Newport & Ella Hops

[CestrIan]

Has anyone used newport or ella hops before. think ella were called stella originally. What flavours do you get from these two?

Was thinking newport for bittering and ella for late additions. Anyone used newport late in the boil though?

[seymour]

Yeah, Newport has been mainly used for bittering due to its high alpha acid percentage, it was bred from Magnum (which as you know is pretty neutral) plus Hallertau, Brewers Gold, and Fuggles, so it has some faint German noble and earthy English traits. But perhaps most interestingly, it's also relatively high in myrcene oil, which when built up in late flavour/aroma additions is sometimes described as tropical fruity notes: pineapple, mango, passionfruit, I kinda get Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum, actually.

Stella/Ella is interesting too in a different sorta way. It leans more toward black pepper, flowers, herbal tea, black liquorice. Fairly complex but at mild levels overall. I'm basing that opinion on several commercial beers I've tasted containing Ella. I have some in the freezer to experiment with, but haven't gotten around to it. I've been thinking I would use it in a light grainy recipe, something like Cream Ale, Kolsch, maybe Ron Pattinson's Ushers IPA recipe...

I've not personally done it, but I bet Newport and Ella used together could produce an unusually tasty ale.

Best of luck!

[CestrIan]

I might just give it a go. Thanks seymour.

[seymour]

Bump. Did you end up brewing a Newport & Ella combo?

[CestrIan]

It's been a while since I've been on the site so sorry for the late response

I did use Newport as the kettle hop for quite a few beers and I was quite happy with it. Not overpowering or a harsh bitterness. I would use instead of Magnum.
I didn't do a stand alone Newport/Ella beer but I occasionally do make a cascade/amarillo beer, so I made two beers on the same day, one my normal APA cascade/amarillo and a second using Ella as a replacement for Amarillo. I made these beers back at the start of September so they are well drunk now (like my good self) so the notes I have are from the time. I kept the malt bill light to show off the hops. Ella wasn't what i was expecting - very grapefruity almost piney like a more subtle version of chinook or simco. In good company though, both excellent hops. Unfortunately I can't seem to get hold of any now as I would love to brew with Ella again. These are the recipes with the tasting notes at the time.

Recipe 1 Cascarillo

4.00 Kg Lager malt
0.18 Kg Wheat malt
0.10 Kg Crystal

34 IBU target
10 g Newport
10 g Amarillo 20 min
10 g Cascade 15 min
10 g Amarillo 10 min
20 g Cascade 5 min
20 g Amarillo flame out
20 g Cascade flame out
15 g Citra dry hop
30 g Centennial dry hop

Tasting notes: Nice citrusy easy drinking refreshing fruity beer
gave a lot of this away in work - they loved it

Recipe 2 Cascella

4.00 Kg Lager malt
0.20 Kg Wheat malt
0.10 Kg Crystal

34 IBU target
10 g Newport
10 g Cascade 20 min
10 g Ella 15 min
10 g Cascade 10 min
20 g Ella 5 min
20 g Cascade flame out
20 g Ella flame out
30 g Centennial dry hop

Tasting notes: Ella is very grapefruity but also a little piney like simco for me
Nice though!! Yumm!