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Author Topic: simcoe  (Read 7818 times)

Offline morticaixavier

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simcoe
« on: November 12, 2013, 02:06:27 pm »
Tell me about this hop. I am a (mostly) organic brewer and this is the first year I have seen organic simcoe available so I snapped 6 oz up.

I've got two brewdays coming up one is my holiday beer for this years gifts the other is my annual barleywine to celebrate my sons birth (this will be the third year).

I also grabbed some magnum and cascade and have some liberty, sterling, and one other that slips my mind at the moment although I know it's an American variant of a noble hop.

I know this hop has a reputation for being catty and I don't mind a little dankness I don't want an overwhelming preponderance of it. Are there tricks and tips for best utilizing this hop in order to minimize that contribution?

any other thoughts that you would like to share?
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Offline dannyjed

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2013, 02:19:03 pm »
I think it is clean as a bittering addition. I also love it for flavor and aroma. Many people find it catty, but I just don't get that. I think I get more pine and citrus and it works well with Amarillo. It seems to be one of those hops that people either love or hate. I think it would be great with some of those other hops in a Barleywine.
Dan Chisholm

Offline brewmichigan

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2013, 02:30:27 pm »
If you use this hop for just bittering, you will have your brewers card taken away. This hop was born to be used in the aroma and flavor additions. It has a wonderful piney, resinous flavor that is synonymous with the West Coast DIPAs. I love to pair this hop with Amarillo. Probably my most favorite hop combo ever.
Mike --- Flint, Michigan

Offline Pinski

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2013, 02:51:19 pm »
If you use this hop for just bittering, you will have your brewers card taken away. This hop was born to be used in the aroma and flavor additions. It has a wonderful piney, resinous flavor that is synonymous with the West Coast DIPAs. I love to pair this hop with Amarillo. Probably my most favorite hop combo ever.

+1, I think it also works well with Centennial and moderate applications of Citra.
Steve Carper
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2013, 03:03:18 pm »
Agreed, Amarillo and Simcoe is a great combo - hard to beat.  But it blends really well with most any American hop. One of my favorite blends is Amarillo/Centennial/Simcoe/Columbus, but I've used it as well with Cascade, Motueka, Galaxy, Chinook, and Ahtanum, to name a few.  Great hop.
Jon H.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2013, 03:05:56 pm »
You have to use it and see for yourself. I like it, my wife does not.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline wissota

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2013, 03:25:21 pm »
Quote
You have to use it and see for yourself. I like it, my wife does not.
  +1

I think it is about personal smell/flavor.  And I really do believe the ability to detect cattiness and dankness is genetic to some degree.  For me, simcoe is all cat-pee and I will avoid using it. In fact, I know of award-winning commercial beers that generously use Simcoe and I nearly gag when smelling/tasting, while the person next to me is in hop euphoria. I am not arguing with those that love the aroma and flavor.  I'm sure that's what they experience.  So, long story short, use your own judgement.  And there are a lot of commercial beers to help with Simcoe research ;)

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2013, 04:44:43 pm »
Simcoe is bad. Send to me.

Its the backbone of my IPA, pairs well with any C. With mosaic I get fresh mango/grapefruit.
Heavy Simcoe can be dank young but develops a nice citrus over time

Offline Stevie

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2013, 06:38:28 pm »
I have only tasted cat pee in mckeller's all Simcoe. Before that I couldn't figure out what people were talking about. I get more cat pee for CTZ.

Offline Herminator

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2013, 06:39:39 pm »
Quote
You have to use it and see for yourself. I like it, my wife does not.
  +1

I think it is about personal smell/flavor.  And I really do believe the ability to detect cattiness and dankness is genetic to some degree.  For me, simcoe is all cat-pee and I will avoid using it. In fact, I know of award-winning commercial beers that generously use Simcoe and I nearly gag when smelling/tasting, while the person next to me is in hop euphoria. I am not arguing with those that love the aroma and flavor.  I'm sure that's what they experience.  So, long story short, use your own judgement.  And there are a lot of commercial beers to help with Simcoe research ;)

I agree with the cattiness comments.  It smells like a dirty liter box to meā€¦but it is popular nonetheless.  I think if you are careful with it and pair it well with some other hops, specifically amarillo and citra as other have said, it can be drinkable.  I think it a personal preference.  Try it out and see what you think. 

