Hops r in

Barry, I have brewed with Equinox (Ekuanot) a number of times and I have never got a strong flavor of green bell peppers but once I did obtain a hint of vegetable which I could see somebody (not me) describing it as green bell pepper. When I brew with Equinox (Ekuanot) I solely use this hop for flavor and aroma (including dry hopping) because to my palate this hop variety is like using multiple hop varieties; it has an extremely complex flavor profile for my palate. Unfortunately since there is so much going on with this hop I am not good at describing it.

At Nathan Smith's presentation at NHC 2014 he detailed Equinox as the next "new great tasting hop"; he described it as having flavors of citrus, tropical fruit and pine.

Below is a write-up I found on the Northern Brewer website:

“At first, Equinox is familiar—in a pleasant, desirable way. Tropical fruit, papaya and mango notes reminiscent of Mosaic and Citra offer versatility across fresh-flavored styles. Then, things get weird.

In the midst of the bright citrus and melon there is a ribbon of green pepper. Or something like green pepper. It’s not green pepper in the eat-it-with-hummus-use-it-on-a-fajita sense of green pepper. It’s sweet and fruity but seemingly not fruit.

The interpretations of Equinox have been so wildly different yet similarly perplexed that we’ve decided it’s just one of those hops you’ll have to experience for yourself.”

In a past New Beer Sunday thread I discussed my first Equinox IPA (Autumn of 2015). Below is an extract:

“Aroma:

The first thing that hits my nose is a wonderful hop aroma! There is a lot going on here:

· Some tropical fruit

· A bit of citrus

· Yup, there is some cedar there as well

· A pungent smell that I would not personally call green pepper but I could see somebody using this term

This is the most complex hop aroma I have ever experienced! If my verbal skills were better I would be able to list a half-dozen more descriptors for hop aroma.”

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-558.349949/#post-4201670

How would you describe Equinox (Ekuanot) hops?

Cheers!

 

Thanks for that description, Jack!

 

I've used a few lbs of Equinox and agree with the citris, pine scent and taste. Never had any green pepper taste, perhaps a little tropical fruit. For me, pairs well with c hops especially chinook.

 

Harvested my chinook a couple weeks ago. Didn't trim them very well this year so their shoots battled with my Cascade and Centennial for primo real estate. Will be picking my Cascade and Centennial in a few weeks.

 

My chinooks went sideways this year. This is their third year in barrels, and about august they stopped growing. The hop cones are little dwarf cones, the bines aren't thick, the leaves are a bit small. Time to transplant I suppose.

 

No holes.

 

I got a really shitty harvest this year. Thankfully the Chinook are looking nice at my mom's place and I'll have enough to brew my annual 'backyard beer' – 20ish IBU wheat beer fermented with some caught wild yeast.

 

I didn't keep up on watering or feeding like I normally do. Picked and dried my C hops the other night. Got 1.65oz of Columbus and 1.69oz blend of Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade. Going to use them as dry hops in half my batch of IRA that is ready right now.

 

Citra at 25, Simcoe at 10, Nugget, Citra, Simcoe, CTZ WP. The other half of the batch will get Nugget, Citra, Simcoe, CTZ pellets. Aiming for a malty, lightly roasted, super dank West Coast Red IPA. All on a base of Pale Ale Malt, a blend of Cara Malts, Chocolate malt, and dark sugars.

 

Columbus are drying, got 5 gallon bucket packed. Cascade is next and believe it or not there are way to many. Any local Brewers want some fresh cascade?

 

How do you guys dry your? I was thinking about using my food dehydrator. But am worried I will be rotating trays faster then I want to.

Figured I would use an extra brew bag to put them in until they are good and dry.

 

Spread them out on a window screen and run a fan underneath them. Keep out of the sun, usually done in sever hours if it's around 100. I have my setup in a greenhouse so that's where I get the 100 or higher temps

 

Food dehydrator works well, just do. OT set temp higher than 140.

 

I used a food dehydrator this go round since I didn't have many to deal with.

 

Harvest is done, centennial hops was disappointing, Golding fuggle tettnang nugget and chinook all very good.

Hope everybody else's harvest is excellent.