Wye Valley HPA

Sandimas · Jun 15, 2024

I've been tweaking this recipe since visiting the brewery some years ago, think I've finally got close so happy to share. Target can be a bit harsh as a bittering hop so I've lowered the IBU each time I've brewed it, and it's tasted better & better. Note my 67% efficiency (BIAB), you will want to adjust this to what you get with your setup & ingredients, likewise with the hops: put in the AA of the ones you have and adjust to hit 26IBU.

A nice easy-drinking summer ale.

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 23.0
Original Gravity (OG): 1.042
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.02 %
Colour (SRM): 2.8
Bitterness (IBU): 26.3
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 67

Grain Bill
----------------
4.200 kg Maris Otter - Extra Pale (91.3%)
0.400 kg Wheat Malt (8.7%)

Hop Bill
----------------
23.0 g Target Leaf (8.8% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (1 g/L)
19.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil) (0.8 g/L)
19.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.8 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------
1.9 g Irish Moss @ 10 Minutes (Boil)

Fermented at 20°C with CML Ale Yeast

An Ankoù · Jun 15, 2024

That's interesting.
I've got a recipe I make frequently with exactly that grain bill. I can't remember what the original hops were, but I've hopped with quite a few changes since the original. I've never heard of or tasted Harper Valley PTA so it cant be that. It makes a lovely, light, easy drinking beer, though.
I was thinking of using that grain bill for an interpretation of Stone and Wood Pacific Ale, hopped with all Galaxy.

Sandimas · Jun 15, 2024

An Ankoù said:
I was thinking of using that grain bill for an interpretation of Stone and Wood Pacific Ale, hopped with all Galaxy.

That's a good idea, I might do the same: a Galaxy pale ale is next on my list to brew.

An Ankoù · Jun 15, 2024

Galaxy makes for a coarse bitterness. I haven't made up my mind whether to bitter with Magnum or chuck in the Galaxy bittering charge just for 30 mins.
I think I've got some of an old batch left. Best have a taste first.

tigertim · Jun 15, 2024

Thanks for sharing this recipe. HPA is a go-to for me when back around Kidde so will be great to have a reliable interpretation on tap at home. Now added high up on my “to brew” list!

tigertim · Jun 15, 2024

Out of interest, what’s the CML Ale Yeast similar to? I’ve got S-04 and Nottingham in the fridge so wondering if those are close?

Sandimas · Jun 16, 2024

I only used CML Ale because that's all I had left, S-04 or Nottingham will be fine.

An Ankoù · Jun 16, 2024

Sandimas said:
That's a good idea, I might do the same: a Galaxy pale ale is next on my list to brew.

Now I remember why the grain bill looks familiar, it's Bishop's Farewell from Oakham brewery: 92% MOLO and 8% wheat malt. Bittered with challenger and finished with loads of cascade. My favourite beer of all time (apart from the other all-time favourites, that is.)
Target and Styrians looks a great combination, I can almost taste it now. Definitely going to make some.

RichardM · Jun 16, 2024

An Ankoù said:
Now I remember why the grain bill looks familiar, it's Bishop's Farewell from Oakham brewery: 92% MOLO and 8% wheat malt. Bittered with challenger and finished with loads of cascade. My favourite beer of all time (apart from the other all-time favourites, that is.)
Target and Styrians looks a great combination, I can almost taste it now. Definitely going to make some.

A quick search found this https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15563.
It's gone on my list of beers to brew next. It's a very long list, I don't when I'll get through it.
Butty Bach is on it as well, I prefer that to HPA

An Ankoù · Jun 16, 2024

RichardM said:
A quick search found this https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15563.
It's gone on my list of beers to brew next. It's a very long list, I don't when I'll get through it.
Butty Bach is on it as well, I prefer that to HPA

I've ever tasted of Butty Bach, but I keep hearing about it. Now doubt I shall have to pay a visit to the Wye Valley, wherever it may be. Ah, a quick googling tells me it's near the Forest of Dean. Does anyone remember Freeminer beers?
Excuse my ignorance, no offence intended and it looks like a district I'd really like to visit. There's something about the Forest of Dean than resonates with the alleged "magical" properties of Broceliande. Probably just my imagination.

