61 replies to this topic

[matt6150]

concur

As well.

[Big Nake]

My hops arrived today! Everything looks good but the one hop that is making me scratch my head is this Australian Ella. I thought it was a finishing hop but it's 16.9%. I see some descriptions about it being dual-purpose but people are all over the place... bittering only, late only, both, only dry hop, etc. There are quite a few people saying that it's an EXCELLENT hop almost any way you use it but I also saw some reviews of people saying it took a few batches to use it properly. One descriptor is "star anise" which makes me wince. I'm not sure of the best way to avoid that but I would like to avoid that.

[MyaCullen]

only one way to find out!

 

make MLPA and use it exclusively!

[positiveContact]

My hops arrived today! Everything looks good but the one hop that is making me scratch my head is this Australian Ella. I thought it was a finishing hop but it's 16.9%. I see some descriptions about it being dual-purpose but people are all over the place... bittering only, late only, both, only dry hop, etc. There are quite a few people saying that it's an EXCELLENT hop almost any way you use it but I also saw some reviews of people saying it took a few batches to use it properly. One descriptor is "star anise" which makes me wince. I'm not sure of the best way to avoid that but I would like to avoid that.

 

typically the more you boil it the less you'll be able to tell what hop it was short of how "harsh" the bittering is.

[Big Nake]

I posted this over on AHA too and some people said to use the Ella late and use it alone so I could get a good feel for it. That said, I only have 2 ounces so do I do a half ounce at 10, 5, 1 and whirlpool or maybe 5, whirlpool (half ounce each) and then one ounce as a dry hop or what? I'm mildly baffled by this super high-alpha (16.9%!) finishing hop.

[HVB]

I posted this over on AHA too and some people said to use the Ella late and use it alone so I could get a good feel for it. That said, I only have 2 ounces so do I do a half ounce at 10, 5, 1 and whirlpool or maybe 5, whirlpool (half ounce each) and then one ounce as a dry hop or what? I'm mildly baffled by this super high-alpha (16.9%!) finishing hop.

If  you only have 2 oz I would add 1oz at WP and 1oz DH and just bitter with something like magnum.  Just my two cents.

[Big Nake]

If  you only have 2 oz I would add 1oz at WP and 1oz DH and just bitter with something like magnum.  Just my two cents.

How about bittering with Apollo or Azacca (I have Nugget, Magnum and Horizon too) and then do one ounce Ella in the WP and one ounce as a dry hop for 5 days?

[neddles]

If  you only have 2 oz I would add 1oz at WP and 1oz DH and just bitter with something like magnum.  Just my two cents.

 

Agree.

 

How about bittering with Apollo or Azacca (I have Nugget, Magnum and Horizon too) and then do one ounce Ella in the WP and one ounce as a dry hop for 5 days?

 

Yes bitter with Apollo. 

[HVB]

How about bittering with Apollo or Azacca (I have Nugget, Magnum and Horizon too) and then do one ounce Ella in the WP and one ounce as a dry hop for 5 days?

I would pick Apollo like Neddles said just because that is my go to.  Magnum or Horizon would be my next choice.

[Big Nake]

Okay so picture this. It's a relatively pale beer. It will be mostly this Swaen Pale malt and possibly some wheat. There may be 5 or 6 ounces of CaraRuby or maybe just C40 in there just to give it a smidge of color but not much. Bitter with Apollo to about 25 IBUs and then one ounce of Ella in the WP and another ounce of Ella as a dry hop (probably in the primary) for 5 days. Thoughts?

Later I will do another beer with either Apollo or Azacca to bitter and then 2 ounces of El Dorado plus two ounces of Lemon Drop... same type of grist. Or maybe on that one it will just be 100% Swaen ale malt. These will be fermented with S-04.

[HVB]

Because of the high alpha on the Ella I would go with 20 IBU at 30 but that is just my taste.  The rest seems good to me!

[Big Nake]

Because of the high alpha on the Ella I would go with 20 IBU at 30 but that is just my taste.  The rest seems good to me!

I was concerned about that thinking that the Ella would be contributing mostly flavor and aroma and no real IBUs but again... I'm a stranger in a strange land here. I could cut the Apollo IBUs down to 20 without issue and then do the WP and DH with Ella.

Also, since this will be S-04 which is a lower attenuator, I will be trying to push these beers towards the drier and crisper side... mash lower, bump the sulfate, try not to get the grist too malty, etc. I may have to use wheat in all of these as a result.

[Big Nake]

I stopped into the LHBS yesterday and picked up some things I needed for the run of pale ales I plan to make with these hops. I have the Omega West Coast ale strain in the fridge but I was thinking of using a different yeast and I also want to make an ESB with Pilgrim, US Goldings and EKG so I picked up some 1469 W. Yorkshire. It's been awhile since I used it so if anyone has any specific tips (temps, watch for diacetyl, don't let it drop out too quickly, etc.) please let me know.

Also, I noticed that the LHBS had a number of these newish hops like Azacca, El Dorado, Lemon Drop and a few others. I mentioned this to her and she said that she also had Cashmere and she asked if I had used it. No. She asked if I wanted to "taste it" and she tapped me a sample from a keg in her fridge. It was a very nice beer. She used it to bitter and then with maybe 15 minutes left, then an ounce in the WP and then 2 ounces in a dry hop. I asked her for the recipe and she emailed it to me. If anyone is interested in it, let me know.

[BrewerGeorge]

I'm a bit floored by the number of new hop varieties there are.  Puterbaugh farms even has their own exclusive variety, called Belma, that they apparently found growing on the farm (accidental hybrid) and liked enough that they went to production with it. 

[neddles]

I'm a bit floored by the number of new hop varieties there are.  Puterbaugh farms even has their own exclusive variety, called Belma, that they apparently found growing on the farm (accidental hybrid) and liked enough that they went to production with it. 

 

Ken can tell you all about the awesomeness of Belma.

[HVB]

Ken can tell you all about the awesomeness of Belma.

LOL!

[neddles]

LOL!

 

The things you miss when you take a break from brewing...

[Big Nake]

LOL, for $5 a pound I tried Belma. I paid $5 too much for them.

Maybe I didn't use them right or didn't use enough of them. I still have most of that pound in the freezer.

[denny]

LOL, for $5 a pound I tried Belma. I paid $5 too much for them.

Maybe I didn't use them right or didn't use enough of them. I still have most of that pound in the freezer.

I think your experience with them is typical

[BrewerGeorge]

Huh.  Seems strange that they'd dedicate commercial acreage to something that nobody likes.

 

They've actually still got several varieties of 2106 whole for $5 or $6 per pound.