Hop choice

[Sozzled Sab]

A question for all English ale/bitter brewers.
If you had to restrict yourself to three types of hops which ones would you choose. I thought of fuggle and Golding but not sure about the third. I always seem to have part used packs. I know hops are cheap but I am a tight wad and hate to see waste. I would welcome your thoughts.

 

[MrRook]

Challenger/Goldings.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Magnum or Challenger for bittering, fuggles and first gold for flavour/aroma

 

[The Baron]

I would choose EKG, First Gold and Pilgrim but it changes all the time but I would rather use Styrian Goldings than Pilgrim but its not English

 

[Michael Burnley]

Northern brewer & fuggles

 

[Sandimas]

Styrian Goldings is my go-to late hop. Bramling Cross is another favourite for a blackberry-like flavour.

Target for a harsher bitterness.

If I was restricted to 3 it would be Fuggles, Challenger and Styrian Goldings.....in fact, those are the 3 that I grow.

 

[MickDundee]

I’ve recently used Willamette in a bitter and thought it worked really well

 

[Sozzled Sab]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I wish I could grow hops like darrellm but I don't think I have the ideal climate in mid Wales.

 

[Sandimas]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I wish I could grow hops like darrellm but I don't think I have the ideal climate in mid Wales.

You almost certainly can, I'm not that far from you over the border near Malvern. Prime hop growing country just to the west of me.

 

[An Ankoù]

Fuggles and Goldings are essential. the only question for me would be the third one. If my choice were "for all time" I'd have difficulty choosing between Jester, Bramling Cross and WGV. I'd be sorry to lose Phoenix, too.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

For me the 3 would be,
Challenger
EKG
Fuggles

 

[obscure]

Fuggles and East Kent Golding for sure, I would then want a more general ’bittering’ hop probably Challenger. You can make a lot of decent beer with just these three.

Also seen I match a lot of people, honestly I would have a hard time doing without Bramling Cross, but I have to go for the above three purely due to the versatility they offer.

 

[Sozzled Sab]

You almost certainly can, I'm not that far from you over the border near Malvern. Prime hop growing country just to the west of me.

That's interesting, I will have to do some research. It would be great to grow my own hops next to my veg. Everything tastes better when you've grown it yourself.
Cheers and thanks for the info.

 

[isitbeeroclock]

Fuggles, challenger, and bramling cross are the 3 English hops i use mostly, very versatile in a range of styles

 

[Sozzled Sab]

A big thanks to all the replies. Seems like challenger is a popular bittering hop. I confess Bramling cross is not one I've tried but sounds interesting.
I am a fairly inexperienced brewer but now want to start designing my own recipes and suggestions like these are invaluable.
Once again a big thanks.

 

[The Baron]

Any of the hops mentioned will make good English style ales/bitters.
Look at your fave English beers on the net and it will usually somewhere tell you what hops are in them to help you choose

 

[Cwrw666]

That's interesting, I will have to do some research. It would be great to grow my own hops next to my veg. Everything tastes better when you've grown it yourself.

They grow alright in West Wales. And we're 600 feet up on a north facing slope.

 

[regsmith]

Goldings, Challenger, Northdown, WGV and Fuggles for me

 

[Festival Man]

A question for all English ale/bitter brewers.
If you had to restrict yourself to three types of hops which ones would you choose. I thought of fuggle and Golding but not sure about the third. I always seem to have part used packs. I know hops are cheap but I am a tight wad and hate to see waste. I would welcome your thoughts.

Hello Sozzled Sab, and everyone else interested in the hop side of our hobby. The answer to your question is really quite miriad because there are so many difference choices and preferences in beer for each individual. The breeding and crossbreeding of hops has gone on for many years now to produce the long list of varieties that you see on your downloaded lists when looking for substitutes. The mainstay hops of Fuggles and Goldings have each their own spin off bred varieties. So, going back to the matter of choice then, i think that if you go to the following site,- www.wildabouthops.nz > uk_pale_ale_recipes You will find,as I have, a literally eye opening site which gives all the hops used in all of the best known commercial breweries that I know of, for pale ale and bitter It also goes on to show all the ingredients for same as well as the amounts and times for the hops. Great reading, you will find treacle in one very famous brew and syrup and raw sugar in another. An absolute eye opener. Let me know. any of you, if you have been to this site and what you think of it? Cheers, and many happy recipes.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Hello Sozzled Sab, and everyone else interested in the hop side of our hobby. The answer to your question is really quite miriad because there are so many difference choices and preferences in beer for each individual. The breeding and crossbreeding of hops has gone on for many years now to produce the long list of varieties that you see on your downloaded lists when looking for substitutes. The mainstay hops of Fuggles and Goldings have each their own spin off bred varieties. So, going back to the matter of choice then, i think that if you go to the following site,- www.wildabouthops.nz > uk_pale_ale_recipes You will find,as I have, a literally eye opening site which gives all the hops used in all of the best known commercial breweries that I know of, for pale ale and bitter It also goes on to show all the ingredients for same as well as the amounts and times for the hops. Great reading, you will find treacle in one very famous brew and syrup and raw sugar in another. An absolute eye opener. Let me know. any of you, if you have been to this site and what you think of it? Cheers, and many happy recipes.

I've used the broadside recipe from this and it turned out alright, plan to try the Bengal Lancers recipe soon too.