How hop do I hop?

[ceryni]

I'm a massive fan of dry hopped beers that literally smash your nose off, I don't know its just something I wanted to try.
I particularly like things like the brew dog hardcore IPA, adnams jack brand range, and the Bengal tiger that's sold in the local 'spoons'.


This will be my second brew, first one had no issues. Actually I drank the lot, even though I wasn't that impressed with the final result ( a bit bland,cheapest kit I could find)


I bought a wilko real ale kit as a base, just so happens it was £15 a pack as they're delisted. I'm going to make it up a couple of pints short and add an extra .5kg light spray malt and a 1kg bag of brewing sugar to bring up the alcohol.

Now for hops, the real question. I've done some looking around and bought 100g of Cascade hops vacuum packed to dry hop with, Il probably leave them for 3-5 days.

I really want a decent punch bitterness though too, and judging by my last dry hop experiment this wont be enough so plan to boil some fuggles pellets I had unopened spare, to add to the wort with the sugars.

I have 50g of Fuggles pellets, how much should I add and how long to boil for? I'm looking for a bitterness that you're more likely to find in a hipster craft beer but not nearly as much as the popular citrus hopped beers that were everywhere of summer 2012/13.


Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[clibit]

Boiling 50g Fuggles for 30 mins will give you about 20 IBUs, which should get your bitterness into the right area. Boil them in a few litres of water that has had the 500g malt extract thoroughly mixed in pre boil.

I think I would chuck about 20-25g of the Cascade in for the last 10 mins or so, to provide more Cascade hop flavour, to blend with the Fuggles, then dry hop with the rest.

 

[ceryni]

Sweet! thanks for the advice. I haven't figured out IBU's yet but I will be reading more about those later. I was bought a beer book for my birthday.
OK, any idea on what to do with the Cascade after I pitch? Zip-lock bag?

+ will that 75g be enough then? Shall I buy a bit more Cascade or leave it as is? Or even blend with Simcoe/Galaxy/Centennial/chinook etc?

p.s. just invested in a hydrometer ^^ , if anyone wants cheap kits they're being sold off at Wilko at £15 on sale

 

[clibit]

Sweet! thanks for the advice. I haven't figured out IBU's yet but I will be reading more about those later. I was bought a beer book for my birthday.
OK, any idea on what to do with the Cascade after I pitch? Zip-lock bag?

+ will that 75g be enough then? Shall I buy a bit more Cascade or leave it as is? Or even blend with Simcoe/Galaxy/Centennial/chinook etc?

p.s. just invested in a hydrometer ^^ , if anyone wants cheap kits they're being sold off at Wilko at £15 on sale

I've never made a beer as densely hoppy as Bengali Tiger. I suspect it requires large quantities of post boil and dry hops - and they may have devices that maximise hop oil extraction.

So I can't give you a definitive answer sorry, but doubling the amount of dry hops would be a good idea I reckon. And you could steep some after the boil when the temperature has dropped to 80C. Definitely a good idea to use 2 or 3 different hop varieties.The 4 you mention are all good choices.

 

[ceryni]

OK, thanks, I think I will go the Chinook route, 50g of those, maybe a little less cascade at the end of the boil and some of the chinook, blend it up until it feels right.

I'll let you know the results! I plan to pitch in late October as I am moving house.

I think it may be a little darker than I was planning for, and I could get a can of Lager LME to add half and half with one of the Wilko ale cans. I'm aiming for almost light brown/orange, no darker.

 

[MyQul]

I've never made a beer as densely hoppy as Bengali Tiger. I suspect it requires large quantities of post boil and dry hops - and they may have devices that maximise hop oil extraction.
.

just a random thought as I'm not that good on receipes, but may be a good portion of the bittering hops added as late additions/hopstand?

 

[clibit]

Found this clone on an American forum for Bengali Tiger, the poster reckoned it was a very good clone, you could use the hop quantities as a guide (1 ounce is approx 30g):

(this will be for 19 litres)
O.G. 1.065
F.G. 1.015
IBU: 64
ABV: 6.4


9.5 lbs Marris Otter
1 lbs Munich 20l (Cargil)
.5 lbs Carapils
.5 lbs Crystal 120 (I used American, but suspect they may use a dark British)
1 lb Light DME

(1 oz Simcoe @60)
(.75 oz Centennial @60)
FORGET THE 60 MIN HOPS

Get your additional bittering from the fuggles and then match the following with the hops you have. You could get Centennial and use cascade and centennial:

1 oz Cascade@ 10

1 oz Centennial @ 0 (Steep at 80C)
1 oz Amarillo @ 0 (replace with Centennial)

1 oz Cascade Dry Hop 7 days
1.25 oz Centennial Dry Hop 7 days
(I would increase the dry hops, maybe 50g of each hop)

 

[clibit]

BTW, your sugar and malt additions take you to 1070 OG if you brew 21 litres, you will get an ABV of about 7.5%. If you drop the brewing sugar to 500g you'd get about 6.4% I think. A more full bodied beer, plain sugar reduces the body and 1kg is a lot.

