British hops

[Cobnut]

Just about to cask a pale ale made with extra pale MO and a little each of carapils and pale crystal with a stack of home grown cascade hops and fermented with Fullers yeast recovered from a bottle of 1845 (which I thoroughly enjoyed). I was going to dry hop with a load more cascade, but tasted it today at FG and decided it is nice as it is.

This will be casked in a pin for this (perhaps with a handful of dry hops):

https://briarbank.org/event/briarbanks- ... -festival/

All welcome.

[An Ankoù]

Hi everyone,

What are your favourite British hops? Or perhaps just British hops you like that don’t get talked about much.

The range available seems to have risen a lot in recent years, and I’ve not tried the newer ones.

Aside from Fuggles and Goldings, I have used Challenger quite a bit over the years. More recently I’ve made some nice beers with First Gold hops. My most recent bitter just used Bramling Cross, which has quite a nice fruity edge to it I think.

What about you?

V
I have to admit that Fuggles are my all tie favourites, with WGV and Bramling Cross tight up there with Goldings. I had a pint a couple of days ago brewed with Goldings followed by exactly the same pint brewed with Fuggles and the latter was the one I preferred.
But if I want a full-on fruit bomb, I'll reach for Harlequin, which is better than any of the US varieties in my opinion. The are so many amazing English (surely not British) hops that we're spoilt for choice.

[MashBag]

Just about to cask a pale ale made with extra pale MO and a little each of carapils and pale crystal with a stack of home grown cascade hops

If you like cascade try some Ernest.

[Cobnut]

@Mashbag, tell me where I can get a rhizome from and I’ll give them a go. Do have a pack of Ernest from Dorothy hollamby in my hop store. One day I’ll get round to using them…

[MashBag]

Perhaps worth trying them before planting, however. I think I might have a source of plants....

Back once I have checked...

[An Ankoù]

I came across an article on "Pellicle" about making New England IPAs with English hops. [an aside: do hops grow in Wales or Scotland? I've often wondered about the term "British" hops.] I must confess NEIPA doesn't float my boat at all, but I was fascinated by the claim that they'd been successful. So I ordered some Harlequin, Godiva and a couple of others from the same family that I haven't tried yet. I usually try a new with a simple malt profile: 90% pale, 10% torrified wheat, 35 ibus and late and flameout additions but no cool steep or dry hops. My first attempt with Harlequin was just a little over the top, the grapefruit flavour is intense, but after a few weeks in the bottle, that mellowed down nicely. 2nd attempt I kept the above and added 5% amber 80 ebc and that his hit the jackpot- a beautiful, refreshing, summer ale. With the Godiva I used the first formulation and that, I think, turned out great first time- a little more orange than grapefruit and a tad more self-control. I say "I think" because I tried the first bottle out to a guest who wanted something light or at least didn't fancy the mild I was drinking. I got the rest of a 75cl bottle after pouring pint.
These hops are amazing and quite unlike the traditional English hop flavour, but without any of the "dank" found in too many American hops.
I'd intended using Admiral in a batch of mild, but they didn't smell right so I bittered it with the rest of a bag of Harlequin thinking the flavour would pretty much boil away. Well it hasn't and it's an unusual mild to say the least. I'd recommend using them in summer ales round abut 4.5% abv.
Certainly wouldn't waste good hops on something that looks and tastes like breakfast juice.

[Cobnut]

I have a light summery ale on the go at present with Endeavour hops (from abushelofhops). Buttered with Target and then added the 100g pack at 5 minutes and then a 20 min hop stand at 75-80C. Still in th fermenter, so waiting with baited tastebuds for a couple of weeks time or so.

Will report back, although I’ve used this hop (from another source) before and was impressed.

[bitter_dave]

Some more hops to try! Thanks.

I wasn't that impressed with the admiral hopped beer I made a while back and mentioned above. My second attempt at an Ernest ale was also not quite as good as the first. The hops, from a different supplier, didn't seem as fruity somehow and had a tiny bit of an aftertaste. Think I might be doing a bit of blending with remaining 400g of these hops!

For my last beer I went back to first gold hops and used Lallemand London Ale yest for the first time. It seems promising at this relatively early stage.

[MashBag]

I purchased a big bag of Ernest and split them with a mate. So I have a massive capacity to play with (or worry about ).
These too seem to improve in the bottle.
Currently running ...30g bittering, 40g @-15 and the final 40g @ 85c for 60mins. Nothing dry.

Interesting comment about orange, I have a Marmalade & Ernest ale listed next up.