Single hop Challenger

[chub1]

Just got this bottled up. Nice a crystal clear,light golden colour with a nice aroma.
Will be looking forward to an early try:)
5 litre batch.biab/partial mash.5 ltr mash x 67cx 60 min.2.75 ltr dunk.10 min.72c
OG 1045.FG 1008. 41.65 ibu.10.71 srm. abv 4.73%
125 gram light spray malt at start of boil
750 grm mix irish pale,lager and stout malt(that is what i had at hand)
50 grm Crystal 140L
20 grm Caramalt
10 grm Buscuit malt
25 grm Carahell
7 grm challenger pellets 60 min
1/4 protofloc tablet 15 min
5 grm "" "" "" 15 min
5 grm "" "" "" 5 min
8 grm "" "" "" turn off
5 grm "" "" "" 5 day dry hop
CML US Pale yeast 1/2 pack re hydrated

 

[Lesinge]

Will be interested as to how this turns out as Challenger is my go to hop for bittering English style beers but I haven't used it beyond first boil stage.

 

[Saisonator]

I used up 20g of challenger to dry hop my Yorkshire Bitter, I read some people have had success using it as an aroma hop.
I used challenger also for bittering and EKG for late additions.

 

[Saisonator]

Bottling it Sunday so will let you know how it is.

 

[chub1]

Will be interested as to how this turns out as Challenger is my go to hop for bittering English style beers but I haven't used it beyond first boil stage.

Give it another week and i will open one up to sample:thumb:

 

[Gunge]

Give it another week and i will open one up to sample:thumb:

Looking forward to your verdict. Challenger is my favourite hop but it's just struck me ( and I am deeply ashamed to say this ) that I have never used it alone. How the hell that happened (or didn't happen!) I can't explain. I've always used it in combo with Target, EKG, Fuggles, Northdown etc with Challenger being the main bittering contributor.

 

[chub1]

Ok a tester today.
Very nice,nice golden colour,not much head but then that is not an issue for me.Nice subtle flavour and a little bitterness/bite.:thumb:

 

[chub1]

Given a few away and have had pleasing comments on it.Another one to repeat at some point:thumb:

 

[Nicks90]

Both my first AGs have only used challenger hops,and I only used maris otter with 5% oats in the mash. Basic basic basic.
But they're my first AG biab's so keeps it simple. Had a wee taste of both as I bottled them and it's a lovely crisp traditional pale bitter.
When I do my next AG I'll mix it up with some crystal and maybe some EKG or fuggles. But more than impressed with just using challenger

 

[MyQul]

I recently used challenger as the flavour/aroma hop for a light lager/cream ale hybrid because it's very reminiscent of German noble type hops

 

[Gunge]

A world without Challenger is a world without hope - that's what I've always said. Nelson can take his Sauvins and shove 'em right up his column.

 

[Pjam]

There's a beer - loved by many - ' Bluebird Bitter ' brewed by Coniston Brewery Co. Made using only Challenger hops

Lovely. Got some growing in my friends garden.

 

[braziliain]

There's a beer - loved by many - ' Bluebird Bitter ' brewed by Coniston Brewery Co. Made using only Challenger hops

Great beer. I didn't know it was a Challenger single hop ale! Got a recipe?

 

[Pjam]

Yeah, tis indeed all Challenger !
There's a recipe over on BrewersFriend. Nice and simple too ...... though I'm not sure of the yeast but you can grow some if you've got a bottle of the real thing.

Base malt plus 170g of Crystal, then Challenger at 60mins and 15mins

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/298229/coniston-bluebird