First fresh hop brew using the brewzilla (have done several via occasional brewer).
Brew recipe is aiming for a strong West Coast IPA, with hybrid of fresh and pellet hops. Using Pomona yeast as it has been great the last couple times at being very quick, robust and seemed to handle a little pressure well.
Brew went well, slightly different logistically due to the fresh hops;
- Mash as per usual.
- Boil – used the hop basket for the bittering and 20min additions.
- At 10mins I added the YN and WF, then added the cleaned grain basket back into the brewzilla. It didn’t like boiling with the grain basket in place, and came up around the sides, so I lifted it slightly until it was needed to be submerged. I kept the hop basket in with the bittering and 20min additions remaining in it.
- At 5mins I removed the hop basket, and added the first Fresh Hop addition of 500g into the grain basket.
- 0mins reduced temperature target to 85min and added the second 500g of fresh hops.
- I stirred the hops and recirculated on top of the them. Temp reduced to about 90C
- -10min I added the final 500g hops and stirred them in. Recirculated and set the timer for 20mins.
- -30mins I lifted the grain basket and let the wort drop through, keeping the heater at 85C. Once all the wort had filtered through I removed the grain basket with the hops in it and added the cooling coil – note I had pre-sanitised the cooling coil since I couldn’t fit it in the grain basket with all the hops.
- Cooled as normal to below 20C, transferred slowly into the fermzilla, pitched 2x packets of pomona and in the fermentation fridge at 18C and about 2psi.
Within 24hours activity started and foam on top in the fermenter. Quick fermentation, down to 1.024 within 2days.
Day 3: 19/3 End of primary fermentation, dry hop addition added, 18C, SG1.015.
75g Cascade pellets and 75g Krush pellets.
Day 3: 20/3 Increased target temperature to 19C
incresed temp 1C per day to 22C max, left at 22c for diacetyl rest.
closed sounding to around 10psi for rest phase, then fully closed after a week. Pressure came up naturally to around 20psi (at 22c) before crash cooling.
day 14 crash cooled to 4C,
day 15 transferred to keg, approx 17L total in keg due to taking 3L for tasting prior to kegging.
Tasting very good, one of my favourite brews I’ve made. Hop intensity is great with a strong dank and fruity combo for the aroma and flavour. Good balance of bitterness and body without being too full on.