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I am looking to brew the Amber Ale listed at homebrewtalk.

The Hops bill is:

  • 1 ounce centennial (to get you to 28-29 IBUs) 60 minutes (I used an ounce of 7.7 and .25 ounce of 8.5% AAUs)
  • 1 ounce Liberty (4.5%) 30 minutes
  • 1 ounce crystal (3.3%) 2 minutes

I don't have any of the above hops, but I do have:

  • Fuggles
  • Goldings
  • Target
  • Magnum
  • Willamette

I'd rather not buy 3 new packs of hops for this beer, but I could go for one.

Looking at the Hop Substitute Chart, I think I could replace the Liberty and Crystal in the recipe with Hallertau? (I'm looking to brew some german ales next anyways)

From what I've read, the first 60 min addition is for bittering rather than flavouring, so it shouldn't matter too much what I substitute it for, provided it's of a similar bitterness. Is that correct?

Given this, which of the hops I have, and how much, should I substitute?

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3 Answers 3

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Using what you have, and me not being a fan of centennial, I would use.

Magnum (bittering) 60min

Willamette (flavor) 30min

Willamette (aroma) 2min

Those should play nicely since Fat Sam seems to be a US inspired beer.

Adjust your hop weights to match the IBU potential of the original hops using the new hops AA%

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2

I'm going to pass on a secret about homebrewing...

The hop bill isn't all that important unless you're trying to recreate something. For instance, I keep a few cheap hops on hand (a few dollars a pound) for bittering. I adjust according to the bitterness that I want by the Alpha Acid. As far as the flavoring and aroma hops go, use what you like. Seriously. For instance, I really like the flavor profiles of Galaxy or Citra. If I make an amber, one of both or those are going in. I've used Soreache Ace in a kolsch. The secret is, use something that you like (you're the person who is drinking it).

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  • Good tips, this will only be my 4th different recipe, so still learning. Thanks for your input! :)
    – RYFN
    Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 16:02
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Like CharlieHorse said, it really doesn't matter much what you use.

Although I would like to put in a small caveat, it is worth paying a little attention to what hops you're using together. This guide from Brew Your Own or this guide from Beer Advocate or any other guide available online will describe in broad terms what to expect from the different hops. There are combinations that you may not enjoy. I brewed a few beers with nelson sauvin, and found it hard to pair well.

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  • It's just like adding herbs to soup. Some hops play well together while others seems to argue over who's going to be dominant. This is where brewing and/or drinking a lot of beer comes into play.
    – CharlieHorse
    Commented Jan 28, 2016 at 14:25

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