Other Half / YCH Hops : Collaborations - Magic Rock Brewing

Our next two 500ml cans are ready to be packaged; both beers are collaborations and both use a new yeast to us…

Half Cut – Double IPA 8.0%

The first was brewed on the 13th April with our friends from Brooklyn, Other Half Brewing. Sam and Anthony stopped by during their visit for Hop City Leeds for lashings of pilsner and fish and chips and while they were here we brewed a Double IPA too.

We exchanged emails and perhaps predictably decided on a New England double IPA, a beer style which needs no introduction and one for which Other Half are gaining a big reputation in the States. Along with our pale malt Golden Promise, the beer uses a reasonably large percentage of oats in the mash for a creamy body and soft mouthfeel. A low bitterness target (for a DIPA) of around 60IBU was aimed for and Citra, Mosaic & Denali hops added to the whirlpool for loads of tropical/citrus flavour.

We also added some crushed coriander at this point, which when used at low levels helps to increase linalool (a compound found in spices and hops) which helps to increase aroma. The beer was then fermented with London Ale III yeast, which adds a lovely soft and fruity aroma to the beer and finishes slightly sweet.

We went heavy on the dry hopping with lots more Citra and Mosaic as well as some Simcoe and Amarillo. After a heavy sniffing session with the lads from Other Half we also decided to add a little HBC 438, the hop we’d just used in Psychokinesis and was so popular at Hop City.

We’re very happy with the results, the finished beer has a really punchy aroma as well as a super juicy fruit like flavour and a wonderfully soft mouthfeel. We hope you like it as much as we do.

Half Cut will be available from our Taproom in Huddersfield on draught and in 500ml labelled cans from 4pm on Thursday May 4th.

So you don’t have to incur two shipping charges for two consecutive releases we’ll be doing a joint release for both Half Cut & Grower Owned on our website on Friday May 12th at 3pm (PLEASE NOTE * CHANGE OF DATE DUE TO DELIVERY ISSUE –  sorry about this)

Malt: Golden Promise, Oats
Hops: T90 – Magnum, Denali, HBC 438. Cryo Hops™ – Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo
Yeast: WYeast 1318 London Ale III

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Grower Owned – IPA 6.0%

We were delighted to have Senior VP of Operations of YCH-Hop Union, Karl Vanevenhoven stop by to brew with us in Huddersfield a couple of weeks back. Our production manager Nick has known Karl for a few years now and that connection has allowed us to form a great relationship with YCH. As a brief introduction, YCH Hops is a supplier of hops and hop products in and around the Yakima valley in Oregon, USA. For the most part they keep us supplied with our favourite US hops such as, Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Amarillo.

I met Karl at Brau Bevial in Nuremburg last year and his passion for their products and the beers created with them was infectious. Some of the hop farmers who supply YCH HOPS were also in attendance and it was amazing to share one of our beers with Patrick Smith from Loftus Ranches. It brought home to me again how connected and unique the brewing world is and how lucky we are to be part of it.

Karl was in West Yorkshire recently for the inaugural Hop City Leeds which they were co-sponsoring and this presented us an excellent opportunity to once more put some of their delicious products to work. What did we brew? An IPA of course!

Nick and Karl put their heads together and put together a super fruity IPA which showcases the amazing new season’s hops. A little aromatic malt and some wheat was added to the mash to smooth out the mouthfeel and add some malty body flavour. The beer then used T90 Cascade, Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra in whirlpool and big dose of Simcoe, Mosaic & Citra lupulin powder in dry hop.

Grower Owned IPA will be available from our Taproom in Huddersfield on draught and in 500ml labelled cans from 4pm on Tuesday May 9th.

So you don’t have to incur two shipping charges for two consecutive releases we’ll be doing a joint release for both Half Cut & Grower Owned on our website on Friday May 12th at 3pm (PLEASE NOTE * CHANGE OF DATE DUE TO DELIVERY ISSUE –  sorry about this)

Malt: Golden Promise, Aromatic Malt, Wheat
Hops: T90 – Cascade, Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra. Cryo Hops™ – Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra
Yeast: WYeast 1318 London Ale III

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We will also have new range of glassware on the website as of Thursday 12th May at 3pm.

Mini Teku (marked with third and half pint measure)- £5

Brent Tumbler (pint to rim) – £4

Craft master 2 (marked with two thirds and half pint measure) – £3

All made by Rastal