Nelson Sauvin Single Hop Brew-What's best? done & fermenting

[ajh800]

Hello,

Just planning Tuesday's night brewing session. 23ltr brew using 100gms of Nelson Sauvin and maris otter.

Could someone offer some words of wisdom to use these hops to their full potential and make a cracking brew?

The following Tuesdays brew will be using 100gms Chinook, hopefully it will taste like York Brewerys 'Decade', soooo nice!

Thanks in advance,

al

[crookedeyeboy]

Looking forward to a reply here as I have NS and wondered what to do with them, the alpha is something like 11.3%! I want to still use an 80C rest though but dont know how full of flavour these are.

[jubby]

I used them for the first time in Feb; drinking it now and it's very good. I would describe it as very tasty, not too much aroma with very smooth bittering. Well rounded and balanced. Some of that is probably down to the grain, if you wanted it drier, forget the Munich and increase the wheat a little, or it would be fine with just pale malt.

This was the recipe i used for 23 litres at 1.050 and 37 IBU using WLP001

Mash
UK Pale Ale Malt (Low Color) 4.500 kg 82.6 %
German Munich Malt 0.650 kg 11.9 %
UK Wheat Malt 0.300 kg 5.5 %


Hops
NZ Nelson Sauvin 11.3 % 10 g Loose Whole Hops First Wort Hopped
NZ Nelson Sauvin 11.3 % 35 g Loose Whole Hops 15 Min From End
NZ Nelson Sauvin 11.3 % 35 g Loose Whole Hops 5 Min From End
NZ Nelson Sauvin 11.3 % 20 g Loose Whole Hops At turn off (30 min steep at 80C)

It was the last brew i did in my 25 litre mash tun

[Garth]

I did this back in Feb 08, it's very similar to Jubby's.

I can safely say that it still is my best beer I have ever made, the aroma was huge on it, I even gave a bottle to John at H&G, he loved it.



I used US-05 and got a crystal clear brew from it. Would use Nottingham next time, as 05 takes ages to drop bright.

[ajh800]

Thanks for the guidence there. How do you think it would turn out at 50 or 60 ibu? Few more hops for initial boil? Then similar additions as described in pro-mash screen shot.

Have some S 04 yeast & US 05. Think I used US 05 last week and not as clear compared to past brews using Nottingham. Also, intend dropping last weeks first gold & cascade into a secondary fermenter tomorrow night. Is it a good idea, or bad idea to dump tomorrow nights brew straight into the fermenter that contained the first gold & cascade brew? ? Will the yeast in the bottom be happy to get going?

[dave-o]

Is it a good idea, or bad idea to dump tomorrow nights brew straight into the fermenter that contained the first gold & cascade brew? ? Will the yeast in the bottom be happy to get going?

It's always worked well for me, and gets up to a vigorous fermentation within a couple of hours.

[ajh800]

Hi,

Brewed as per Garths suggestion, it's in the fermenter - on top of last weeks First Gold & Cascade yeast (US05). This picture was taken 30 mins after the wort was added.



And this one 40 mins after, started fermenting already - airlock already bubbling, never had a brew get going so quickly



16hrs after pitching yeast had to check at lunch time, feared it may have gone everywhere, skimmed top off now.



Can't wait to drink this brew, it smells delicious already.

cheers

al

[Garth]

It should be a snorter Al, NS is a great hop to do on it's own in a brew.

I'm getting some NS as soon as the current pile of hops diminishes slightly. I'll be doing the same sort of ale on Saturday hopefully but with Galaxy.

[ajh800]

Hi,

One week on from the last photo....

Just taken a sample for the hydrometer (and me!). The O.G for this using 4400gms maris otter was 1.049, the reading tonight was 1.004...... 6% abv. Mash temp was 65C..Maybe should have added some water to it.

Anyhow, would prefer something a bit weaker, but it does taste very nice already. Passion fruit aroma and taste, bit of kiwi going on, not sure about gooseberries, as always avoided them as a child. Nearly convinced it would subsitute some of the 5 a day fruit smoothies, it tastes that good!

Intend to transfer to secondary fermenter tomorrow, and transfer to cooler environment - garage, for a week before bottling. Always left in the kitchen before but going to try somewhere cooler to see if it retains flavour and conditions better.

The US05 sludge in primary fermenter will be use again when I brew tomorrow (all chinook, 80-100 IBU). This will be 3rd brew going onto it. Maybe why this brew ended at 1.004 (still cant believe hydrometer reading).

Thanks Garth for recipe suggestion, the Nelson brew will be done again- very soon.

[Garth]

Excellent news Al, glad it worked for you.

I'm dying to have another go at this for the summer, only 8 more packs of hops to go........

[critch]

i cant get a large quantity of ns till the end of june as theres none left at the hop factors

id buy what you can get now, cos there aint much coming to the uk as new zealand hasnt had a particularily good harvest(according to charles faram) and the breweries have reserved the majority of it.......

[ajh800]

Thanks chap,

you are indeed correct in stating Nelson Sauvin are already difficult to get hold of. Paul at Barley Bottom can't get any until August...

they make a fantastic brew, up-ing the light summer brew of 'Summer Lightning' etc. Get them while You can, the recipe from Garth is the best beer I've tried to date. Getting worried.....going off TT landlord and Cu Dragon Golden Pippin etc.


rgds

al

[WishboneBrewery]

ThNelson Sauvin are already difficult to get hold of. Paul at Barley Bottom can't get any until August...

really!!!!! Shock horror!!!

[mysterio]

Jeez, Barley Bottom only got them in about a month ago. Must be some panic buying going on!

[ajh800]

Maybe duff gen, but if Barley bottom cant get fresh stock until August, then i'll be stocking up. All leads to supplies appreciated.