Choice of Hops, etc.

[Moley]

Right, it's my turn to ask stupid questions.

I have a goodly quantity of malt and an assortment of hops, but I'm not clear on individual hop characteristics. What I want to do for my next couple of brewdays is run a fairly basic mash, something like 5kg pale malt + 250g crystal, extract 30 litres (or whatever it yields), halve the runnings and boil with different single hops, a quantity for 90 mins and a half quantity for the last 15 mins, trying to work my quantities to balance the numbers. Does that make sense?

I have Aurora (8.1%), Boadicea (5.6%) and Pilgrim (9.46%) which I have used in previous brews but not in isolation.

I now have Bobek (4.5%), EKG (6.8%) and First Gold (7.25%).

Are any of those hops not really suitable for use as singles?

My usual boiler is a bit too big and my volume losses would be unacceptable, I've recently bought quite a sweet little 20 litre stock pot (baby shiny) but it doesn't have a tap and strainer and it's not about to get one. Can I boil as usual and then jug through a fine mesh sieve or nylon straining bag?

I'm also trying Protafloc for the first time, how much do I use and do I just chuck it in dry or dissolve it first?

I'm fermenting everything with S-04.

 

[jonewer]

I'm also trying Protafloc for the first time, how much do I use and do I just chuck it in dry or dissolve it first?

Are you using tablets or powder?

Tablets are 1/2 per 5 gallons and 1tsp of powder.

 

[Moley]

Are you using tablets or powder?
Tablets are 1/2 per 5 gallons and 1tsp of powder.

Tablets.
Quantity noted, thanks.

 

[Tony]

Sounds like you have a goldmine there Moley!
Unfortunately I only have stupid answers to match your stupid questions I'm famous for it.
Do you have BeerSmith to run your calculations through?

If it was me .. I'd try a First Gold as a single hop... it has good bittering and a lovely aroma. Pilgrim is good too.

Damn, I'm going to have to do a brew tomorrow!

 

[unclepumble]

This may answer a few of your questions, I only have experience of First Gold and EKG out of your list. both very good hops for single hopping.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index. ... _varieties


UP

 

[Bru4u]

EKG :thumb: Beautiful hop for single, first gold also good, EGK is lovely and delicate, floral, traditional

 

[Aleman]

The ones I would go with as single hop are

Bobek - Gracking
Boadicea - Excellent Make a very good Coniston Bluebird clone
First Gold - Good
EKG - Super in a traditional English IPA
Aurora - Excellent - Super Styrians . Stunner on Steroids
Pilgrim - Never used it

Just to add that Wibblers brewery did a trial Brew with Boadicea which was so successful they bought a huge stock of them to ensure that had enough available for a couple of years.

If its the Murphy Protofloc the instructions I have are to use 1-4g per hectolitre (100L). Use the larger quantities in high gravity all malt worts.

 

[Moley]

Do you have BeerSmith to run your calculations through?
No, and I'm using a Mac with a relatively old operating system (10.3.9) so I doubt it would be compatible. All I have is paper and pen plus THBF's calculators.

If it was me .. I'd try a First Gold as a single hop... it has good bittering and a lovely aroma. Pilgrim is good too.

First Gold was going to be my first choice.
From Barley Bottom's page:
“Well balanced bitterness with fruity, slightly spicy and orangy/citrus notes.”

I also fancy trying Bobek but those aren't listed on the Wiki site UP gave a link to.
From Barley Bottom's page:
“Lemon/citrus hoppy taste, Styrian Goldings.”

Just ‘previewed post’ and saw Aleman's comment, thanks for that, I think I will go with First Gold and Bobek first time around.

 

[AdrianTrace]

First Gold was going to be my first choice.

It worked for Badger brewery :thumb:
http://www.badgerfirstgold.co.uk/origins/gold.asp

 

[rickthebrew]

Moley you won`t go far wrong with first gold or EK Goldings :thumb: I`ve done a pilgrim and progress brew that is lovely but not pilgrim by itself

Happy Brewing :

 

[Marsie]

Ooh dear, I'm well out of touch with these hops!.
The last time I brewed beer, was with Bramling Cross and dry hopped with fuggles.

