Dale1525229614 Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 Hi there, I recently bought the Coopers Recipe of the Month ESVA '16 which is bubbling away as i type. Looking around the site i found tasting notes for the commercial version and noticed they mentioned it includes 5 varieties of hops of which only 2 of these are used in the home brew version plus1 different one! The commercial variety uses Astra, Melba, Northern Brewer, Styrian Goldings & Cascade while the home brew version uses Northern Brewer, Melba & Topaz. Just wondering if anyone can tell me why this would be so? Thanks in anticipation Cheers Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 We couldn't get sufficient supply of Astra, due to them being pre-sold to other brewers. So I went for a hop that would work okay as a substitute - Topaz (love this hop). The DIY Beer version is massively hop forward compared to the commercial brew. I formulate it in this way to give even greater longevity. I don't bother with the Styrian Golding and Cascade additions because they simply get swamped by the huge hop hit of the other three varieties. If you can, do a side-by-side tasting of your own ESVA '16 version against the commercial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 If you can' date=' do a side-by-side tasting of your own ESVA '16 version against the commercial. [img']wink[/img] You can bet your arse I'll be doing this and videoing the results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale1525229614 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 Thanks PB2, much appreciated. Looking forward to tasting this one over an extended period and i have a request in for fathers day for some of the commercial brew. Thanks again Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Sox Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I've actually just added the dry hop tonight and I got to tell you it smells bloody good. I'm really looking forward to bottling and tasting in a couple of weeks. If you had to get 6-8 variety of hops that you can utilise for all of your home brews what would it be? I'm a novice. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Depends on what you want to make, really. I currently have Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Czech Saaz, East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and a couple of others in my freezer, with plans to try out some new varieties (for me) over the coming months. These allow me to brew my 3 favourite styles of APA, ESB and Czech pilsner regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Sox Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Sorry I should have been clearer, I like ales more than lagers now days. The ESVA is the first time I've added hops to a brew. I'd like add them to my brews now but I don't know which ones to buy. I don't want to buy something that I'm only going to use once. Any recommendations? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrie Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Sorry I should have been clearer' date=' I like ales more than lagers now days. The ESVA is the first time I've added hops to a brew. I'd like add them to my brews now but I don't know which ones to buy. I don't want to buy something that I'm only going to use once. Any recommendations? Cheers [/quote'] For American Pale Ales for me Cascade is a must but also use Citra, Amarillo, Galaxy and Mosiac. Galaxy is an Aussie hop and I regard it as a super hop so don't use too much as it can be dominating but in the right combination really nice. Also others that Otto mentioned Centennial and Chinook I believe are great in APAs. For English Pale Ales I like East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Styrian Goldings. Willamette is also another good one I believe. This is just what I have used but many other brewers here may have other favourites also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie49 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Red Sox, As with beauty, taste is also very individual. And, with the vast array of hops on offer, and ways/times to use them, your question is impossible to answer. You will have try different combinations and see what suits. I myself took advantage of woollies recent sales of coopers OS kits, and bought a number of Real Ales (as I quite like that as a base),, and, in my craft FV, made a series of brews using different hops (same amounts, same timings), to see the difference, after having purchased a bunch of different hops. The result? I like them all! Surprise, surprise! The hops I tried - falconersflight, Galaxy, Goldings, Waimea, Motueka, cascade, vic secret, Citra. Personally I preferred the Falconersflight and the vic secret, but I now have at least an idea how I will mix and match these in the future, when I intend to make a heap of IPAs! Hope this helps Cookie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawntroppo Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 For a Fathers Day treat I am going to open my last stubbie of the commercial 2015 ESVA and do a taste test with a long neck of my 2015 ROTM ESVA, been in the bottle 11 months. I am sure they will both be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Sox Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Thanks for your help guys, much appreciated. I bottled my ESVA and, I can tell you that it's the best smelling beer that I have come across in my life. Now I know what a difference hops can have on a brew.......simply amazing. I'm so glad I bought this kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale1525229614 Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 I bottled my ESVA tonight and see on the commercial version that the flavour will develop over a period of 5 years. Will the home brew still be developing in 5 years if stored appropriately or should i drink it before then? I only put 1 carbonation drop into a dozen long necks with the idea of drinking them over an extended period but how long would be to long?? Thanks Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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