You know, I like harvesting hops straight from my backyard and brewing up something special with them. Every year, I take what I grow and make a unique Harvest Ale to capture the season in a glass and 2024 is no exception. This time, I’m using my Chinook hops for a batch that’s a bit of an experiment. We’re have a small one-gallon pilot batch to see if these hops are good enough for a full five-gallon brew. In this video, we’re tasting the this year’s crop to see if they make the cut!

Look at the color of the Harvest Ale!

2024 Harvest Ale Recipe (Pilot Batch)

I gave it a go for a one gallon batch and will scale up (5x) for a brew session later.

Water

Spring Water with 2 grams of Gypsum

Grains

Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt – 91% of the grain bill
Bestmalz BEST Red X Malt – 4.5% of the grain bill
Briess Carapils Malt – 4.5% of the grain bill

Hops

1 ounce of homegrown Chinook hops – 60 minutes in the boil
2 ounces of homegrown Chinook hops – Whirlpool for 10 minutes at 180°F (82°C)

Yeast

1 packet of LalBrew Verdant IPA Yeast

Mashed at 150°F (66°C) for an hour. Boiled for an hour

Fermented at 65°F (18°C) for 10 days

Cold crashed for 2 days and then transferred to serving vessel

Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 5%

Tasting Notes and Final Decision

This Harvest Ale looks great, with a deep golden color reminiscent of Sierra Nevada’s classic beers, and the aromas hit with that classic “C-hop” character we like to have in American ales. There’s a bright citrus note, somewhere between red grapefruit and candied orange, which is really inviting. Taste-wise, the Chinook brings a bit more bitterness than we expected – a clean, slightly pithy bitterness with earthy, spicy undertones. The malt provides a nice background without stealing the show, though there could be a dialing back of the Red X malt for the full batch. This one’s definitely got that throwback vibe, like an early-2000s American ale, which makes it perfect for sipping around a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving.

So, did this year’s crop make the cut. We say yes! The hop character from this crop of Chinook is surprisingly clean and vibrant. There will be a full batch to share around the holiday table. This would be a solid Thanksgiving beer, cutting through those rich holiday flavors without overpowering.

If you have the chance to grow your own hops, do it. I like having this option for an annual brew.

Cheers and BREW ON!