degrees and boil length etc depending on Alpha acid level. But how does it determine flavour/aroma say for instance magnum high alpha acid not much flavour or say mosaic roughly same alpha lots of flavour aroma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Percentage of Alpha Acid relates more toward a hops bittering strength. Higher alpha level equates to a lower weight requirement to bitter a beer to a specific IBU. Flavour & aroma qualities of hops are measured differently. Those qualities come from certain chemical levels in the essential oils such as Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Humulene, within the hop makeup. The alpha acid level of a hop will tell you nothing on whether the hop is particularly aromatic or not. 21 hours ago, Lab Cat said: ...Maybe I should try some Magnum? I'll ask Beerlust what he does with his. If I ever had Magnum hops in my hand (& that is a BIG IF), I'd be looking for the nearest bin. Cheers & good brewing, Lusty. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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