Favourite Hops & Uses

[mattrickl06]

I managed to get some Simcoe leaf hops a month or so back and since then have used in the following:

TT Landlord (AG) dry hop
Pendle Witch (AG) post boil & dry hop
Admirals Reserve (kit) dry hop
Coopers Euro Lager (kit) hop tea with Saaz/Simcoe & dry hopped with Simcoe

I love the aroma and slight earthy taste of the hops but have also heard that they add strange flavours when added to the main boil so have avoided doing this so far.

I will probably add some to my next batch of cider cos i think i am getting addicted.

Would be interested to hear other peoples favourites and how they use them and if anyone else feels a little bit addicted to a certain type of hop?

 

[boozy_shoes]

Centennial. It's such a versatile hop, It's often described as "super cascade" and I can see why.

I also like it because:
* It's high enough alpha to hop burst the end of beers with and has a lovely citrusy, piney and juicy aroma
* as a dry hop it really jumps out the bottle to hit you with that US craft beer aroma.
* The bittering seems well rounded when put in early in the boil too.

I even infused some vodka with it that's great ice cold with tonic and lime viewtopic.php?f=72&t=36941

 

[Duxuk]

Northern Brewer for a clean bittering with no funny flavours! For flavour and aroma it's got to be something from the colonies, namely Cascade and Citra. Add loads at flameout and as dry hops and you get beers which you just can't buy the like of. I'll try Centennial, though, if it's Cascadesque!

Mattrick106, are there any homebrew shops in Wigan? I live in Chorley and use Leyland Homebrew. They keep a good selection of hops and everything else,really.

 

[mattrickl06]

Northern Brewer for a clean bittering with no funny flavours! For flavour and aroma it's got to be something from the colonies, namely Cascade and Citra. Add loads at flameout and as dry hops and you get beers which you just can't buy the like of. I'll try Centennial, though, if it's Cascadesque!

Mattrick106, are there any homebrew shops in Wigan? I live in Chorley and use Leyland Homebrew. They keep a good selection of hops and everything else,really.

I used to live in Adlington - i presume from your name you are in Duxbury?? small world

I use the one in Leyland mainly as its just up the M6 from where i am, there is one in Wigan but never tried it yet.

I like the people in the Leyland one and their prices are competitive with the online sellers

 

[graysalchemy]

My favorite hop is EKG. I mainly use it for aroma in a bitter. However I like cascade Chinnock and Willamet in a pale. :thumb:

Brambling cross in a stout. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[wilsoa1111]

Centennial. It's such a versatile hop, It's often described as "super cascade" and I can see why. f=72&t=36941

agreed, excellent and works well with apollo, generally cheap than cascade too (which i can find a bit too perfumy when dry hopped-brewdog)

 

[mattrickl06]

I think Centennial is on my next shopping list :

 

[calumscott]

EKG, Challenger, Chinook, Galaxy are stand-out hops for me.

Challenger gives such a rounded, clean bittering - seems to be the perfect base for, well, anything really.

EKG is great as a late addition or dry hop, same with Chinook for that mad grapefruit flavour and Galaxy, well!! I've only ever dry hopped with it but it is nothing short of sensational.

 

[PD]

I always try to have plenty of EKG and Fuggles in the brewery, they are my fall back use anytime hops.
Challenger / Progress and Cascade as and when........ I must get a bit more adventurous with hops... :grin:

Problem is...I'm not struck on overly hopped, smack you on the nose beers, much preferring the meaty chewy malt taste with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste

 

[calumscott]

I always try to have plenty of EKG and Fuggles in the brewery, they are my fall back use anytime hops.
Challenger / Progress and Cascade as and when........ I must get a bit more adventurous with hops... :grin:

Problem is...I'm not struck on overly hopped, smack you on the nose beers, much preferring the meaty chewy malt taste with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste

:twisted: I'm going to send you a bottle of "The 35th Prime" (once the chill haze settles out). It's got heavyweight chewy malt and a little more than a hint of sweetness.

It might also have one or two IBUs and a bit of flavour and aroma.... :lol:

 

[PD]

will you want a reminder for this..... :party:

 

[calumscott]

Yes please. In fact, PM me your address and I'll get it out to you. I'll then let you know when it's ready to drink. :thumb:

 

[PD]

pm sent.... :thumb:

 

[JKaranka]

hah, I use about anything... German noble hops (and the American equivalents) for a nice, fresh, spicy and grassy aroma, Cascade and Brewers Gold late in the boil for a good punch of fruit (grapefruit and blackcurrant / peach respectively), Amarillo blent in for a nice fruitiness, Dana and Apollo for bittering as they have a good punch and they are cheap, Goldings, Fuggles and Willamette for flower and traditional aromas, Marynka for a good, very clean, somewhat grassy and obviously hoppy flavour addition, etc.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Fav hops are...

Bittering.. Challenger, Target.
Aroma... EKG, Nelson, Savjiski,

BB

 

[fbsf]

I've become a fan of Perle for bittering recently. Nothing to do with being a tightwad and getting 2.5 kilos for £14. Not at all.

Aroma wise, it depends on what I'm brewing. I'm a big fan of EKG, challenger and Bobek for more English styles, but also like the american hops if I'm doing a big IPA, so Cascade, Amarillo etc.

My recent Cascade SMaSH has turned out lovely too.

 

[Duxuk]

Thanks to this thread I brewed using Centennial, today. I did 15l whch I haven't yet checked the OG of, but it should come out at 1055ish. When I opened the bag I thought someone must have zested a lemon into it. Wort tastes good, can't wait for a month's time! (I'm always impatient!)

 

[Darcey]

I am a big fan for pales of the C hops, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra and Columbus all make a rather good pale beer.

Bramling Cross can be rather tasty in a dark beer with goldings for bittering.

 

[calumscott]

Anyone seen the single hop beers that M&S are doing?

I tried them all at the weekend and was pretty, well... meh.

Nice pints all three, don't get me wrong, but if you are going to market a beer on its single hoppedness well I want the hops up front so I can taste them! The Citra one didn't even smell of cat pee!

The pick of the bunch for me was the Brewers Gold one, at least you could taste the bugger. The citra IPA was a disapointment - it wasn't strong enough, bitter enough and didn't have enough of the citra zing. The sovereign one was just, erm, odd...

...I think I'm most peeved because I thought well here's an opportunity to see what these hops can do. And they didn't...

 

[mattrickl06]

It's strange how tastes change after homebrewing for a while.

i tried 3 bottled beers from Asda over the weekend and one went down the sink, half of another went down the sink and i just about managed to drink the third one - they just didnt taste of anything - they advertised as being well hopped or whatever but I have had better hoppiness on a one legged kangaroo, everything from the shop is so bland apart from the odd one.