redrocker652002
Well-Known Member
I am sure I started a thread about this, but could not find it. So I am going to go with this. I have been into doing single hop beers lately just to see what they turn out like. I just did a Chinook Ale, and while it was good, it was a bit on the bitter side. I used a recipe from MoreBeer and probably should have scaled it down a bit. The basic recipe is 10lbs of 2 Row Pale ale and 12 ounces of Crystal 15L 60 min mash. 60 minute boil with a Hop schedule of: 1/2 ounce Magnum for bittering and then hop choice of 2 oz at 10 mins, 1 min and then at dry hop. The OG was about 1.051 to 1.053 depending and the FG was at about 1.008 to 1.010. I used CellScience Cali yeast and fermented at about 65 degrees. The yeast took aout 16 hours to get going, but was pretty active. It seemed to take about 5 to 7 days to ferment out and the activity in the airlock was all but nothing. Took gravity readings a few days apart after about a week and a half, dry hopped for 3 or 4 days and in the bottles it went. I did this with Chinook, Cascade, Mosiac and I think Citra, although I cannot find my notes on that one right now. The one in the fermenter is Motueka and I am really looking forward to trying that one. I am getting a lemon smell from the fermenter and the brew day went well. I still have bottles of the Chinook so my plan is to side by side the Chinook and the Motueka and see what the differences are. Once I get that idea, I am going to try and build a recipe using Cascade, Citra and either Mosaic or Motueka and see what I can come up with. After doing this for a couple of years, I have found most of what I do involves a larger amount of either 2 row or Maris Otter as the base. Small additions of the Crystals for color and maybe a bit of sweetness and then other smaller amounts for maybe foam and head retention. I have gotten my setup to a point where I can hold a decent mash temp, between 150 and 154, for an hour and have added the cooler for a sparge setup to sparge for about 15 mins at somewhere around 160. I feel pretty good as I have hit most of my numbers within a point or two and have really enjoyed the last few beers I have turned out. What is the point to this post? Heck, I don't know. LOL. Just thought I would post that I have enjoyed doing the single hop beers and am moving closer to making up my own recipe's. Thanks for reading my, sober believe it or not, post. LOL. Have a fantastic day all, and please, ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!