Topaz hops - 16.5% AA

[Dan]

Has anyone had any experience with this Austrailian hop?

Massive citrus and passionfruit flavours - but conflicting info, for and against early and late hopping!

I want to use it in a single hopped pale ale - 1.045 and 30 IBU.

Some direction in hopping would be great!

[bart]

Well to make a pale ale have enough hoppy flavour to even begin to be called a pale ale, I usually would use at least 35g of hops at both the flavouring (10 min boil) and aroma (1 min boil) stages... If you do both of these with Topaz at 35g per addition, you'd come out around 29.7 IBU without any early hops involved what so ever. Not that theres anything wrong with that - I have had some fabulous beers hopped only in the last 15 mins. If you put in any hops earlier than 10 or 15 mins you're not going to have enough IBU's left to give it the real characteristic hops flavours and aromas which are what you're probably seeking. You could try an absolute smidgen early on but keeping in mind some of those high alpha hops can give quite a sharp bitterness if boiled for a long time.

[Dai]

Hey Daniel, what's the story with 1.045 and 30 IBU- doesn't sound like you.  You feeling okay?  Taste buds taken a hammering?  Sounds like after brewing that, the best thing you could do is go out and buy yourself a scivvy, relax with a nice herbal tea, and may be get your nails done ;)

[FatD]

bahaha :)

[Dan]

haha - very funny! It's your recipe I'm blatantly ripping off - well grist anyway! I know it's completely out of character to get below 1:1 OG/IBU, but I've read a lot about this hop - and I'm SCARED!!!

I'll send you down a couple bottles of Sexy Rexy - Rex clone2 - that'll give your taste buds a going over!! haha

As for the herbal tea, skivvy and nail comments... you'll keep!

[Richard Jack]

They sound interesting, where are you getting them?

[Dan]

I picked up a 90g bag in Brisbane over xmas while on holiday. I just asked the guy at Craftbrewer "what new and exciting" and he sold me Topaz!!

I'll bring a bottle along to the next WBC if it's any good. Same goes for my Tripel :)