Sorachi Ace and Citra hops - Page 2

**cookinwood** · 03-05-2010, 08:17 PM

I have recently brewed an imperial IPA. I used citra as a finishing hop for 15 minutes with cascade for the final 2 minutes of knockout. I also 50/50 dryhopped with cascade/citra 1.5 ounces of each. And am now randalizing with 3/4 ounces of each. This is by far one of the best imperial ipa's i have ever tasted

Here is the recipe

10.5 lbs marris otter
3 lbs 6 row
2 lbs flaked maize
1 lbs crystal 90

2 oz Galena 12% a.a.(60 min)
2 oz Chinook 13% a.a.(30 min.)
1/2 oz Citra 12% a.a.(15 min.)
1/2 oz Cascade 5% a.a. (2 min knockout)

mash 1.25 qts/lbs at 120 degrees for 45 minutes then decoct to 151 until full conversion has been reached. Sparge and boil as directed with hops scheduled.

chill and pitch
2-3 packs of Safale US-05 dry yeast

Dry hop 7 days with
1.5 ounces cascade
1.5 ounces citra

Randalize
3/4 ounce citra
3/4 ounce cascade

for best results let hops rehydrate in randall for 2 days to get the best aromas and minimize greeness flavor

OG 1.095
FG 1.019
ABV 9-9.5%
IBU 105

emacgee · 03-07-2010, 02:41 AM

Thats good to hear. I know some Sierra Nevada people pretty well and from talking with them I believe the SN brewers avoid using Citra in the boil because in their experience it added a harsh or unpleasant bitterness/character. Not sure if this was from a 60 min addition or something later. I have heard from several people that they were able to achieve positive effects with Citra used later in the boil on a homebrew scale.

**nutty_gnome** · 03-09-2010, 12:49 PM

I used sorachi ace in a pale wheat beer. half ounce at 60 mins, half ounce dry. At bottling it had a nice bitterness with up-front tropical fruit and cononut taste followed with an aftertaste of bitter lemon peel. Now, 3 weeks later, the strong lemon peel has faded but there is still a nice 'passionfruit and coconut' taste going on. Its weird and I like it. I would use more to bitter next time.

I am getting more of these to work with. I call it the 'Sorachi Sucker' because it s real chuggable beer.

emacgee · 03-09-2010, 08:39 PM

Alright, so I just made what I call a "half-brother batch" where I split a 5 gallon brew two ways and ferment with different yeast to compare. It was a light Belgian Ale and or a 5 gallon brew I bittered traditional for a Belgian and then held all other hop additions until I tossed in 3 oz of Sorachi Ace at 5 min-KO. Its about 10 days old and I took a sample today from each and have to say they are doing extremely well. