Copper Ale, Generously Hopped with Homegrown Prima Donna

[floydmeddler]

I'm organising a night around at mine with a few buddies from work. One of them has grown a sh*t load of Prima Donna hops in his garden and gave me around 150g today. I promised to brew a beer with them and for all of us to drink it in 4 weeks time.

With Autumn lurking up ahead, I decided to make it a copper coloured ale and keep it at around the 4% mark. However, I want it to be full bodied and taste more flavourful than your standard 4%; the malt bill should reflect this goal.

I bittered with target because I don't know the AA% of my friend's homegrown Prima Donna. I put the Prima Donna at 7.9% because that's what my brewing program (Beertools) had First Gold (Prima Donna) set at default.

Here's the recipe and a few photos:

Prima Donna

Size: 28 L
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 80.0%

Original Gravity: 1.040 (1.000 - 1.100)
Terminal Gravity: 1.008 (1.000 - 1.100)
Color: 28.3 (0.0 - 98.5)
Alcohol: 4.2% (0.0% - 10.0%)
Bitterness: 31.2 (0.0 - 50.0)

Ingredients:
4.1 kg (79.0%) Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt - added during mash
315 g (6.1%) CaraMalt - added during mash
315 g (6.1%) Crystal Rye Malt - added during mash
315 g (6.1%) Munich Malt - added during mash
42 g (0.8%) Carafa Special® TYPE III - added during mash
105 g (2.0%) Torrified Wheat - added during mash
25 g (15.6%) Target (11.1%) - added during boil, boiled 70 m
45 g (28.1%) Prima Donna (7.9%) - added during boil, boiled 5 m
45 g (28.1%) Prima Donna (7.9%) - added after boil, steeped 45 m
45 g (28.1%) Prima Donna (7.9%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
Yeast: S05

My brewery in full swing:


The Hop Bines:


Homegrown Goodness:




Rolling Boil:


Lovely Copper Colour:


1.040:


Nothing overly spectacular about this ale other than the homegrown hops. With a bit of luck, I'll have brewed an autumnal session beer that the boys will enjoy!

[seymour]

Wow, that sounds delicious. And a fun day with the guys. Just out of curiosity, what temperature did you mash at, and do you really get 80% attenuation from S05?

[floydmeddler]

Hi Seymour. Cheers. It's tasting promising already. Looking forward to dry hopping!

Attenuation with this yeast is always between 80%-82%. I mash at 70c-72c when using S05 in the hope that it finishes lower... it never does!

I'd bet my last penny that this will end up at 1.008 or even slightly lower.

[seymour]

Hi Seymour. Cheers. It's tasting promising already. Looking forward to dry hopping!

Attenuation with this yeast is always between 80%-82%. I mash at 70c-72c when using S05 in the hope that it finishes lower... it never does!

I'd bet my last penny that this will end up at 1.008 or even slightly lower.

Thanks, good to know. I'm sure you already know this too, but "Prima Donna" is just the name garden shops use when selling the potted plant form of "First Gold" dwarf hops. So, you brewed with fresh, local, organic First Gold hops, just like St Peters! I'm so jealous!

[floydmeddler]

I always thought it was the name of the a dwarf variety of First Gold. So... First Gold is actually a dwarf variety itself? It's a lovely hop.

My mate's missus is called Donna so I like calling this beer Prima Donna. Think she deserves this honour as her yard is overrun with these hops!

[seymour]

...So... First Gold is actually a dwarf variety itself? It's a lovely hop...

Yeah, according to the handy wikipedia hops variety page (and elsewhere, too):

First Gold
The first English commercial grown dwarf hop, released in 1995 and bred by Wye College in Kent. A cross-pollination of Whitbread Golding Variety (WGV) and a dwarf male. Its aroma resembles a mixture of Goldings and Challenger hops . The alpha acid content ranges from 6.5% to 8.5 %.

More and more growers are realizing huge cost-savings and reduced physical risk processing dwarf hops, especially small-time home growers and craft breweries who aren't invested in legacy agricutural infrastructure... I'm not sure why they market it as "First Gold" to brewers and "Prima Donna" to gardeners, but sources are clear it's the same plant. Whatever the case, enjoy your Prima Donna beer!

[floydmeddler]

I sure will!

[floydmeddler]

Dry hopped this yesterday with 50g of Prima Donna/First Gold.

Had a taste too. It's tasting damn fine this one. Can't wait to get stuck into it!

[floydmeddler]

16 days later and this is READY. Nice 'biscuity' notes I love from casked pub ale - they obviously serve after 2 weeks as well!

Here she is. I only gelatined yesterday so was very happy to see that it is this clear! In a few days time it should be crystal.



Lovely orange notes from the First Gold/ Prima Donna. It is a classic easy drinking English ale although with the hops at the 150g mark, I was expecting more of a hop hit... Maybe there's more to come. Overall, so far, I'm pleased. This can be swallowed all night without people falling round the place.