[morticaixavier]

I just got some hops for an IPA. went in looking for cascade and simcoe. they were out of simcoe (the joy of buying organic homebrew ingredients in a market still very very shallow in organic options) so I ordered cascade, german smaragd, and new zealand rakau instead. Not a substitution just a replacement. 

I've got 6 oz of each. planning a 5 gallon batch so I should have enough. but when to use them?

grain bill will be some variation of a basic pale malt and munich. I'll target a high sulfate level using RO water, epsom and gypsum. yeast will be us-05.

can't be over the top big because I have to brew it on 05/03 and have it ready to go in bottles by 05/19 at the latest.

all right, let 'er rip oh great lights of homebrew IPA.

[HoosierBrew]

Well the Rakau (~ 10% AA) would make the best bittering hop, so I'd start there with the 60 min addition. I would blend whatever is left for late and dry additions. I like to then work backward and decide how many oz to dry hop - I like 4 -6oz+. Then whatever is left after bittering and dry additions I'd add incrementally from 15min to flameout, reserving maybe half for the FO addition. Then a hopstand of ~ 45 minutes @ 180F. I think it sounds great !

[HydraulicSammich]

Mort, I have been enjoying some very nice IPA's this winter using Great Western 2 row and their Munich.  I have been simply changing up the hops and enjoying them.  My procedure has been using the higher alpha hop as the bittering hop, usually 2 to 3 ounces, or more, depending the alpha acid, as FWH.  Then, heavily load up at 1 minute and again at 0, or just everything at 0.  Oftentimes using the bittering hop and only one other.  Then doing the usual whirlpool for 45 minutes or so.  Also, a robust dry hop using the same 1 and 0 minute hop combo.  My water profile is 300 plus sulfate and careful pH control.  Nice color and mash low to dry it out more and it is pure heaven. 

[kmccaf]

Rakau and Cascade sound like a perfect match to me. I think I would load up at the end of the boil with those, and add a touch of the smaragd for nobley complexity. The ipa I used Rakau in last year was easily consumed with a couple of weeks of packaging. Really great hop.

[erockrph]

Rakau gives me a pretty sharp bitterness, in the vein of Columbus or Chinook. If that's what you're looking for in your IPA, then I'd use it for about 30-40 IBUs at 60 minutes. Otherwise, go with the Smaragd at 60 minutes and/or the Cascade as FWH (again for 30-40 IBU's).

Frankly, I don't think Smaragd is going to give you a heck of a lot of IPA-like flavor or aroma. I haven't brewed a single-hop brew with it, but I have used it in combination with a few other hops in an IPA before and didn't find that it brought anything to speak of, except maybe some herbal noble-hop flavor. I have heard it described as "Germany's equivalent to Amarillo", but it's nowhere close.

If it were me, I'd bitter as I described above. I'd reserve 2-3 ounces each of the Rakau and Cascade for dry hops. And I'd add the rest of the Cascade and Rakau (and possibly 1-2 oz of the Smaragd for a bit of a background note for some complexity) at flameout and hop stand for an hour or so.

[kmccaf]

I was looking at my IPA recipe last night that I thought had Rakau in it, and saw that it was actually Riwaka. I have also used Rakau, but I recant my statement that it would be perfect with Cascade. Rakau is a fine hop, just a little rough. After my Rakau IPA sat for about 3 months it became quite lovely, but my opinion is that it needs to mellow for a while making it a less than ideal IPA hop, IMO.

[morticaixavier]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I've got a couple days before I brew so we will see what we end up with.

[morticaixavier]

fast aproaching flame out on this brew.

grist was:
6 kg 2 row
4.5 kg munich 10L

went with 25 grams smaragd and 15 grams rakau FWH, 60 grams each smaragd, cascade, and rakau at flameout. I'll chill to sub 180 and then let it sit for an hour while I run some errands.

I'll dry hop with another 60 grams of each.