Zythos and Bitterless Black wheat malt

Ingredients
1

Just got a 4 oz sample from Hop Union. “10.9% aa 5.2% beta. Typical beer styles, IPA, Pale Ale”

Anyone try or heard of these hops yet?

Also got a sample of “Midnight Wheat” Bitterless Black Malt 550 L “no bitter, astringent dry flavors or aftertaste, slightly sweet, hints of roasted flavor” and Blackprinz Malt 500 L “mild roasted malty flavor”. Both samples from Briess.

Anyone try those? Briess says they are seasonal malts that where introduced last year that are being rolled into full production by request.

2

Digging a little deeper looks like Zythos has some similarities to amarillo though not as intense grapefruit.

3

Do you get New Belgium down there? Their “Snow Days Wheat” is brewed with a large proportion of midnight wheat (around 40% IIRC).

Zythos is a blend of 14 varieties, including Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo, and Sorachi Ace. Focusing on low-cohumulone varieties, apparently. http://www.beerblotter.com/2011/07/26/things-really-starting-to-hop-in-yakima/

4

40%??? That sounds insane! We don’t get New Belgium but I have had most of their beers, not that one though.

I don’t really like these blended hops because they are not consistent from year to year. I was hoping it was a new variety.

5

I could be way off on that number, but it’s definitely a “wheat beer” grist. Just black wheat instead of pale. There’s no roast to it at all. It’s a new seasonal for this year, BTW.

6

The brewer at our Rogue local gave me a taste of midnight wheat from a bag he had.  Very smooth, comparable to carafa.

7

There’s no info at that link for zythos having 14 varieties in it… it was falconer’s flight that they said had 14… I don’t think there’s any published info on whats in zythos yet.

8

Boundary Bay made a “single-hop” pale ale using Zythos, and I was lucky enough to get it. I got a lot of piney and grapefruit in it, but it was very tasty. I don’t know, I was thinking Amarillo and Centennial, with some other C-hops added as well.

9

There’s no way they used 40%. Look at it.
http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/detail.aspx?id=97225858-9577-43a7-94fa-1b0b7d639bd5

It says it’s in there but just a small amount for color I bet.

10

I brewed my first Black IPA in November with both Midnight Wheat and Blackprinz.  I liked it a lot, and it got rave reviews at the office Christmas party (5 gallon keg gone in 2 hours).

Here’s the recipe I came up with:

5 gallons, 1.060 OG

12 lbs. Malteurop 2-row
0.5 lbs. Caravienne

Mash at 153°F for 90 minutes, then add:

0.5 lbs. Midnight wheat
0.5 lbs. Blackprinz

Stir in a 1/2 tsp of calcium carbonate and batch sparge.

1.5 oz. Amarillo FWH
0.5 oz. Northern Brewer 60 min
1 oz. Simcoe 20 min
1 lb. table sugar 10 min
1 oz Amarillo 0 min

Ringwood yeast

11

I wasn’t there for the brew session or anything; that’s just what one of the brewers told me.

12

It’s going to color the beer quite differently than a grain that is black because of roast. If the grain is roasted it is black because it had a lot of carbonized matter in it, this turns the liquid darker black. With the midnight wheat the grain is just black so you migh tnot get as much color from it as you would a comprable colored roasted malt. just a guess but it makes sense to me!

13

Ah, I was thinking it was a roasted grain like carafa. My bad… That could make sense then.

14

I don’t think so. It is 500L and black as night. Seems like they are trying to target carafa. The taste is like carafa as well. I am going to call Briess today or monday about ordering a couple sacks and ask a couple Q’s to try so I will report back.