 

[Moley]

Thanks folks, hops and protafloc sorted, any thoughts on the lack of a hop strainer?

My usual boiler is too big and my volume losses would be unacceptable, I've recently bought a 20 litre stock pot but it doesn't have a tap and strainer and it's not about to get one. Can I boil as usual and then jug through a fine mesh sieve or nylon straining bag?

 

[Tony]

Morning Moley.
Just got my brew on... started yours yet? :

I've only recently got a hop strainer and used a hop bag before that - do you have any, or nylon bags? Shame you're not closer, I have a load of them here. Looks like you have the nylon bag (just reread your post), can you put your hops in there and tie the top?

It's not ideal but it worked for me for years. I used to up the amount of hops a little to compensate for the fact they were locked up in a bag!

 

[Moley]

Morning Moley.
Just got my brew on... started yours yet? :

Well to be honest Tony, I hadn't even properly decided whether or not to brew this weekend, and until now I've been watching the GP qualifying session, but I've just studied the calendar, Easter's approaching and with a bit of luck we should be able to take the boat out for a few days.

If I brew this weekend it will have a full 14-15 days in Primary, although if it's ready I may be able to rack to a secondary next weekend. If I don't brew this weekend then I can't brew until Saturday April 17th.

Game on, I think :

 

[evanvine]

It’s quite important to boil the hops loose!
Firstly you get a far better extraction rate and secondly the hop bed (when settled after the boil) enables filtering out of the “Hot Break” material.
Not sure why you have such losses with your large boiler?
I use a 60ltr boiler and only have a cup full left at the end.
The use of various hops, to me, is a personal taste issue.
I find that for “bitter”, either Goldings or Fuggles as bittering hops and Brambling Cross as “aroma” hops, produce the taste I like.

Morning Moley.
Just got my brew on... started yours yet?

Hope your brew goes well Tony.

 

[rickthebrew]

Moley I would just strain through nylon or muslin bag - the yeast will sort out the break material, I`ve done a couple brews in pans and they have cleared no problem ( using good old SO-4) it`s not ideal I`m sure but will be fine :thumb: Good luck with the brew - i`m just about to put my boiler on looks like it`s not gonna rain :pray:

 

[Moley]

It’s quite important to boil the hops loose!

I thought it would be preferable. Although I've got a couple of nylon bags I could use, the idea of fishing one out and trying to untie it for late hops didn't appeal.

Thanks Rick, I thought I should be able to get away with it for a few smaller boils.

Not sure why you have such losses with your large boiler?

Just surface area, it's 40cm high but 45cm in diameter, 1.2 litres dead space to strainer plus evaporation means I usually lose 6 litres on a 90 minute boil. It's not a problem and I will continue to use it for full brews.

 

[Aleman]

It’s quite important to boil the hops loose!

I thought it would be preferable

Preferable but hardly essential . . . . You do get better extraction and a better hot break (marginal IMO), but as long as the hops are free to move in the bag its fine.

Of course you could always boil in the stockpot,with loose hops, cool, give it a good stir and then when its formed the cone in the middle rack off the clear wort into your DJ/FV via syphon . . . A short length of stainless braid around the end of the syphon tube should stop it getting too clogged.

 

[evanvine]

but as long as the hops are free to move in the bag its fine.

Do commercial brewery's use bags?
It would be so much more convenient!

 

[Aleman]

but as long as the hops are free to move in the bag its fine.

Do commercial brewery's use bags?

Of course we should always copy commercial breweries because what they do in there has to be absolutely the best way of making beer . . . . . I don't think so . . . If that was the case we would all be centrifuging our spent grain to extract all the sugars from it, use Hop resins in the boil, Protein stripping the hot wort by allowing it to fall down a column which has vast volumes of air being blow in at the bottom. . . . etc etc . . .but we don't there are some things that do scale down . . . and some that do not . . . and some that make very little difference at out scale . . . like boiling 20-30g of hops in a large nylon bag . . . or removing all the break protein before fermenting . . . at our scale it does not make a huge difference considering the number of other compromises that we make.