After my visit to Apine Beer company last month I was tempted to try these hops. I then went to SF and Cellarworks had a wonderful session 5% Nelson Sauvin. I have read that the hop is pretty powerful but I have not had a feeling for how to really use it well. What to mix it with so I am looking for suggestions. I would be interested in either a session (looked at doing my late hop PA and swapping out some of the hops in this recipe which comes out pretty good.) or my standard simple IPA as follows,... 11# Pale 0.5 # Munich malt .25# crystal 60 .25# melanoiden (often omitted) .75oz chinook at 30min .75oz simcoe at 15 1.25 cascade at 5 .5 centennial at 0 .5 simcoe at 0 1 oz dry hop simcoe Or a nice IPA 12# Pale 1.25# Crystal 40 .75# cara-pils 1# sugar 1.25 oz warrior 60min 1.25 oz chinook at 10 1.25 simcoe at 5 1.0 chinook at 0 2.0 simcoe dry hop Any suggestions on altering these to accommodate Nelson to get a nice nelson taste? peter
i have used NS once, and therefore far from experienced. I can say that NS is not at all like any other hop variety I know of. it is a love it or hate it sort of thing. I do not think NS works well with other varieties due to its unique character. perhaps you should just use NS by itself for bittering and aroma on this first try. then you will get to know NS better and have a good idea for next time. others may have stumbled upon a killer NS complimentary hop, but I remain skeptical of the versatility of this hop. Cheers.
I've only used Nelson in a saison and enjoyed it. Past that, I can't see myself wanting it in my IPA's but thats me.
Disclaimer: YMMV depending on your palate. Use them if you got 'em...alone or blended with other varieties...they are potent, so use a lot of what you blend with if you are on the fence.
I've always like them in commercially produced beers that I've had. Not so much in my own beers... Tried them once in a single hopped pale ale and didn't like them at all. My recommendation, based on that would be to blend them with other hops that you think would compliment them. Also, like FATC1TY, I've used them to dry hop a saison before and I quite liked it.
I brewed this about a year or so ago. It was great, like scuppernong grapes. http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/damn-you-nelson
Yeah, my efficiency drops ~15% if I only collect enough wort for an hour boil. I like the melanoidin development, as well.
The saison I did, was like a white wine berry saison. Pretty dang good. Used GNO's and I think I used some belma in there to bitter, which lended a strawberry-ish note, and coupled with 3711 yeast, pillows and pillows of foam and lacing.
I, too, did a NS saison with 3711. Saaz for bittering, NS in very late addition and dry hop. Definitely one of the favorites of what I've brewed so far.
@ OP: I've done an APA with Nelson/Simcoe at 1:1 ration that turned out well. I haven't tried it myself, but I bet that Chinook/Nelson might work well too. Take your PA recipe and go all Nelson, and I'll bet you really like the results.
My beer turned out great … just to finish this thread.. used this: 11 # Pale 12 oz Crystal 20 8 oz crystal 60 bit of sugar to hit gravity 1 oz centental at 30 min 0.75 Nelson at 15 1.25 Nelson at 5 1.25 Simcoe at 5 1 oz Nelson at flame out 1 oz Simcoe at flame out dry hop 4 days 1 oz Citra 1 oz Nelson used 090 San Diego yeast. OG 1.054 FG 0.009 in 5 days….
I'm not a home brewer , I've had two IPAs that have featured Nelson . IMO very close to Centnnial in profile , a little tangerine/orangey twist,
