Ideas for a hop-punch from UK hops

[Scotty]

I need to get rid of a shed-load of older hops before I can buy more (we have an under-counter freezer and 1/3 of it is filled with hops ), and I fancy blowing a couple of packs on an English ale but with a US-inspired punch from the hops.

I have...
265g of EKG (200g still vac packed, all leaf, AA% adjusted to 3.8%)
100g Fuggle (vac'd, pellet, AA% adjusted to 3.7%)
100g Brewers Gold (vac'd, leaf, AA% adjusted to 5.2%)

I could use Brewers Gold as solely bittering with the remainder of EKG. Although I could omit the BG all together and use the opened pack of EKG. I've never used BG yet so I am not familiar with any flavour/aroma properties. I don't fancy a single hop brew as I want a more complex flavour. I have a feeling that using too much Fuggle will produce too much of an earthy tone.

So, instinct tells me to go with a complex hop schedule with nigh-on equal additions of EKG and Fuggle at 60,30,10 and 0 mins, using a total of 285g in a 23l brewlength.

I would also like a malty backbone to the beer and I am thinking of something around 1.060 with an est IBU of around 47, using a decent amount of crystal and munich malts, probably mashed in around 68c and using Nottingham yeast.

Any suggestions?

[seymour]

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but you could use this classic hop-bursted American double-IPA recipe as a starting point. I altered it once into a sorta strong Scotch ale with Saaz hops, a strange and wondrous combo.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/documenta ... hDream.pdf

When really wanting to emphasize the hops, I'd keep the crystal and munich to very low percentages of the grainbill. Don't worry, at this strength, even pale malt (especially a nice nutty, biscuity English one like Maris Otter, Golden Promise, etc) will make a very firm backbone.

I really like this idea, by the way. If you go for it I'm sure many of us would love to hear the results!

[Dr. Dextrin]

I'm not sure myself whether Fuggles would work to give a strong hop "punch". I see it as more of a subtle background flavour, but then maybe that's because I've never tried it. Anyway, if it was me, I think I'd phase out the Fuggles in favour of EKG in the later additions.

[gnutz2]

I steeped 150g of EKG in a 25l batch and didn't get much of a hop punch. I think restrained would be a good word to describe english hops.

That reminds me, i'll try a bottle tonight, must be 2 months old now.

[deanrpwaacs]

Hello.
You could try UK Flyer hops.These smell great and have a high AA%.
I may try one along the same lines with a load of late and dry hops.
Cheers Dean.

[Tom_D]

I brewed this for the Saltaire IPA comp early in the year.... http://thegristofit.com/ag23-the-light-of-asia/ (bear in mind it's for 17L). The idea was to brew something along the lines of an American IPA but with English hops. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out and it took Silver so can't complain about that!

You could try UK Flyer hops.These smell great and have a high AA%.
I may try one along the same lines with a load of late and dry hops.

I've got some of these too Dean. I can't wait to try them out although I may do a SMASH in order to get the most out of them.

[GARYSMIFF]

I've never used BG yet so I am not familiar with any flavour/aroma properties. I don't fancy a single hop brew as I want a more complex flavour.

Tut Tut !!! go find Crouch Vale's Brewers Gold, drink and enjoy.

[alix101]

I keep meaning to try pioneer, its. a high AA uk hop, combined with target for bittering you IBU is heading in the right direction.

[Tom_D]

Moor Beer Company in Somerset just did a single hop beer called Empire Strikes back. This was to showcase one of the new hop varieties being developed at Charles Faram.... http://afemaleview.net/2012/11/22/battl ... americans/

Should be interesting to see how this progresses.

[seymour]

Lots of good English hop recommendations, but the OP was asking how to best use-up his existing EKG, Fuggles, and Brewers Gold. I don't think he's looking to buy any new hops here.

[Scotty]

That's right seymour. I am liking the new (to me) hop suggestions but I have far too many packs of hops at the moment. I might just go all-out and brew a traditional English IPA using EKG. I'll probably use Nottingham yeast to get the beer nice and dry.

[seymour]

Sounds tasty to me!

[alix101]

Isn't Brewers Gold german now anyway?

[Scotty]

Isn't Brewers Gold german now anyway?

According to Charles Farem, it is now mainly grown in Southern Germany. Nothing wrong with that but it kind of defeats my objectives.

[seymour]

Isn't Brewers Gold german now anyway?

According to Charles Farem, it is now mainly grown in Southern Germany. Nothing wrong with that but it kind of defeats my objectives.

Brewer's Gold was bred in 1919 by Prof. Salmon of Wye College in Kent, England, described as having a "catty American aroma" even at the time, and moved out to Belgium, then to Germany. So what? Similar arguments are had about UK-grown Cascades, US-grown Goldings, etc. Sure there are differences, but...eh. Much ado about nothing? If you like 'em, and they strike you as acceptable in English ale, just brew some tasty beer already