Hazelwood Brewday

[Hazelwood Brewery]

H, you have unearthed some very interesting info here. I can't claim to understand the technical aspects of the chemistry but I do appreciate the evidence and applied science.

That's intriguing about the differential effect of certain hop+yeast+hot-or-cold-side combos, such as cascade on hotside eith Citra on coldside for best aroma and flavour result.

Plus, the old anecdote that Nottingham suppresses hop flavours is visible right there in the Lallemand chart as low β-glucosidase. So maybe a combo of Nottingham and Windsor could be beneficial for those using dry yeast in British beer?

This is the kind of stuff that isn't mentioned often. It's obviously more advanced so less accessible for basic brewers like myself, yet some simple lookup charts or lists based on hop+yeast combos could go a long way toward more effective recipe design.

I know it's not all about the optimum hop aroma/flavour. Some weird combos may give great aroma but are unlikely to work in reality, such as Hall. Blanc and Sorachi Ace dry hop with Kölsch and Munich Classic mixed fermentation. Yet, you never know ...

I'm interested to learn how the 3-way test goes. Keep us updated.

Yes I will - but feel free to join in!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Been chomping on roses too. God knows what the neighbours are thinking, probably worried I might start grazing on their flower beds!

I actually wanted to source a variety called Cocktail ‘80 because it’s loaded with a volatile oil called phenylethyl acetate and almost nothing else. This oil has a sweet fruit character like peaches. A quick search on the internet though and it seems not to be readily available.

So back to tasting my own. I have two varieties, flower petals from the first are quite delicate and have hints of orange, the other has hints of apple fading to a mild rose flavour like Turkish delight. I might go with the first.

 

[Pennine]

What about adding orange, lemon or grapefruit zest depending on what you are going for?

I don't like floral much but am curious about your trials. Although this next batch may be called summer bubble bath...

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

While I’ve been looking into ways to increase hop aroma and flavour I’ve learned a few things that are at the very least intriguing. One of these is that lots of plants have the oils we prize in hops and some have those oils at much higher levels. I wonder if anyone has added Lemongrass to their brew, or rose petals, or geranium leaves. All these are edible and loaded with the oils we prize.

Look for example at lemongrass
View attachment 50250

I think I might buy some

My first thought when I read this was that if these other plants have these prized oils more abundantly, then why did we end up using hops in our beer? Then it occurred to me that there may have not been that much lemongrass around in Kent 5,000 years ago

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

What about adding orange, lemon or grapefruit zest depending on what you are going for?

I don't like floral much but am curious about your trials. Although this next batch may be called summer bubble bath...

Curiosity mostly. It’s the oils I’m interested in and the potential for those to undergo bio-transformation.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

My first thought when I read this was that if these other plants have these prized oils more abundantly, then why did we end up using hops in our beer? Then it occurred to me that there may have not been that much lemongrass around in Kent 5,000 years ago

Ah! Ye olde lemongrass fields were a well kept secret!

 

[Buffers brewery]

I actually wanted to source a variety called Cocktail ‘80

Did you see this one? It’s a bit spooky if you read it’s history......

https://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1242

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

We have a load of lemon balm growing in the front garden (it seems to grow like a weed) and it has the most extraordinary scent like lemon sherbet.
My mum is pretty into scented leaf geraniums (pelargoniums) and says there are all kinds of flavours - we have the peppermint one (Lady Plymouth) but there are also pineapple ones and many others.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I’ve been in the garden tasting our geraniums - later my wife will be putting down slug pellets thinking the slugs have been at them

We have two beds with white, pink, and red geraniums. First bed - leaves from the white geranium have a mild flavour with a bit of lemon, pink tastes more perfumed and stronger, red have the strongest flavour but it’s bitter and astringent. Second bed - red were same, pink were same, white were bitter and astringent like the red.

Looks like I might have to use one plant or taste a piece of each leaf.

Might be worth checking which specific 'geraniums' are the ones to use (or indeed sample) because apparently quite a lot of the plants known as and marketed as 'Geraniums' are in fact Pelargoniums, which are a separate family...

I'm not even sure whether the Pelargoniums are safe to eat (or if that's visa versa). Best check the Latin names if you are in any doubt.

UPDATE:
From reading https://www.plantindex.com/scented-geranium-plants-poisonous/ it seems that "scented leaf geraniums" are not actually Geraniums but Pelargoniums. However whilst toxic to cats and dogs, they seem to be non-toxic for humans.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Did you see this one? It’s a bit spooky if you read it’s history......

https://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1242

It is a bit spooky! This is a different variant though unfortunately the Cocktail ‘80 is a golden yellow flower.

Good spot though, even if a bit wierd

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Might be worth checking which specific 'geraniums' are the ones to use (or indeed sample) because apparently quite a lot of the plants known as and marketed as 'Geraniums' are in fact Pelargoniums, which are a separate family...

View attachment 50267
I'm not even sure whether the Pelargoniums are safe to eat (or if that's visa versa). Best check the Latin names if you are in any doubt.

Yeah, I’ll always make sure they’re safe. RHS helpfully have advice on this.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The day has arrived for my first attempt at a more aromatic and flavoursome version of Summer Breeze. Not the best weather at the moment but I will press on heroically!

The boiler is set up, the water is treated and up to temperature, and the grist is ready so I’m about to start the mash.

The water used in this brew is 100% RO and then treated with Calcium Sulphate and Calcium Chloride to give me a sulphate rich liquor.

The grist is my usual 600g Malted Flaked Barley and 2100g each of Pilsner and Vienna malts.

Here is the first adjustment to my usual process, I’m adding 10g each of Citra and Galaxy hops in the mash. This is to “complex” the copper and iron ions in the mash and, if the science is right, reduce the potential of my beer oxidising down the line.

Right, time to mash…

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

 

[Rodcx500z]

You could rename it Frankenstien breeze

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi H, i am just mashing my first attempt at a siason when would be a good time to add yeast nutrient i have never used it before

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Apart from the heckling I’ve just had my first giggle. I stirred the hops into the grist to get some distribution, I then added the grist to my mash water and all the leaf hops promptly sat on the surface. Of course they did, they float - muppet!

Never mind, I can stir them in as they get wet. My next change from my usual process is to set the flow rate on my recirculation pump at a low setting to avoid excessive aeration. This is to minimise the introduction of oxygen into the wort and so minimise the activation of thiol oxidase which breaks down thiols - a major source of flavour and aroma in hops.

Timer set…

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Hi H, i am just mashing my first attempt at a siason when would be a good time to add yeast nutrient i have never used it before

Have a look at the instructions but I’d expect it to be at the same time as you add the yeast in your fermenter.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Doh never thought of that, abit like building a flat pack wardrobe then

 

[stripeyjoe]

Hello Mr @Hazelwood Brewery! Your Cygnet boiler looks remarkably like my 30l Burco one, where did you get the malt basket/pipe from? Looks like it would be a decent upgrade from my BIAB bag! Also, did you just mount your sparge spray though the handle hole in the middle of the lid? My handle has nearly corroded through so that too might be a worthwhile upgrade. Do you have a 'brewhouse build' type post anywhere?
Many thanks,
Joe

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I’m about to start mash-out so an update on numbers. The gravity and pH have been lower than expected through the mash but at the end the gravity is exactly where it should be - 1053 expected, 1053 is where it is. pH however remained low ending up at 5.06. I can’t say if the addition of just 20g of hops would do this but it is unusual and curious. I’d normally expect between 5.1 and 5.2 by the way (at mash temperature).