Edit.
Typo corrected. Never tasted

RichardM · Jun 16, 2024

An Ankoù said:
I've ever heard of Butty Bach, but I keep hearing about it. Now doubt I shall have to pay a visit to the Wye Valley, wherever it may be. Ah, a quick googling tells me it's near the Forest of Dean. Does anyone remember Freeminer beers?
Excuse my ignorance, no offence intended and it looks like a district I'd really like to visit. There's something about the Forest of Dean than resonates with the alleged "magical" properties of Broceliande. Probably just my imagination.

The Forest of Dean isn't the Wye Valley but is worth visiting. Search for Tintern Abbey to see the Wye Valley.
The brewery is further north, past Hereford

Sandimas · Jun 16, 2024

An Ankoù said:
Does anyone remember Freeminer beers?

Yes, I remember Freeminer, used to serve it in some Forest of Dean pubs I frequented, they also did bottle-conditioned brews for Co Op. A shame when the brewery closed.

The Forest of Dean is huge north to south, I technically live in the FoD district even though I'm close to Malvern, although not "real Forest" according to my southern buddies. Wye Valley beers are in all the pubs around here so Butty Bach is a regular for me, I also prefer it to HPA but just fancied a change brewing it this time. I often make a clone of Butty as well, available on this thread https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/butty-bach-esb.90042/

starseeker · Jun 16, 2024

I have recently brewed this Butty Bach clone ,using WHC Old English yeast ,and it is delicious ,

Cwrw666 · Jun 16, 2024

Used to drink Butty Bach but it started giving me really bad cholic. Wouldn't touch the stuff now.

Galena · Jul 19, 2024

HPA is bottle conditioned, it would be good to know if it is with the brew yeast or not and then must be worth a try.

.Peter. · Sep 20, 2024

May I ask why you use Target and not Celeia hops?

Sandimas · Sep 22, 2024

.Peter. said:
May I ask why you use Target and not Celeia hops?

Because that's the hops that the website say are in the beer "Our brewers have let locally grown Target and Celeia hops hang out with Maris Otter pale malt " (I've also done a brewery tour and seen them) https://www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk/our-beers/hpa/

Target is the bittering hop and Styrian Goldings / Celeia is the late hop. I'm not 100% sure of this, although Target is generally regarded as a bittering hop rather than dual-purpose so assume they use it for bittering, it also has quite a distint harshish taste that you can detect in this beer.

.Peter. · Sep 23, 2024

Sandimas said:
Because that's the hops that the website say are in the beer "Our brewers have let locally grown Target and Celeia hops hang out with Maris Otter pale malt " (I've also done a brewery tour and seen them) https://www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk/our-beers/hpa/

Target is the bittering hop and Styrian Goldings / Celeia is the late hop. I'm not 100% sure of this, although Target is generally regarded as a bittering hop rather than dual-purpose so assume they use it for bittering, it also has quite a distint harshish taste that you can detect in this beer.

Sorry I was not clear, I ment to say why use Styrian Goldings as Celeia are a bit different and that is the hop Wye Valley use ?

Sandimas · Sep 24, 2024

.Peter. said:
Sorry I was not clear, I ment to say why use Styrian Goldings as Celeia are a bit different and that is the hop Wye Valley use ?

I thought they were the same thing? Just picked this up off a hop website "Celeia, also known as Styrian Golding, grows in Styria and Slovenia." Whenever I've ordered them they seem interchangeable.

And I grown Styrians so have loads of them to hand.

.Peter. · Sep 25, 2024

Sorry not quite the same - quote : Celia is a triploid cross the original Styrian Goldings are most often found under the Slovenian name; Savinjski Golding. The former has a pleasant noble-spice character, with the Savinjski showcasing more orange and resinous character.

However saying all that, use what you have wink...

Wye Valley HPA

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