Single hopped pale or IPA
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    I brewed an all Amarillo pale ale, turned out ok, but not real complex in taste. Went to the STL brewers heritage Fest last night. They always have a festival beer all the breweries make with their own twist on it. This year it was a single hopped IPA. Rest of the recipe was the same, but they chose their one hop to use. Regardless of the brewery, most were not good and some were awful, bucket dumps. Anyone have good luck with a single hopped beer where the hops were designed to be forward? I'm not talking about some beers where you use one hop and it doesn't stand out, but rather a hoppy beer.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,592
    Benvarine said:

    I brewed an all Amarillo pale ale, turned out ok, but not real complex in taste. Went to the STL brewers heritage Fest last night. They always have a festival beer all the breweries make with their own twist on it. This year it was a single hopped IPA. Rest of the recipe was the same, but they chose their one hop to use. Regardless of the brewery, most were not good and some were awful, bucket dumps. Anyone have good luck with a single hopped beer where the hops were designed to be forward? I'm not talking about some beers where you use one hop and it doesn't stand out, but rather a hoppy beer.




    i had a SMaSH ale at rogue brewery a little while back. can't remember the name. it was good, not great.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I brew an all Columbus Hop IPA. I think it's pretty good. I have a friend that grows hops. I wanted to brew a beer with all his hops just to see what it was like.


    Recipe Specifications
    --------------------------
    Boil Size: 7.45 gal
    Post Boil Volume: 6.24 gal
    Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
    Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
    Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
    Estimated Color: 12.2 SRM
    Estimated IBU: 55.2 IBUs
    Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
    Est Mash Efficiency: 81.8 %
    Boil Time: 60 Minutes

    Ingredients:
    ------------
    Amt Name Type # %/IBU
    10 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 81.1 %
    1 lbs 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 9.4 %
    1 lbs 4.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3 9.4 %
    1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60. Hop 4 39.4 IBUs
    0.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60. Hop 5 9.8 IBUs
    0.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 20. Hop 6 6.0 IBUs
    2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
    3.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 0.0 Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
    2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 8 -


    Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
    Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs 4.0 oz
    ----------------------------
    Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
    Mash In Add 17.56 qt of water at 163.0 F 152.0 F 60 min

    Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (1.05gal, 3.85gal) of 168.0 F water
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    i have made several single hopped beers. citra, cascade, amarillo and a galaxy.

    they key, i think, is continuous hopping (or nearly so) for as much hop complexity and flavor as possible. also, don't use bittering hops so you need lots more flava hops. made flava!

    in the final 20 minutes, just toss some hops in every 2 or 3 minutes = continuous hopping (nearly)
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    I do a lot of single hop beers ....... use a hop that is not one dimensional ... like EKG .... first wort hop ... no bittering addition .... and follow the advice above by frydog
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    So do not do a buttering addition at say 60 minutes, or do not a variety that is primarily for bittering?
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Benvarine said:

    So do not do a buttering addition at say 60 minutes, or do not a variety that is primarily for bittering?


    Never add butter to your beer!
    ;)
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Seriously ........ if you first wort hop.... and do a lot of mid and late additions .... you don't really need a 60 (or longer) hop addition to hit your IBU target .....
    Play with the calculations .....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Oh..... calculate a first wort hop as a 20 min. addition for IBU.....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,446
    I must be missing how the first wort hop works.... Like this?

    Take first runnings out of mash tun, put in boil kettle
    Add first wort hops
    Add rest of wort from mash tun after sparge
    Bring to boil
    Continue as normal

    If the first wort hops are in there from the beginning how do they calculate as a 20 minute addition? Do you pull them once at boil or leave them in?
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828

    I must be missing how the first wort hop works.... Like this?

    Take first runnings out of mash tun, put in boil kettle
    Add first wort hops
    Add rest of wort from mash tun after sparge
    Bring to boil
    Continue as normal

    If the first wort hops are in there from the beginning how do they calculate as a 20 minute addition? Do you pull them once at boil or leave them in?



    Leave them in.
    Sitting in the wort effs up the utilization somehow .... but imparts a hop flavor that is not obtainable by any other method ..... it also gives a smooth bitterness .... still getting the same AA.... but the perceived IBU is that of a 20 minute addition .... does that make any sense?
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,446
    Makes sense. That is what i thought but it sounded weird. Such is reality.... I just wanted clarification prior to attempting it.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    If I get some ambition ..... I'll dig out my research notes and create a thread on first wort hopping ........
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.