Brew Dudes

We Brew Dudes are curious, a little reckless, and always ready to wander into the unknown with a brew kettle.

That’s why we brewed a single-hop, single-malt beer (SMaSH) using the Erebus hop variety (formerly labelled HS16660), to figure out what aromas and flavors it would bring to a beer.

Let’s see if this hop actually delivers on what the commercial descriptors claim.

Brewing With Erebus Hops – The Recipe Breakdown

For this SMaSH beer experiment, we kept things simple. Here’s how it shook out:

Batch Size: 1 US gallon
Water: 2 gallons of Spring water for a no-sparge mash
Malt: Rahr 2-row Pale Malt
Yeast: US-05 dry yeast
Hop Schedule: 1 ounce of Erubus hops (28 g)

• 60-min boil: ~3.5 g Erebus (for a touch of bitterness)

• Whirlpool @ ~185 °F with 17.5 g

• Dry Hop: 7 g Erebus after primary fermentation

Process Notes:

• Ferment for about one week with US-05

• Cold crash after fermentation

• Dry hop during cold conditioning

What We Perceived From The Glass

From the glass, the aroma had our brains doing weird memory dives.  We perceived key lime candy meets that bubblegum. I actually said “Blueberry Bubblicious” out loud. Mike registered strong key lime and a herb-like ginger-lemongrass vibe on the nose, with maybe a hint of green grape lurking in the background.

This hop really flexes its high oil content and geraniol profile. You can almost smell floral and rose-like qualities that aren’t typical in most pale ale hop bills. On the palate, it’s crisp, citrus-leaning, with an almost candied fruit finish that’s strange and delightful. If you’re looking for a “classic” citrus hop, this one is not exactly it. If you want something that punches with a weird, invigorating character into a simple beer, Erebus does it beautifully.

Our conclusion? Thumbs up from these Dudes. This hop delivers a compelling sensory experience. It’s not just citrus-fruit, but candied and floral that stands up in a simple beer and begs for more experimentation. I’d even try it in a dry, rice-driven lager or lighter style where the hop can really sing on its own.

Brew ON!

There’s something pure and almost meditative about doing a SMaSH beer: one malt, one hop, water, yeast. What we are seeking is to learn what a hop really brings to the beer.

This round is all about Contessa hops, US-grown “noble hop” developed by Hopsteiner. Let’s see what we learned from this experiment.

The Process

As we do for all our 1 US gallon SMaSH beer experiments, we keep it to two pounds of base malt, one ounce of hops, in this case, Contessa hops, and good old US-05 yeast.
Because of the “nobel” nature of the variety, I evenly spread the additions of the hops across the brewing process.

Contessa Hops SMaSH Beer:

• Malt: 2 pounds of Rahr 2-row pale malt

• Hops: 1 ounce (28 g) of Contessa hops

  • 7 g at 60 minutes to go in the boil

  • 7 g at 15 minutes to go in the boil

  • 7 g at flame-out

  • 7 g dry-hop after chilling

• Yeast: 3 g of SafAle US-05

• Water: 2 gallons to boil, spring water from the store

• Procedure: 60 minute mash, 60 minute, chill, pitch yeast, ferment, dry-hop after 24 hour chill for 1 day, package

Our Tasting Notes

From the pour, Contessa delivered something interesting: herbal and green, like green tea and soft lemongrass and something floral. There’s also a light, underripe pear vibe, maybe a hint of light citrus, but nothing aggressive or juicy like your typical American “punch-you-over-the-head” hops.

In flavor, that herbal, vegetal quality carries through. Mike said it was a little reminiscent of mushrooms or a subtle forest-floor vibe, but not dank or funky. It’s more “quiet forest walk” than “pine stinky trail.” The bitterness is smooth and gentle, clean on the palate, light enough that you just keep sipping.

Our Overall Thoughts

So what do we think? Contessa hops are quiet, refined, and elegant. If you’re chasing big citrus bombs or tropical hop bombs, this hop variety is not what you are looking for.
This hop is for beer that’s subtle, drinkable, and maybe a bit contemplative. We think it would be good in light lagers, Kölsch, or a soft wheat beer or Gose.

Certainly if you are looking for a change from the typical, traditional noble hops,  give Contessa a shot. With a light malt bill, I don’t think you’ll go wrong.

Brew ON!