Help with an ancient hop receipe

[Korpi Brewery]

Hi all!
I would like to ask your common opinion on how to best utilize a bag of locally grown hops.
Here's a little background for hop growing in Finland: Back in the 17th,18th and 19th century it was required by law for every land owner to grow a certain amount of hops for the crown. This law is in fact still valid, though not in effect.

Today semi-wild and wild hops grow across the country and these varietes have been studied in recent years. I managed to acquire a bagful of these hops with a detailed analysis of its chemical fingerprint. Now the question is, what kind of beer should I brew with these delicate cones?

Here's the chemical composition:
alpha acids: 2%
consisting of:
Cohumulone: 0.6%
n-Humulone: 1.1%
Adhumulone: 0.3%

beta acids: 2.8%
consisting of:
Colupulone: 1.5%
Lupulone+AdL: 1.3%

The chemical composition was described as "unusual", consisting of "extra" compounds.

I understand these hops are very low in acids and very delicate overall. I've got 180grams (6 ounces) of dried cones and I can make 23 liter (6gal) batch. What should I do with these? Aroma/flavor only or single hop it? What style to shoot for?

Appreciating your input!

 

[Nosybear]

I'd start with something very simple to get the "feel" of the hops, how they taste, how they smell, how they bitter (it makes a difference). If you're sure of the 2% AA, try something very middle of the road with a boil, flavor and aroma addition, then "dry hop" some of the batch. A little test never hurts and it produces beer!

 

[Korpi Brewery]

I'd start with something very simple to get the "feel" of the hops, how they taste, how they smell, how they bitter (it makes a difference). If you're sure of the 2% AA, try something very middle of the road with a boil, flavor and aroma addition, then "dry hop" some of the batch. A little test never hurts and it produces beer!

Would a 9%abv Imperial Pilsner be simple enough?

 

[Nosybear]

Would a 9%abv Imperial Pilsner be simple enough?

It isn't what I'd do but by all means, if you think it's a valid test, go with it. I eas thinking more along the lines of a 5% ABV SMASH blonde.

 

[Hogarthe]

I'd use them all in a pretty simple beer, split somewhat evenly between 60, 30 and 0 minute additions. Use the recipe calculator to keep it under 20 ibus and the rest goes in at 0.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I'd go with above light ABV light grist clean ale or lager yeast and hoped as above.

 

[Korpi Brewery]

Thank you for your input. I have a strong pils on my plans, and that's why I brought it up. Based on your feedback I may tone it down to a regular pils just to see what these hops are made of. Pilsner and light Munich malts 9:1 ratio. OG in the 1.050 region, shooting for 18-22 IBU range.

 

[Mie]

I'm going to be trying out some more similar experiments with locally grown hops from Sweden (Which had similar laws to Finland).
I don't have a chemical analysis of them sadly.

So far I made one beer with them. It was a very simple ale, with pale ale malt and some wheat a tiny tiny bit of cara red. I assumed the alpha acids were in the 3 to 5 ish range for mine as I knew of some similar hops from my region.
It turned out to have quite sweet apple like notes with a hint of pepper.
(The ale turned out way too strong though due to my own error but new attempts to come)

I'd love to hear how your beer turned out, brewing with these ancient odd hops is pretty exciting!

 

[Mie]

So I brewed a small 10L batch today with a super simple grain bill and some local hops my mom picked for me! (The ale & pilsner malt was just what I had left over to make it work, but I'd have gone for either.)
I will let you know how it turned out

 

[Mie]

Sorry for hijacking your thread @Korpi how's your tests going?

I just tried my test today, very early on for sure as the beer is about as cloudy as the autumn day I held it up against.

But the hops I brewed with have an interesting green-apple-grape like aroma toward the white wine direction.

I feel like the very thin body beer I made gave the hops a way to really punch thru even if they are actually quite faint. So I'd recommend that for testing hops

I'd bet alpha acids to be around 2.5 rather than the 4.5 I punched into the recipe calculator but that's pure speculation.

 

[Mie]

After a bit of lagering I believe the tart-green apple taste to be coming from acetaldehyde unfortunately. It's not that pleasant to drink.

 

[Megary]

I'm sorry to hear that. According to Palmer's How to Brew, the presence of Acetaldehyde indicates that the fermentation was stressed or incomplete.
Possible causes (his words, not mine):
Overpitching
Over-aerating
Starting fermentation too warm and allowing the fermenter to cool as it progresses.

Do you think that could have been the cause?

 

[Mie]

I'm sorry to hear that. According to Palmer's How to Brew, the presence of Acetaldehyde indicates that the fermentation was stressed or incomplete.
Possible causes (his words, not mine):
Overpitching
Over-aerating
Starting fermentation too warm and allowing the fermenter to cool as it progresses.

Do you think that could have been the cause?

Can be any of those really!
I did use a whole pack (intended for ~ 23L) in a 10L batch.
I was using my temp controlled fermenter for something else so I just left it to ferment at room temp, the temp seemed to stay in range but you never quite know.

Thanks for the tips, this was my first time doing a small batch so none of this occurred to me before with bigger batches.
Next small batch I do I will only pitch half a pack and not aerate as much!

 

[Megary]

Do you still have any of the Swedish Local hops left? Would love to see you have another go at it. It's threads like this that I find so interesting. Trailben's boulardi test is another great example. Brewers experimenting for the greater good!
Skal!

 

[Mie]

Do you still have any of the Swedish Local hops left? Would love to see you have another go at it. It's threads like this that I find so interesting. Trailben's boulardi test is another great example. Brewers experimenting for the greater good!
Skal!

I do! And I have rhizomes from the plant so I can perhaps plant them if they are good

I have about 70 grams or so left! And yeah I agree it's so fascinating to see these old relics in action!

If its not too exiting I might look for other local plants and try to grow them.

I will probably do a slightly more complex grain bill than last time thoigh, this one felt a bit too thin to give the hops a good balance.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Good luck Mei