Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: My Recent Experience with Citra  (Read 13728 times)

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
My Recent Experience with Citra
« on: February 26, 2013, 07:27:43 am »
So I've never made a Citra focused beer before - its always been a small component of a large hop bill.  Recently, I have been trying to develop hop profiles that are significantly different across my IPA, APA, Amber and Am Brown, so I decided a few weeks ago to make an APA that is Citra dominant.

Basically, Flavor, Whirlpool and Dryhopping are all 50% Citra, 25% Centennial, 25% Cascade.

It seems to me that DOMINANT is the word.  I just took a sample of one of the kegs that is carbing and it is intense tangerine and mango aroma, and it seems to have no other hop profile than the Citra - I can't pick up any of the expected aromatics or flavor of the other two hops.  I expected more pine and grapefruit and general citric aromas to at least be present. 

Is this abnormal or is this what you guys experience?  I'm thinking I'm going to be a little less heavy handed with Citra in the future - I like it in the background, but its a bit overpowering for me as a feature hop.
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2013, 07:40:28 am »
+1.  The tangerine /orange is very intense.  I like it but not always at its level of intensity.  I will say that the pungency and pine of Chinook did come through against Citra in my last IPA.
Jon H.

Offline dmtaylor

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4716
  • Lord Idiot the Lazy
    • YEAST MASTER Perma-Living
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2013, 08:28:07 am »
Citra is indeed a very intense hop.  A friend of mine recently blended 50/50 Citra and Centennial in an APA/IPA.  There's no telling there was any Centennial in that beer -- it tastes exactly the same as his 100% Citra APA.

I do believe that it might blend okay with very strong hops such as Simcoe and Mosaic, maybe Columbus.  But otherwise, take it easy on the Citra or it will indeed overpower everything else.
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10675
  • Milford, MI
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2013, 09:27:56 am »
My hops have essential oils of about 1%. Citra can be as high as 3%. They can dominate.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2013, 09:30:03 am »
Are these 2012 crop? I found the 2011s to be fairly delicate with the mango/guava-ish thing dominant and very little citrus. I haven't brewed with 2012s yet.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2013, 09:42:58 am »
I was at a local brewpub last night and ordered and IPA that had 7 different hops, although they didn't list any of them.  On the first sip, Citra overwhelmed everything else in there.  Kinda like it was the only hop. 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline kylekohlmorgen

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1363
  • Saint Louis, MO
    • The South House Pilot Brewery
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2013, 09:44:18 am »
I put Citra and Chinook in the same category of intensity (Simcoe is also close). If I'm using these hops with less-intense varieties, I back off of my normal equal percentage hop mix. Usually 1.5-2 to 1 paired with a hop like Cascade or Centennial.

I LOVE Citra, though. What a great hop.
Twitter/Instagram: @southhousebrew

Recipes, Brett/Bacteria Experiments: http://SouthHouseBeer.com/

Offline bboy9000

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 703
  • KCMO
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2013, 10:32:39 am »
A friend of mine brewed a Nelson IPA and the Nelson Sauvin gave it a powerful orange aroma.  I'd like to try a wheat with either Nelson or Citra.  Tallgrass Brewing makes their Halycon Wheat with Citra and it isn't overpowering but I can definitely taste the Citra.  I'm not a fan of pitting fruit in beer but a hoppy wheat with Citra would be fun to try.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2013, 10:34:58 am by bboy9000 »
Brian
mobrewer

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2013, 11:46:12 am »
I just can't resist the urge to post my hate for this hop .... just don't like citra at all. Perhaps in the tiniest amounts it blends well, but as a dominant hop I just can't enjoy it in a beer.

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2013, 11:46:59 am »
Are these 2012 crop?

Yeah - first run with the 2012 pellets.  I like Citra, I just really don't like the dominance - its too fruity for me.

Kyle - I hear you though I would say that Citra is more dominant that either Chinook or Simcoe, though the latter two are also quite dominant, Citra is head and shoulders above in that aspect.

Interesting comments Jeff and Denny - guess it ain't just me.
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10675
  • Milford, MI
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2013, 11:51:20 am »
I just can't resist the urge to post my hate for this hop .... just don't like citra at all. Perhaps in the tiniest amounts it blends well, but as a dominant hop I just can't enjoy it in a beer.
That is the way I feel about Nelson. I like Citra.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2013, 11:54:27 am »
I just can't resist the urge to post my hate for this hop .... just don't like citra at all. Perhaps in the tiniest amounts it blends well, but as a dominant hop I just can't enjoy it in a beer.

I'm with you, Keith.  Just way too tropical fruity for me.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2013, 11:56:21 am »
I just can't resist the urge to post my hate for this hop .... just don't like citra at all. Perhaps in the tiniest amounts it blends well, but as a dominant hop I just can't enjoy it in a beer.

I'm with you, Keith.  Just way too tropical fruity for me.

I'm sort of leaning this way too - I'm glad half the batch was brewed for my teammates at the Tough Mudder this weekend - at least it will go fast so I can brew something else...
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2013, 12:16:12 pm »
I just can't resist the urge to post my hate for this hop .... just don't like citra at all. Perhaps in the tiniest amounts it blends well, but as a dominant hop I just can't enjoy it in a beer.
That is the way I feel about Nelson. I like Citra.

I have not gotten around to trying it yet but have been thinking about using in in a saison.

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: My Recent Experience with Citra
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2013, 12:57:34 pm »
A friend of mine brewed a Nelson IPA and the Nelson Sauvin gave it a powerful orange aroma.  I'd like to try a wheat with either Nelson or Citra.  Tallgrass Brewing makes their Halycon Wheat with Citra and it isn't overpowering but I can definitely taste the Citra.  I'm not a fan of pitting fruit in beer but a hoppy wheat with Citra would be fun to try.

I've been shying away from Citra, but using it in a wheat sounds like a good idea.  But, like they say, you gotta try it to like it!

Dave
Dave Zach