Sorachi Ace – just the name of this hop variety is intriguing. It is a high-alpha (11.1% AAU) hop that originates from Japan and it is said to have a somewhat lemony flavour. I didn’t detect a lemon note in aroma of these hops when I opened the bag on brew day, so we’ll have to see if it comes through in the finished beer a few weeks from now.
My decision to make a single hop ale came about for two reasons. Firstly, I had been reading Randy Mosher’s Radical Brewing and had noted his observation that you could get more hop flavour and aroma with late hop additions. Being a bit of a hophead I wanted to try this technique out. Secondly, I had a 4 oz. bag of Sorachi Ace hops lying around and this seemed to be about the right amount for what I wanted to make (a hop-forward beer with a fairly low ABV). Besides, I’m sure you could try every ale in every bar listed on 118.com but still enjoy your own just a little bit more, simply because you made it yourself! Or perhaps not, of course, depending how successful the attempt is! Whatever the end product tastes like though, the process is always fun.
What I’ve ended up with is a pale ale that comes in around 55 IBU, fermented with the Rogue Pacman yeast. This is also the first beer I’ve made using two new toys – my Barley Crusher grain mill and an 0.5 micron oxygen stone, as well as building the largest starter I have done to date (about 1/2 gallon).
Sorachi Ace Ale Recipe
7 lbs. 2-row
1/2 lb. melanoidin
1/2 lb. light crystal
1/2 lb. carafoam
1/2 oz. sorachi ace (leaf) 60 min.
1/2 oz. sorachi ace (leaf) 30 min.
1 oz. sorachi ace (leaf) 10 min.
1 oz. sorachi ace (leaf) 5 min.
1/2 oz. sorachi ace (leaf) at end of boil
1/2 tsp. Irish moss 10 min.
Total boil time: 60 min.
Yeast: Wyeast Rogue Pacman
OG: 1.036
Est. IBU (ProMash): 55