New English IPA II

This is an English IPA using "new" British hops that have a fruity character usually associated with American or Australian/ New Zealand hops. These hops are a little harder to find but are priced at a similar price point to the usual fruity hops. Grain bill is simple, it’s all about showing off the hops with this one.

Brewing Notes

Availability of hops:

• Olicana is now available from most homebrew shops in UK.
  
• CF182 Opus is an experimental Charles Faram hop available in small batches from The Malt Miller, UK.
  
  
  Hop Aid (anti fermentation foam) needed as London III always produces a lot of foam. Ferment at 18C until 5 points off FG and raise 1C per day until 22C. Cold crash when finished to 1C and add dry hop in hop canisters for 2 days before closed transfer to keg. Carbonation 12psi, 12C for 12 days (can drink after 7).
  
  

  Appearance and Tasting Notes
  

  
  Aroma is of green typical hop aroma with caramel. The EBC 150 crystal does give the beer a light brown/dark yellow appearance and gives a caramel flavour to the beer. Not much Olicana flavour or aroma but Opus (CF182) gives a dull orange flavour to beer, like marmalade. The caramel from the malt and orange from the hops do blend well. Dextrin malt helps with head retention leaving tracings of foam on the glass as you drink. The beer is slightly hazy as no extra finings were used. Bitterness is a bit too rounded for English IPA
  
  

  Overall
  

  
  Another addition to the New English IPA series, this one using Olicana and CF182 (Opus). Will give Olicana another chance as mostly flavours are lost or drowned by Opus hops. Olicana shouldn't be used to bitter IPAs, is too soft and rounded as a bittering hop, substitute with Target maybe. Opus would be best used in dark beer, either dark mild or porter to give orange flavour. Not a bad beer but not as good as the first in the series.