New World Hops for Belgian Styles

[monkier]

Hello all,

I'm wanting to make a Belgian style beer and wondering what hops from New Zealand or America would go best with it. I realize that this won't be 'to style' but i'm after an interesting hop flavor that won't be masked by the saison or trappist style yeasts (I had considered using lemon drop but i have been told that i won't stand up to stronger yeasts).

Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

[Leon103]

Depends what sort of Belgian beer you are making.

 

[monkier]

Depends what sort of Belgian beer you are making.

Lighter ones, blondes and saisons mostly.

 

[strange-steve]

I made a saison with simcoe and amarillo and it turned out well. I used Wyeast 3711 and the citrusy, fruity esters worked great with the orangey fruitiness of the hops and the spicy phenols were noticeable enough to identify it as a saison without clashing.

 

[jceg316]

I made a very heavy Belgian dark triple, and hopped with a mix of old world and new world. I used saaz and styrian goldings late in the boil, and dry hopped with columbus, cascade and amarillo. Came out really well wit ha powerful rich taste (special B is a mighty grain).

For light Belgian beers something like Amarillo or Cascade would probably work pretty well. I've also made a couple of saisons, one using summit and the other using Jester. I know the latter isn't really a new world hop but it's trying to be.

The Summit saison was good. IT was actually a chilli saison but had well rounded flavours.

 

[IainM]

Hello all,

I'm wanting to make a Belgian style beer and wondering what hops from New Zealand or America would go best with it. I realize that this won't be 'to style' but i'm after an interesting hop flavor that won't be masked by the saison or trappist style yeasts (I had considered using lemon drop but i have been told that i won't stand up to stronger yeasts).

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Belgian IPAs are style of their own now, and have their own entry in the BCPJ style guide (p.38). I like Monk Hammer as an example of the style, and that is dry hopped with 100g each of Amarillo, Simcoe and Citra, as well as late additions of 25g Columbus and 50g Centennial.

 

[chthon]

I helped my brother brew a tripel with Pacific Gem and Wakatou, and Italian honey instead of sugar for the body. Turned out very nice.

You know what they say about Belgian brewing, one brewer uses bat droppings and a black witch, the one across the street uses a white witch.

 

[monkier]

Thanks guys, you've given me some food for thought

 

[Covrich]

I read on BYO last year that they felt you should go sparingly with the citrusy hops in SOME belgian styles because in their opinion they do not really work because they can be overpowering with the balance of the funky and more subtle noble hops.

That does not mean to say do not try it in those of course..

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

I've used Mosaic in a Belgian blonde and Amarillo in a Saison.

I enjoyed both immensely.

 

[markcc]

I've used Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic and Simcoe to make saisons and they all work pretty well.

Take a look at the sorts of beers that Prairie Artisan Ales are making for example.

 

[peebee]

Flicking through DIYDog there are lots of examples of using new world hops in "Belgium" style beers. But then Brewdog would do that wouldn't they.

 

[sven945]

I made an IPA with simcoe, centennial and cascade, and it's pretty tasty. It's benefited from a few months in the bottle (i didn't dry hop, I regretted it at first but given how it's aged it might have lost all of effects of dry hopping by now anyway.

I used WL500, and a bit of aromatic malt for some more backbone too. Only problem is it's not fizzy enough. But I'm paranoid about bottle bombs.

 

[jceg316]

I have some Belgian yeast I need to use and I'd like to use up some remaining Simcoe, so I'm gonna make this recipe this weekend:

20L
1.078 OG

5.9kg lager malt
500g candi sugar

15g columbus @60
35g Simcoe @FO

Fermentum Mobile Belgian Hillside yeast.

I've not used the yeast before so I'm keeping the hops and malt simple to allow the yeast flavours come through more.

 

[joel]

Several NZ hops I've used go really well in hoppy ales with Belgian yeast. Nelson Sauvin is intense and unique and Pacific Jade's flavour is good in a Saison. Motueka is well suited (they used to call it Belgian Saaz as it's a descendant of Saaz and a Belgian brewery used it) and I really enjoyed Pacifica too in a Belgian ale although a little more subtle than the others. Next time I make a Saison I might try some new US hops, Azacca is supposed to be good for Saisons and Loral looks interesting too if you can find them.

 

[serum]

I've always been in two minds about this. I like beers with a single focal point so I'd use a milder yeast. There's not much point going made with hops but also going for clashing flavours with the yeast.

WLP510 or WLP515 are more subtle and could lend themselves to stronger hops. 3711 has been mentioned and that's subtle enough to work well with hops. I'd also bring the heat down when fermenting to get a cleaner flavour from the yeast.