Cheers!
Hermen D.
Muerte Brewing

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2013, 07:24:07 pm »
Since you only have 6 oz I would find some beers known to have heavy simcoe and try them to see if you like it.  Unless your holiday beer is hoppy like Celebration Ale, I would go with them for the American barleywine.  If you make an English barleywine I would skip it for both of those beers and make a big IPA or something.  Simcoe screams American to me, so I would only use them for something where you want that character.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2013, 07:55:07 pm »
Quote
You have to use it and see for yourself. I like it, my wife does not.
  +1

I think it is about personal smell/flavor.  And I really do believe the ability to detect cattiness and dankness is genetic to some degree.  For me, simcoe is all cat-pee and I will avoid using it. In fact, I know of award-winning commercial beers that generously use Simcoe and I nearly gag when smelling/tasting, while the person next to me is in hop euphoria. I am not arguing with those that love the aroma and flavor.  I'm sure that's what they experience.  So, long story short, use your own judgement.  And there are a lot of commercial beers to help with Simcoe research ;)

We all have different thresholds for 4MMP, which is the cat pee compound. Many women are sensitive to it. I generally get pine and citrus, but if it is really skanky, I see what the wife is objecting to. Full disclaimer, I clean the cat boxes in our house.

Jeff Rankert
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Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
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Offline fmader

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2013, 04:14:04 am »
Simcoe spells IPA to me. I don't find it "catty"... In fact I'm still trying to figure out what the hell that means lol. I find it straight piny. I like to describe it as chinook on steroids. I like it single hopped, but I think it pairs best with centennial from what I've paired it with. I have not tried it with citra but I have Amarillo. Unlike most people, I'm not huge on that combo. I find the flavors clash. Try it for yourself, I think you'll like it!
Frank

Offline gmwren

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2013, 06:34:32 am »
Quote
You have to use it and see for yourself. I like it, my wife does not.
  +1

I think it is about personal smell/flavor.  And I really do believe the ability to detect cattiness and dankness is genetic to some degree.  For me, simcoe is all cat-pee and I will avoid using it. In fact, I know of award-winning commercial beers that generously use Simcoe and I nearly gag when smelling/tasting, while the person next to me is in hop euphoria. I am not arguing with those that love the aroma and flavor.  I'm sure that's what they experience.  So, long story short, use your own judgement.  And there are a lot of commercial beers to help with Simcoe research ;)

We all have different thresholds for 4MMP, which is the cat pee compound. Many women are sensitive to it. I generally get pine and citrus, but if it is really skanky, I see what the wife is objecting to. Full disclaimer, I clean the cat boxes in our house.

So where in the brewing process is the 4MMP most pronounced? Long boils? Whirlpooling?, Dry hop? Does hop terroir affect this? What is the flash point? I like this hop when the cat pee is VERY subdued, so there has to be a way around it.

Offline brewmichigan

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Re: simcoe
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2013, 06:50:29 am »
Quote
You have to use it and see for yourself. I like it, my wife does not.
  +1

I think it is about personal smell/flavor.  And I really do believe the ability to detect cattiness and dankness is genetic to some degree.  For me, simcoe is all cat-pee and I will avoid using it. In fact, I know of award-winning commercial beers that generously use Simcoe and I nearly gag when smelling/tasting, while the person next to me is in hop euphoria. I am not arguing with those that love the aroma and flavor.  I'm sure that's what they experience.  So, long story short, use your own judgement.  And there are a lot of commercial beers to help with Simcoe research ;)

We all have different thresholds for 4MMP, which is the cat pee compound. Many women are sensitive to it. I generally get pine and citrus, but if it is really skanky, I see what the wife is objecting to. Full disclaimer, I clean the cat boxes in our house.

So where in the brewing process is the 4MMP most pronounced? Long boils? Whirlpooling?, Dry hop? Does hop terroir affect this? What is the flash point? I like this hop when the cat pee is VERY subdued, so there has to be a way around it.

I believe it is just a compound this hop has more of than others. The only thing I can think of that might eliminate it would be dry hopping since in won't be in the boil but maybe not. What do you think Jeff?
Mike --- Flint, Michigan