9 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I have 1056 and 1272 running simultaneously at the moment and for the last uses of each I planned to make pale ales.  I wanted to use Nelsons for one of them but I didn't want to bitter with Nelsons, I wanted to use them late so I planned to bitter with Mt. Hood and use a bunch of Nelsons late.  Sound acceptable?  On the other one, I wanted a nice Columbus character but I only have 1 oz at 16.3% so I was going to bitter with some Sterling (7%) and then use 1/3 of the Columbus at 10, 5 and 2 which would bring me up to about 40 IBUs.  Mt. Hood, meet Nelson.  Sterling, meet Columbus.  Anyone see anything problematic with either union?  Cheers.

[johnpreuss]

No, it sounds wonderful. I'm planning on bittering with mt hood and finishing with centennial and simcoe on an up coming brew.

[Poptop]

The Columbus should shine through brilliantly.

[Mindblock]

One new hop that I have just tried in two brews is Belma.....late additions give some strawberry overtones.....To learn more about it we brewed a standard 1.060 pale ale grist and added 30 IBU Belma at 60 minutes and another 30 in split additions from 20 minutes on in with an ounce added and held for 15 minutes at 180F in the chill cycle.....the point is that even at these levels, which are admittedly aggressive by some standards, Belma is a nice smooth, but firm bittering hop that will give a beer a nice backbone and structure for more fruity flavor and aroma hops to play in.....note to self.....start that Belma topic.....

[Big Nake]

One new hop that I have just tried in two brews is Belma.....late additions give some strawberry overtones.....To learn more about it we brewed a standard 1.060 pale ale grist and added 30 IBU Belma at 60 minutes and another 30 in split additions from 20 minutes on in with an ounce added and held for 15 minutes at 180F in the chill cycle.....the point is that even at these levels, which are admittedly aggressive by some standards, Belma is a nice smooth, but firm bittering hop that will give a beer a nice backbone and structure for more fruity flavor and aroma hops to play in.....note to self.....start that Belma topic.....

I made a Belma beer (I ordered a pound of them from PF for $5.25!) but I probably didn't use them properly.  The beer ended up a bit bland and my guess is that I just made a subpar beer but it has nothing to do with the Belma hops.  I didn't really get the melon and strawberry notes that were mentioned and I dry hopped with Belma as well.  I probably need to make another beer with them and do them up righteous.

[Mindblock]

I made a Belma beer (I ordered a pound of them from PF for $5.25!) but I probably didn't use them properly.  The beer ended up a bit bland and my guess is that I just made a subpar beer but it has nothing to do with the Belma hops.  I didn't really get the melon and strawberry notes that were mentioned and I dry hopped with Belma as well.  I probably need to make another beer with them and do them up righteous.

I found the 30IBU bittering charge in the 1.060 OG 60IBU ale to be very smooth and balanced.....I like my IPAs and DIPAs, but I like them balanced.....I am not a fan of Chinook at all, usually bitter with CTZ because I find it smooth and balanced, and in my first trials with it, Belma did what I wanted it to do as a bittering hop, which is provide a nice firm backbone that is NOT going anywhere, without unnecessarily bitch slapping the palate.....I found the strawberry to be present early but fade within a couple of weeks.....dry hopping a keg of this single hop beer with an ounce each of Amarillo and Belma is very pleasant, but as I evaluate it I think it could use some Centennials or CTZ to balance it out.....does any of this rambling make any sense?  On their own I think Belma is probably a bit one dimensional, like most of the hops we use, but you have given me an idea with your mention of Nelsons has given me an idea for early Belma with late Nelsons, and after tasting it I can decide what to toss into the keg.

[Big Nake]

I didn't think about Belma and Nelson but that's interesting.  I'm sure I still have a good 12 ounces of Belma in the freezer.  I guess that I was envisioning the Nelsons standing on a pedastal with all their white wine and crushed-gooseberry (or whatever their profile is) standing alone without hop character coming from anything else.  That said, I have quite a bit of Nelsons left as well as the Belma. 

[Big Nake]

I made the Mt. Hood & Nelson pale ale last week and the fermentation is smell-a-rific at the moment.  It's bubbling away in the low-60s and seems like it will be very nice.  I just measured out grains and got water ready for this other one with Sterling and Columbus and it looks like that will be made tomorrow.  This craft beer fest I went to yesterday has me feeling a little "hoppy" at the moment.     Cheers.

[johnpreuss]

So Ken,

 

Why use Sterling to bitter?  I know you are pro Magnum bittering brewer and being the lager head you are I figured you'd save the Sterlings for a late addition in a lager.  That being said I see nothing wrong with it, I remember using them to bitter when I first started brewing but I was just curious.

[Big Nake]

I happened to take a "hop inventory" recently and wanted to use up some hops that I had laying around for awhile.  I do not have any Magnum but I would use them if I did.  My hops mostly include things like Hallertau, Mt. Hood, Northern Brewer, Saaz, Tettnanger, Liberty... and then I had some other stuff that I wanted to use up.  Both of these beers and sort of "clean out the closet" as far as hops go.  Cheers.