A simple beer with "wild" London hops -please suggest recipe

[goat father]

Last weekend I managed to find some "wild" hops in central London. Most were a little bit brown but with some careful picking, I collected a bag full of little beauties. I reckon I've got about 30g, and before you ask I have no idea what they are, though they do smell fantastic.

So, having read a few other posts on wild hops and the fact they are likely to have a very low AA, I thought it would be best to use them at the end of the boil, probably at flame out, for the odour.

This leads me to ask what would be a good recipe to try them out with?

I have available,
1.5Kg of MO
3Kg of Optic
1Kg of Crystal malt
800g of Brown malt.
80g of First Gold hops
25g+ of Pilgrim hops

My current plan is to do the following:

Make a 10 litre brew, (I can boil up to 14 litres)
1.5Kg of MO
200g of Crystal malt
100g of Brown malt

12g of First Gold (AA 7.8%) at 60 minutes
all 30g of mystery hops at flame out

giving me
IBU of 24.5
ABV of 4%


This will only be my second all grain brew so any guidance is greatly received, in fact I'm happy to be completely led on this, ie only use these wild hops in with just the MO if that is considered the best option. I will however be brewing on Saturday the 23rd, so all guidance by then please.

[dave-o]

I think i'd use the target rather than the FG. I think target lends itself better to bittering.

[Gricey]

For bittering, just go with an IBU that fits your beer style (ie match the BU:GU ratio, if you can). Use a neutral yeast like WLP001/US05, or Gervin English Ale Yeast. Chuck your hops in at flame out and let them steep for 30 mins. That will leave you with a generic reproducible English bitter, but with your hops to distinguish it. Awesome.

[goat father]

I think i'd use the target rather than the FG

I assume you mean Pilgrim as I don't have any Target hops

As for the change of hops, maybe, the other AG brew I did was a MO & Pilgrim only brew which I am now find quite drinkable.

[goat father]

For bittering, just go with an IBU that fits your beer style (ie match the BU:GU ratio, if you can).

to be honest I don't know what "style" I am aiming for.

Currently my BU:GU ratio is 0.59, which seems a bit malty.

So I might up my IBU to 30 to give me an BU:GU of 0.73

If it makes it easier, my local is currently serving Fuller's Red Fox, which I quite like. Not too bitter and nicely malty. (like i know what i'm talking about)

[Blackaddler]

Last weekend I managed to find some "wild" hops in central London. Most were a little bit brown but with some careful picking, I collected a bag full of little beauties. I reckon I've got about 30g, and before you ask I have no idea what they are, though they do smell fantastic.

You did well to find some hops this late in the day. Around my way, most were pretty much finished by the end of September.

I presume that the 30g you refer to, is after drying.

Most wild hops in this country are usually a Fuggle variety, so fairly safe to assume about 4% to 5% AA. This year I found some locally, which are 250 years old, apparently!

If using wet, I assume about 1.5% AA, which gives a good result. Not that that'll make a lot of difference if you're only using them for aroma.

Like you, I don't like to unbalance the flavours by using too much bittering hop.