Brewing Master

Question:

Okay. I’m a hop head. More to the point, I’m a cascade hop head. I’m relatively new to homebrewing (less than a year and 10 batches to my name), but I’m ready to venture away from beer kits and on to more specialized recipes. Being a confessed cascade hop head is there anyone out there who could provide me with an extract/specialty grain pale ale or IPA recipe that really depicts the aroma/flavor/nose tweeking abilities of cascade hops? Any and all help will be much appreciated. Regards, Chris Spearen

Response:

Give this a try…  You get a nice blend of different hops but the cascades really come through in a big way (especially from the dry hop) 6pounds of Light malt syrup 2.5 pounds of light DME 8oz of 20 L crystal malt Bittering hops  Galena – 12%Alpha  1oz 45min boil Aroma Hops      Tettnanger 15min .25oz                   Fuggles   10min   .25oz                   Cascades  at end of boil  1/2oz                   Cascades   Dry Hop in secondary  .25oz I do this in all grain, but the extract conversion should be pretty close. Shooting for an OG of  1.055 – 1.060 and about 50 IBU I have had good results with White Labs "California Ale" and with EDME dry yeast. ek – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay. I’m a hop head. More to the point, I’m a cascade hop head. I’m relatively new to homebrewing (less than a year and 10 batches to my name), but I’m ready to venture away from beer kits and on to more specialized recipes. Being a confessed cascade hop head is there anyone out there who could provide me with an extract/specialty grain pale ale or IPA recipe that really depicts the aroma/flavor/nose tweeking abilities of cascade hops? Any and all help will be much appreciated. Regards, Chris Spearen

Response:

In my humble opinion, cascade hops carry nicely through all by themselves.  I’ve tasted pale ales, pilsners and amber ales containing significant proportions of cascade flavour and aroma hops – any beer is an excuse for cascade to show off. (BTW I don’t really condone calling a light lager a pilsner if it contains cascade hops.  I’m a traditiona Saaz & Hallertau kind of lager guy.) My favourite use is in Pale Ales of the Sierra Nevada type.  The grain bill is very simple and the hops are the star. I notice that "ek" has posted a recipe – very similar to the one I have been using (except an all grain version). Try it – you’ll like it. Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay. I’m a hop head. More to the point, I’m a cascade hop head. I’m relatively new to homebrewing (less than a year and 10 batches to my name), but I’m ready to venture away from beer kits and on to more specialized recipes. Being a confessed cascade hop head is there anyone out there who could provide me with an extract/specialty grain pale ale or IPA recipe that really depicts the aroma/flavor/nose tweeking abilities of cascade hops? Any and all help will be much appreciated. Regards, Chris Spearen

Response:

Sounds like an interesting brew, ek…the only thing I’d add would be some toasted malt…anywhere froma 1/2 to a full pound, depending on your tastes (for myself, I use 1 1/4#) Chris, if toasting sounds good and you’ve never done it, try it this way. Preheat your oven to 350F. On a CLEAN cookie sheet/jelly roll pan, spread out your UNMILLED 2 row pale malt. Put the pan of malt into the oven. In about five minutes, you’ll start to smell it…keep an eye on it, you’re looking for a light to medium toasty color…shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Remove from sheet and let cool, then put into a tupperware or similar container and let it sit for at least a day before cracking in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. The longer you let it rest, the toastier it’ll taste. Luck Mike

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Give this a try…  You get a nice blend of different hops but the cascades really come through in a big way (especially from the dry hop) 6pounds of Light malt syrup 2.5 pounds of light DME 8oz of 20 L crystal malt Bittering hops  Galena – 12%Alpha  1oz 45min boil Aroma Hops   Tettnanger 15min .25oz                   Fuggles   10min   .25oz                   Cascades  at end of boil  1/2oz                   Cascades   Dry Hop in secondary  .25oz I do this in all grain, but the extract conversion should be pretty close. Shooting for an OG of  1.055 – 1.060 and about 50 IBU I have had good results with White Labs "California Ale" and with EDME dry yeast. ek Okay. I’m a hop head. More to the point, I’m a cascade hop head. I’m relatively new to homebrewing (less than a year and 10 batches to my name), but I’m ready to venture away from beer kits and on to more specialized recipes. Being a confessed cascade hop head is there anyone out there who could provide me with an extract/specialty grain pale ale or IPA recipe that really depicts the aroma/flavor/nose tweeking abilities of cascade hops? Any and all help will be much appreciated. Regards, Chris Spearen

Response:

   I am not a real big fan of cascades, but I brewed a sweet stout a couple of years ago and used cascade hops. It turned out awesome. Steve

Response:

   I am not a real big fan of cascades, but I brewed a sweet stout a couple of years ago and used cascade hops. It turned out awesome.

Steve, You wouldn’t have a copy of the recipe that you used for that stout that you cold post or send me would you?  I have been trying to formulate a recipe in an attempt to clone Rogue’s Shakespear stout and yours sounds like it might give me some more options.  I have searched a number of archives and know that Rogue’s website lists the ingredients, but the hop amounts, schedule and grain %’s are eluding me.  I’ve made some good stouts, but not like Shakespear.   Any one else have any pointers on it, I’d gladly take them! Thanks Rick

Response:

Try this: 8 lb Dry Malt Extract 8oz 40