So each year after I harvest my First Gold hope, I take a look at what I have and I create a one off beer with the fresh green hops, this year, I decided to brew a Pale Ale.
This recipe uses clean Pilsner malt paired with Carapils and wheat malt for body and head stability, and loads it up with 700g of fresh wet First Gold hops harvested on brew day.
| Batch Size 20 Litres | Target OG 1.060 | Target FG 1.011 | Target ABV 6.4% |
Target Parameters
- Est. Bitterness: ~28 IBU
- Est. Colour: ~9 EBC (Pale Straw / Light Gold)
- Mash Efficiency: ~75%
- Boil Time: 60 minutes
The Grain Bill
| Grain / Fermentable | Weight | Percentage | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilsner Malt | 4.50kg | 90% | Crisp, clean, straw-gold malt base |
| Carapils / Dextrin Malt | 0.25kg | 5% | Enhances body, mouthfeel, and head retention |
| Wheat Malt | 0.25kg | 5% | Head stability and subtle grain smoothness |
Hop Schedule (Fresh Wet Hops)
| Addition | Variety | Weight | Timing / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitterness | Magnum (or Challenger) | 15g | Boil 60 min (hits target ~25 IBU base) |
| Wet Whirlpool | Fresh First Gold | 500g | Whirlpool 20 min @ 80°C–85°C |
| Wet Dry Hop | Fresh First Gold | 200g | Add on Day 7 (3 days contact, submerged) |
If you are brewing this outside harvest season or using dried hop pellets instead of wet hops, replace the wet hop additions with standard T90 pellets at a 5.5:1 ratio:
- Whirlpool: Replace 500g fresh wet hops with ~92g of First Gold pellets (steeped at 80°C–85°C for 20 mins).
- Dry Hop: Replace 200g fresh wet hops with ~38g of First Gold pellets (dry hopped for 3 days).
Yeast & Fermentation Schedule
- Yeast: 1 x 11g sachet Lallemand Nottingham Ale Yeast (direct pitched).
- Primary Fermentation: Ferment at a strict 18°C for 5 to 6 days until active bubbling subsides.
- Diacetyl Rest & Dry Hop: On Day 6–7, raise temperature controller to 20°C. Add the 200g fresh First Gold hops in a weighted, sanitised mesh bag (or 38g pellets). Maintain at 20°C for 3 days.
- Cold Crash: Drop temperature to 3°C for 48 hours to settle out hop material and yeast prior to packaging.
Step-by-Step Mash & Brew Guide
1. The Mash
Strike with approximately 15L of water at 72°C to achieve a target mash temperature of 65°C. Hold at 65°C for 60 minutes for high fermentability, giving Nottingham the headroom to attenuate fully down to ~1.011.
2. Lauter & Sparge
Sparge with water at 76°C until you collect roughly 24L to 25L of pre-boil wort in the kettle.
3. The Boil
Bring to a rolling boil for 60 minutes. Add 15g of Magnum at the 60-minute mark to build a clean 25 IBU bitterness backbone.
4. Wet Hop Whirlpool (80°C)
At the end of the 60-minute boil, turn off the heat and cool the wort down to 80°C–85°C. Stir in 500g of fresh wet First Gold hops (or 92g pellets). Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Keeping the temperature below 85°C prevents burning off the fresh floral and citrus oils.
5. Fermentation & Dry Hopping
Chill the wort to 18°C, oxygenate well, and pitch the Nottingham yeast. Follow the temperature schedule above, adding the weighted 200g fresh dry hop bag on Day 7 for a 3-day contact window before cold crashing.
Got a thought on this? Share this post or say hello elsewhere online.