“I have to say I’m actually pretty surprised and pleased with the results. Tons of Lupulin and tightly compacted. Light and refreshing and the hops shine. I’m getting apricot but I don’t have the best taste buds to distinguish nuisances. I actually had to use a hammer to break it apart lol. The beer I made was a simple grain bill and used harvest hops additions (5:1 ratio). I’m gonna do Copper soon. Seems promising.”
Dan (Fetch Brewing Company, Whitehall, MI)
“Just a general comment that I really enjoyed brewing with these hops and have almost gone back to Sicilianos to pick up another package of them. The only reason I haven’t is that I didn’t want to stop other people from getting to try it and take the survey. I’d love to see these in stock somewhere in the future.”
Paul (Home Brewer, Grand Rapids, MI)
“The hop flavor and aroma were rich and pungent from these hops. Their bittering qualities may have been a bit less evident, however, I added my hops late so a lack of bitterness may have been due to time of hop additions.”
Brendon (Home Brewer, Muskegon, MI)
“I brewed an Oktoberfest and my hop schedule was 8 oz at 60 min, 8 oz at 20 min and 4 oz at 5 min. I also thawed them out before I brewed. Ok first the positive, the aroma was outstanding better than dry hops. The negative, the nylon mesh bag broke open in the boil, so get rid of that I’ll use a Muslim sock. Last thing would maybe add some literature about how to equate dry hops to wet hops. I make 5-gallon batches and the size you give works on most varieties except I would think on an IPA, Just my 2 cents.
Overall, I can’t wait to try this beer based on the smell, I don’t really know what the IBU’s will be but if it tastes good then that’s all that matters right.”
Tom (Home Brewer, Whitehall, MI)
“Wow! From start to finish I was really impressed! The aroma of the hops was very fresh, and the bag is so convenient. I can’t wait to brew with more varieties and sizes. Thanks, Blue Lake Hops, Cheers!”
Corby (Home Brewer, North Muskegon, MI)
“I love these hops. I could smell them as soon as I opened the package. I noticed that they were still wet and had a good aroma just like my own hops when I harvest. I like the ready-made bag it was nice to have it ready to go, but I would like to see a cloth bag in place of a plastic one. It would be nice to be able to get Amarillo and Centennial in the future”
Jackob (Home Brewer, Whitehall, MI)
“Less complex in the flavor profile but brought earthy tones that you wouldn’t see in a pelletized hop addition.” “The aroma seemed sweeter during boil then a pelletized Cascade addition.”
Michael (Home Brewer, North Muskegon, MI)
“I wanted to express my appreciation and share my experience with the Crystal hops shipped to me following the USPS issue with the first shipment. I’ve recently brewed a “sparkling hop water” (on account of becoming pregnant) with only the Blue Lake Process Crystal hops – and WOW. I steeped the hops at 170 degrees for 20 minutes after lowering the ph of the water to 4.6 with citric acid. Then just cooled and force carbed in the keg. The result tastes and smells as fresh off the bine as the hops themselves! These hops are so floral and full of character, and this application allows that and only that to shine. Also, with hop pellets, hop water inevitably ends up with tiny bits of hop material in the end product even if you use a steeping bag or hop spider. Blue Lake hops are superior in every way for this application. I look forward to enjoying beer brewed with them post pregnancy, but I will be making plenty of batches of this hop water in the meantime. Thanks for an amazing product. I’ll certainly be a repeat customer.” Holly Mulder (Certified Cicerone, Charlotte, NC)
Sparkling Crystal Hop Water
- -3 gallon batch
- -Boil 3 gallons of water for 10 minutes.
- -Let cool to 180 degrees.
- -Lower pH to 4.6 using lemon juice or citric acid (I used 2tsp citric acid).
- -Steep 6oz Blue Lake Crystal hops in mesh or muslin bag for 20 minutes.
- Cool, keg, and carbonate. I left it in the kegerator at 35 PSI for 3 days, then turned down to 12 PSI to serve.
Recipe provided by Holly Mulder (Certified Cicerone, Charlotte, NC)
“Loved the fact that they retain their moisture and absorb less wort/beer. I planned for about 5.5 gallons to account for some absorption and ended with about 5.3. Love the easier cleanup and beer clarity as opposed to pellets. The cascade added a nice citrus/floral aroma, mild spice, floral flavor, and good malt to bitterness balance to my pale ale. I used the whole kilo in 5 gallons so the ratio was closer to 3:1 (blue lake cones/normal pellets) instead if 3.5/1, which is part of why it turned out more like a pale ale. I adjusted my brain bill and gravity was a little lower too so it worked out. The only downside for me is that it might be more expensive than pellets depending on the year and variety. I’d love to try the other varieties at some point, especially the Michigan ones.”
Charlie (Home Brewer, Hudsonville, MI)