MD Craig explains why we love brewing a single hop beer
2023 has seen us selling lots of cask ale. So much so, we were running out of our seasonal cask specials well before the end of the month. Now, we can't have that. So we started to brew an extra cask special for a couple of months to make sure we had something to offer our customers outside of our core range of beers.
We took this as an opportunity to see what tasty sounding hops were available to brew some single hop pale ales. With the help of the ever knowledgeable Charles Faram team, we chose a few to try out.
MD Craig explained what we need from a single hop in order to brew a beer that still has depth of flavour; 'Traditionally multiple hops are used in beers to create bitterness, aroma and flavour. To use a single hop it must have all of the forementioned attributes'.
July saw us brew 'Mosaic', this 4.0% pale ale used the Mosaic hop which can give flavours of blueberry, mango and passionfruit.
In August we brewed 'Nectaron', a 4.0% ale that is lovely and pale, hoppy and brings fresh peach and citrus flavours. The Nectaron hop is from New Zealand and is intense and full of character. 'When chosen and used correctly a single hop can really bring out the specific flavours from the hop and give a clean, defined flavour'. So just because a beer only uses a single hop, it certainly doesn't mean you should be lacking in taste.
So how do you get the most out of a single hop when brewing? Craig fills us in. 'We add the hops a second time into the tank post fermentation for a specific amount of time at a controlled temperature. This allows the oils to penetrate the beer without too much bitterness masking the flavour'.
We will likely be adding another single hop beer to the mix in the next couple of months, so keep your eye out!