 

[ceryni]

just a random thought as I'm not that good on receipes, but may be a good portion of the bittering hops added as late additions/hopstand?

I'm planning on using fuggles for the bittering at a long boil as that's all I have and no money to get the extra really.

(1 oz Simcoe @60)
(.75 oz Centennial @60)
FORGET THE 60 MIN HOPS

Get your additional bittering from the fuggles and then match the following with the hops you have. You could get Centennial and use cascade and centennial:

1 oz Cascade@ 10

1 oz Centennial @ 0 (Steep at 80C)
1 oz Amarillo @ 0 (replace with Centennial)

1 oz Cascade Dry Hop 7 days
1.25 oz Centennial Dry Hop 7 days
(I would increase the dry hops, maybe 50g of each hop)

I think my recipe will be as follows, having looked at that (Don't have access to Centennial yet, I think I'll try Chinook as they have the grapefruit/Pine aroma I love in the hardcore IPA, according to the label and the "Aroma hop wheel"


50g Fuggles @60
15g Cascade @10
15g Chinook @0 - 80C

Then dry hop with the the remaining 35g Chinook and 85g Cascade for 7days.

Let me know if you think that needs tweaking.

(i'm sorry I just can't get my head around ounces. I was born in '92)

Also thanks for the sugar advice. If I switch out my LME I'll use 1kg total of DME, and if not I'll cut the sugar in half. I like body

 

[clibit]

Go for it. And let us know how it works out. :thumb:

 

[ceryni]

Go for it. And let us know how it works out. :thumb:

Absolutely, will do! Thanks

I'm not sure if I'll start bottling in glass with caps yet, I think I'll stick to me and my fathers tried and test 2litre bottles. ^^

 

[ceryni]

I've ordered some Simcoe so I'll update on dry hopping later, but today im doing the original boil and pitching. Wish me luck ^^

 

[ceryni]

OK, I'm not sure about temperature calibrations but I pitched at roughly 24C, and my OG is 1052 (i think), according to a quick google that gives me about 5.6% (im happy with that)

When do I want to dry hop? I plan on doing it for about 3-5 days. In a week? 2? When gravity stops changing?



p.s. I tasted some of the hop liquid before adding after 50mins boiling. I can still taste it. Never tasted something so bitter. I'm hopeful

 

[HebridesRob]

Google will do the maths for you. Type "convert 8.5 pounds to Kg"

American fluid oz / gallons are different to British ones so you need to be clear which you use "customary" or "imperial".

 

[clibit]

About two weeks in the FV is about right normally, dry hop for the last 3 to 5 days.

 

[ceryni]

I'm a bit too lazy to google 10 times for one recipe..

About two weeks in the FV is about right normally, dry hop for the last 3 to 5 days.

Thanks clibit.
I might dry hop in two stages, as I would like to get the most out of the varying flavours and also achieve that aroma. Sound like a plan?

 

[clibit]

That's perfectly do-able.

 

[ceryni]

Well the gravity settled a day or so ago and thus commenced the dry hopping then, and then bottled after 48hours ish. It has a really decent aroma, not quite where I want it to be but we shall see what it's like when conditioned.

Bitterness is right on the money. Really good there. Plenty of body too. FG at about 1010.
Someone tell me ABV? *laziness*


Will update in a month, 2 months, 3 months if the beer lasts that long.


Notes:
Siphoning with hop debris is a massive pain in the ****. Constantly blocked the siphon.
Also creates a lot of waste. I pitched with 21 litres in the FV, expecting to get roughly 19L of beer total. Ended up with around 17 or less. 4.5+litres waste/loss is quite a lot.


Going to name it Tomahawk. Heh.


dry hopping roughly Added minimum 50g Simcoe , 15g cascade, 30g Chinook.

 

[dad_of_jon]

yes I find 22-23 liters will get you 20 liters after transfer to bottling bucket, you have to be prepared to lose a litre or two :cry: to the trub,hops & old yeast.

 

[ceryni]

I did a rough Linocut for a label since I was hanging around at the wood fair.