Pliney the Younger question

In Sam Calagiones homebrewing book, there is a 2page article on how to do it.

 

There is? Where? I see the Hopfather recipe on page 149 but it doesn't look like PtY.

To the OP, check out themadfermentationist.com He put up IIRC two really good articles about brewing PtY

 

The Brewing Network had Vinnie Cilurzo on a few years ago (The Session, labeled Vinnie + Hops, but I don't remember the date) and he talked about this a little. He said he would not put out a homebrew recipe because he had to use extracts with the Younger and that they were not available to homebrewers. This may no longer be the case. It wouldn't hurt to email Vinnie. He is very tolerant of homebrewers bugging him.

 

2.50 AN OZ WOW, thats insane..imo pliny is ripping people off- 4.50 a pint seems more fair, I didnt think it was that rare, granted I have not seen it up here in buffalo NY ever soooo

 

Probably a CO2 hop extract. Not sure if it's available to homebrewers. A quick google search made me thing it's not. On another note. Isn't it funny that some people think less of Lauganitas for using it in Hop Stoopid, yet it seems that RR uses it too. Actually, a lot of brewers do.

 

This is where I say, I don't care how they do it or what goes in it if it tastes good. It takes a lot of skill to make either of the Plinys.

 

Probably a CO2 hop extract.

This is what I think. Vinnie said he uses extract for bittering as well but the missing link for us is the CO2 extracts.

 

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/hopshot.html

I've had excellent luck with this stuff in my DIPAs.

 

Now, if we could only get specific varieties...

 

IIRC, from that podcast, Vinnie himself doesn't know the specific hops varieties. I'm of the opinion that with a 90 minute boil, the specific bittering hop is not going to make a huge difference. I'm willing to be persuaded though.

 

The specific hop does affect the bittering. Even at 90 minutes. The extracts are made to be pretty, for lack of a better word, generic. I think they use a variety of different hops, but the last I heard, CTZ is usually one of the main hops.

 

I think you do get different flavors with different bittering hops, but nothing that will show up in a DIPA. What I meant was I think Vinnie uses CO2 extract for some of the flavoring additions too. This enables him to get more hop flavor without the risk of adding vegetal notes from pellets or cones, not to mention lost beer, clogging equipment, etc.

ISO Amarillo CO2 extract...

 

Pliny the Younger is rare. You must be confusing it with Elder which is a bit more available. Not only is Younger a seasonal one time release but along with that other than California, it is not served anywhere on the East Coast except Philly. Not sure of the price but my guess it is sells for $8-10 in a snifter glass with maybe 4-6 oz tops.

 

Prices can vary quite a bit, but I paid $12 for what I would say was an 8oz pour of younger and a 12oz pour of elder.

 

I think professional brewers have access to specific hop extracts, but the closest homebrewers can get is the stuff northernbrewer sells. I was listening to a podcast on the BN, and they said that specific hop extracts cost 4x as much as the generic stuff.

 

I know zero about hop extracts, so does this mean that northernbrewers Amarillo hopshots are not actually Amarillo?

 

If they have specific ones then they are what they say, but last I looked they were non-specific. Interesting that they have amarillo now.

 

Damn, I wish I new about these a week ago. I would have ordered one for my DIPA. Oh well, I'm the only person here (my friends and family) who would appreciate it.