Get brewing people, our hop industry needs us

[Brew_DD2]

I wonder if we know our British hops that well. A quick look here:
http://allaboutbeer.com/british-hops-to-take-on-us-market/Olicana, Jester, Minstrel are hops that seem to have some of the characteristics of some of the New World hops. I must confess, I've never tried them, but I think it's about time I did. Except that i've gone off American style overhopped beers and mango-flavoured milk shakes. That's not to say my fellow drinkers necessarily share my preference for more tradional beers.

They don't. They've just learned the buzzwords to use when describing their hops.

I think that you could grow Citra here and it would taste like mud.

 

[Timberwolf]

I also grow my own hops. First gold. It's great fun picking your own hops.

 

[An Ankoù]

I've been a bit of a stick in the mud for the old go-fors like Fuggles and Goldings when it comes to English hops so I've been through the list and ordered 100g of eight different English hops that I'd never heard of before. Just opened my pack of JESTER. I thought I I'd accidentally opened a pack of Galaxy of Citra or something. It smells more like that kind of hop with a bit of dankness in it. Reading about the others, it seems that Olicana and Opus are derivatives of Jester and with even stronger New World characteristics. if that's the case, it'll be bye-bye Yakima Valley and hello Charles Farum.

 

[MmmBeer]

I made an all Olicana ale earlier this year, inspired by the descriptions of tropical fruit aroma and flavour. Whilst it was drinkable, the only flavour I really got from it was a slightly insipid melon flavour. I have been told it matches well with Jester and might try this one day with the rest of the pack.

 

[An Ankoù]

I made an all Olicana ale earlier this year, inspired by the descriptions of tropical fruit aroma and flavour. Whilst it was drinkable, the only flavour I really got from it was a slightly insipid melon flavour. I have been told it matches well with Jester and might try this one day with the rest of the pack.

That's interesting. I haven't tried the Olicana yet. Of course, just because the hop smells great in the bag, doesn't mean it's going to have the same taste in the beer without plenty of steeps and dry hopping, and I've grown weary of "hop bombs". We'll see how this one turns out.

 

[AdeDunn]

I tried Jester once, all I got from it was onions and copper pennies, it was horrid, ended up pouring the beer down the drain.

Endeavour on the other hand, what a lovely hop! Just nice hints of citrus, goes lovely with Goldings in a pale ale.

Fuggles, well, no. I tried and tried, but I hate the stuff. That said, I used it in my old ale, and that came out lovely....

There are a few British hops though that combine nicely with fruitier new world varieties in something light and golden, see something like Hobgoblin Gold for reference material (Pilgrim hops...). lol

 

[An Ankoù]

I tried Jester once, all I got from it was onions and copper pennies, it was horrid, ended up pouring the beer down the drain.

Endeavour on the other hand, what a lovely hop! Just nice hints of citrus, goes lovely with Goldings in a pale ale.

Fuggles, well, no. I tried and tried, but I hate the stuff. That said, I used it in my old ale, and that came out lovely....

There are a few British hops though that combine nicely with fruitier new world varieties in something light and golden, see something like Hobgoblin Gold for reference material (Pilgrim hops...). lol

Well, it's done now and ready to be pitched. So I'll let you know how it turns out. The wort tastes lovely, by the way.

 

[jof]

This is exactly the sort of hops discussion I'm looking for :)
I have always used fuggles/goldings & bramwell cross.
Maybe its time to be a bit more diverse.
I look forward to recommendations for use in ales (none of that lager stuff)

 

[Clint]

I've just rediscovered fuggles in a couple of Tribute clones...a nice change from all the American style IPA I had kept brewing...

 

[Ajhutch]

You’ve convinced me. I was thinking about a golden ale type beer; Jester and Olicana it is

 

[An Ankoù]

You’ve convinced me. I was thinking about a golden ale type beer; Jester and Olicana it is

Well I've got 100 g of each to play with, but haven't any results yet. Just pitched the Jester.

Maybe its time to be a bit more diverse.
I look forward to recommendations for use in ales (none of that lager stuff)

There's loads of British grown hops out there: Mystic looks an interesting one, if you can find any. Still waiting for my Phoenix to come from Stocks Farm for the Christmas porter. I just went down the list from the British Hop Association to see what looked interesting.

I made a Czech Pilsner hopped with Fuggles. It's not bad at all.

Pitching the Jester has nothing to do with dwarf tossing.

 

[Rodcx500z]

My fav hops are fuggles ekg target first gold and for me the king challenger

 

[Galena]

I made a Fuggles only Best Bitter, tastes delicious apart from I cocked up with the water profile and its a bit mineraly, but the next batch will be spot on. Although I still enjoy a good IPA I'm a bit bored of some of the over hopped Citra beers.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I tried Jester once, all I got from it was onions and copper pennies, it was horrid, ended up pouring the beer down the drain.

That's not the flavour of Jester - give it another go. Onion/garlic is a reliable indicator of hops being harvested too late (or not being dried properly), so it's nothing to do with Jester as a variety and everything to do with buying a crap packet of hops. You may want to avoid that supplier in future....

Some varieties are more prone to onion/garlic than others, Summit is notorious for it but even Citra can do it in the hands of inexperienced farmers.

Just opened my pack of JESTER. I thought I I'd accidentally opened a pack of Galaxy of Citra or something. It smells more like that kind of hop with a bit of dankness in it. Reading about the others, it seems that Olicana and Opus are derivatives of Jester and with even stronger New World characteristics. if that's the case, it'll be bye-bye Yakima Valley and hello Charles Farum.

It may have some of the same smells but the intensity in beer is far lower - be fairly generous with it, it's probably less intense than something like Bramling Cross.

Olicana is one of those hops that consistently fails to meet expectations IME.

Mystic is one that everyone's getting quite excited about. Godiva can make some very enjoyable modern-British style pale ales. Flyer can work really well in dark beers.