hop trials

     Today we have 2 new to us hop varieties to try out, Bramling Cross and Boadicea. We will be using them in a kit and kilo brew that we call our standard. This is one that we started with and know it's tastes and characters well, it starts with a can of Morgans Blue Mountain Lager and 1kg  #20 ultra blend  (500gm light malt, 250gm maltodextrine and 250gm dextrose )

    As we are trialing 2 different hops we have made up and then split this batch into 2 15L fermenters with 11L in each, this means that we are not risking having a full batch with a taste we don't like.

     With 15gm of each hop in some cheese cloth boiling in separate pans on the stove for 15min the batch is made and ready for the hops, which are poured in along with the hop bag. This short boil will give us some bittering without going over the top ( we can easily boil for longer next time we use them ). A full sachet of Morgans Yeast was used for each brewer, this will give us a very fast initial fermentation and within a week we will be able to add the second round of hops for aroma. We add the aroma hops after most of the fermentation has occurred as the vigorous bubbling drives off the aroma from the first hop addition.

     Bramling Cross : This hop was first bred in 1927 by crossing Golden Hops with a Manitoban wild male Hop. It has a distinctive strong spicy blackcurrant flavour with it's origins in the U.K and an alpha acid content of  6%.

     Boadicea : This hop is quite new to the market and also has it's origins in the U.K it has a light floral characteristics with excellent bittering as it's alpha acids are at 9 - 11%

     Let us know if you have used either of these Hops or had a Beer that uses them, alternatively let us know your favourite Hop.

cheers