Challenger Hop Recipe

[Archie1978]

so, getting into recipe creation seems to me to be the most daunting part of all grain brewing (despite the wonderful array of forums and software available), it also seems to me that an understanding of hop characteristics is pretty much a no brainer, following this train of thought i have started a 5 gallon batch (if it tastes vile i know a philistine who will drink it.) of the following:

Grains: 5kg pale malt, 200g pale DME

Mash schedule: 60 mins @ 66c
Boil: 60 mins
Hop Schedule: 30g Challenger @ 60 mins
30g Challenger @ 30 mins
30g Challenger @ 0mins (20 min steep)

Estimated values (based on 75% efficiency) ABV 5.2%
EBC 9
EBU 56

As always any thoughts would be appreciated, brew on.............

[Rookie]

I like challenger and bought some on my last hop order. They remind me of goldings, so any recipe that calls for goldings would work with challenger, I often use them together.

[Pinto]

If you're trying to get to know what you like, there's no better way than a single hop brew I guess

[jmc]

Challenger is one of my favourite bittering hops, but not tried it in a SMASH before.

Curious why the 200g DME?

Do tell us how you get on.

Cheers John

[Hanglow]

Bluebird bitter is all challenger isn't it? Nice drop on cask

I'd maybe move the 30min addition to 15 or so to maybe get a bit more flavour from it.

[micmacmoc]

If you have 100g pack of challenger why not dry hop with the remaining 10g?

[TenbobdaN1]

Hi Hanglow - Bluebird is one of my favourite beers and I,ve got 100g of vacuum packed Challenger. Any chance of you posting the recipe? Cheers Tenbobdan

Cask - GW's Deuchards ( good)
Bottle - GW's Caledonian porter ( waiting patiently for it to mature)
FV1 - empty!

[Hanglow]

The one I have is from here I think - adjust it to your brewing system in your software of choice

Coniston BLUEBIRD BITTER

5 gallon batch OG 1036 ABV 3.6% 22 units of colour.

MARIS OTTER PALE MALT 3290 gms
CRYSTAL MALT 170 gms

HOPS boil time 90 minutes 37 EBU

CHALLENGER 40 gms

Add 20 gms CHALLENGER last 15 minutes.

Yeast of your choice.





If I was brewing it I'd be tempted to add some flameout hops and or dry hops (but I like hops )

yeast something english, not too attenuative or underattenuative

the bottle is bottle conditioned so you could build it up form that, but I have no idea if it is the primary strain

good luck


I've not brewed that btw, but I think quite a few people have

[Dave S]

The one I have is from here I think - adjust it to your brewing system in your software of choice

Coniston BLUEBIRD BITTER

5 gallon batch OG 1036 ABV 3.6% 22 units of colour.

MARIS OTTER PALE MALT 3290 gms
CRYSTAL MALT 170 gms

HOPS boil time 90 minutes 37 EBU

CHALLENGER 40 gms

Add 20 gms CHALLENGER last 15 minutes.

Yeast of your choice.





If I was brewing it I'd be tempted to add some flameout hops and or dry hops

yeast something english, not too attenuative or underattenuative

the bottle is bottle conditioned so you could build it up form that, but I have no idea if it is the primary strain

good luck

There's a Blue Bird recipe in Norm's Real Ale Amanac Thread in Beers recipes

[Hanglow]

Just checked, it is that one

[Clibit]

Bit of info here...

http://www.vthomebrewguru.com/tag/coniston/

And here:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/coniston-b ... ttle/5493/

Which says hops ('unusual quantities')are mainly at the end of the boil. And 'fermented slightly warm to give a soft fruitiness'.