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Author Topic: Hop recommendations for a light ale  (Read 3110 times)

Offline madscientist

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Hop recommendations for a light ale
« on: January 06, 2011, 09:29:50 pm »
I need some Hop recommendations for a light ale/lawnmower beer that the fiance will love.  Needs to be low on the IBU scale and right now I'm thinking Ahtanum and Hallertauer.  Thoughts?  Suggestions?  It's going to be a pretty simple recipe with some Pale LME and Carapilis. 
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Offline chezteth

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2011, 09:35:34 pm »
Willamette and Fuggles are also nice ones to use for those types of beers.  I have never used ahtanum but hallertauer is definitely a good one!

Offline euge

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2011, 09:41:14 pm »
I don't think you can go wrong with Magnum.  Smooth bittering. Maybe a little Cascade for aroma/flavor there at the end.

Personally I'd just do a bittering charge at 45 and leave it at that.
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jaybeerman

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2011, 09:41:42 pm »
Hallertauer is hard to beat for a light ale.  Now days there are a ton of hops that have Hallertauer parentage so you could go with - Mt Hood, Mt Rainier (if you can find it), Crystal, Liberty, etc.  Perle is a fantastic hop that's often overlooked, I like it anyway.  cheers, j

Offline madscientist

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2011, 09:54:48 pm »
Lots of choices!  I had a Rye Pale Ale a few months back and it had Ahtanum, Cascade, and Nugget hops.  Was absolutely amazing, so that's where I got the idea for Ahtanum.  Maybe I'll have to make a few batches of this and try different varieties. Maybe I'll throw some cascade in at the very end.   
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Offline gmwren

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2011, 07:40:17 am »
Sterling? Supposedly a Mt Hood, Saaz profile with low cohumulone.

Offline anthayes

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2011, 10:57:51 am »
I need some Hop recommendations for a light ale.

For an English Light Ale or Boys Bitter, I would go with East Kent Goldings or perhaps Challenger.

Ferment with Windsor yeast to leave lots of flavour and a high FG.

Ant Hayes
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Offline onthekeg

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2011, 10:23:53 am »
I would vote for a nice cream ale with about 20 IBU of Willamette.

Offline euge

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2011, 10:44:34 am »
I need some Hop recommendations for a light ale.

For an English Light Ale or Boys Bitter, I would go with East Kent Goldings or perhaps Challenger.

Ferment with Windsor yeast to leave lots of flavour and a high FG.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

I like the Windsor yeast. One of my better low gravity ales in the last six months used Windsor and finished at 1.020. Wasn't too sweet or heavy bodied. Just perfect. Hops were Goldings and Fuggles IIRC.
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Offline skyler

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2011, 11:46:05 pm »
Mt. Hood and Glacier are both very neutral, if that's what you're looking for.

Offline madscientist

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2011, 07:51:37 pm »
I ordered Ahtanum, Hallertauer, and Cascade.  I am loving the Hallertauer, I just tried an amber ale that I brewed with Hallertauer/Fuggles, and it's very mild.  It's only been bottle conditioning for two weeks though, and it still has some "green beer" flavor.  So it'll be interesting to see what it tastes like in another week, but I really like them.  Probably puttin the Ahtanum in at 60ish, and the Hallertauer near the end, and the Cascade after the boil is over.  Only doing 2.5 gallons, so if it doesn't work out, I'll try another hop combo. 
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2011, 08:05:53 pm »
Willamette would be my choice, but I'm on a bit of a kick right now.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2011, 08:19:50 pm »
German noble hops are some of my favorite. Hallertau or Tettnanger would work really nice.
Ron Price

Offline madscientist

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2011, 08:34:46 pm »
Brewed this today (1/16) and used White Labs American Ale Blend yeast, as I said, using Athanum, Hallertauer and Cascade at the end of the boil.  The color was nice and pale, so now I will wait patiently for it to ferment.  Meanwhile I have an Amber Ale that I brewed with Hallertauer and Fuggles.  Needed an extra week to bottle condition, but now it's beautiful.  A nice mild hop flavor with a little maltiness, and clean finish. 
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Offline madscientist

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Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2011, 09:42:29 am »
Bought ingredients to turn this into a pale ale with Magnum hops :-)  (This one was only about 26 IBU, the magnum should kick it up to about 37-40). 
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