exploring hops

[mashtunmonk]

I'm interested in exploring the flavor of different hops as was thinking about trying several batches of single hop pale ales... each one using a different hop.

Is this something anyone has done? I'm curious if I should just find a good recipe and adapt the hop additions based on AA%, tweaking the amount of the next hop to match the AA contribution of the original hop in the recipe.

anyway, any advice would be helpful. thanks

(oh and as a side question... can you keg a 2.5 gallon batch into a 5 gallon corney keg without causing harm?)

[philbrasil]

Are you planning on doing dry hop? I am also interested in such experiment. I am thinking about one single bittering addition by a neutral high AA% hop (Magnum? Columbus?), no late hopping and then dividing the batch into 5 or 6 different secondaries containers for dry hop. Each one with a different variety of hop.

Any thoughts on that?

By the way, has anyone tried dry hopping with Hallertau M.?? I am thinking about making an IPA using Hallertau M. Are the low oil contents a factor? What I mean is, will I need a lot more of these hop compared with a high oil hop?

[Evan B]

Are you planning on doing dry hop? I am also interested in such experiment. I am thinking about one single bittering addition by a neutral high AA% hop (Magnum? Columbus?), no late hopping and then dividing the batch into 5 or 6 different secondaries containers for dry hop. Each one with a different variety of hop.

Any thoughts on that?

By the way, has anyone tried dry hopping with Hallertau M.?? I am thinking about making an IPA using Hallertau M. Are the low oil contents a factor? What I mean is, will I need a lot more of these hop compared with a high oil hop?

I would stick with the magnum. I definitely wouldn't describe columbus as a neutral bittering hop.

As for the hallertauer dry hop, I've done it with good results. Though I tend to prefer using Liberty, which is basically an American grown Hallertauer.

[Quin]

One of the Vinnie shows discussed a single hop beer that they did for a festival. Basically they would use the same recipe from year to year and change the variety of hops. They would use enough hops to achieve XX IBU's at 60 min, XX IBU's at 30 min, etc. All of the brewers would follow the same grain bill but would use their house malt and yeast.

[Brandon]

Yeah what you are wanting to do is called S.M.A.S.H.= Single Malt and Single Hop. Its a great way to learn about the different tastes and aromas of hops.

If you are interested in the American C hops then you could brew a batch with all 2-row shoot for a gravity of around 1.055. For example you could do a 60min, 30min, 10min, and 0min hop addition of lets say all Centennial shoot for around 40 ibus.

If you split the batch into 2 carboys you could also dry hop one and not the other to compare. Use a clean American yeast

[Fritz Eye]

Yeah what you are wanting to do is called S.M.A.S.H.= Single Malt and Single Hop. Its a great way to learn about the different tastes and aromas of hops.

If you are interested in the American C hops then you could brew a batch with all 2-row shoot for a gravity of around 1.055. For example you could do a 60min, 30min, 10min, and 0min hop addition of lets say all Centennial shoot for around 40 ibus.

If you split the batch into 2 carboys you could also dry hop one and not the other to compare. Use a clean American yeast

Great advice, especially on what hops to use. My $ .02 I would stay away from using classic high alpaha bittering hops for an entire schedule, such as Magnum, Galena, Horizon etc.
But the American C hops will work out great, especially Centennial.
Sly Fox has been doing a series of these. If you wanted to reasrearch it, see what the reviews are like on The Beer Advocate site. That should help you decide what will work and what will not. Slyfox did quite a few, some where winners and some where..,. well ...... not quite there .
Good luck.
Fritz

[mashtunmonk]

great thanks for the help guys.

[hopshead]

Mashtunmonk >> I just finished a very similar experiment. See my blog for recipe and hops I tried.

http://hopshead.blogspot.com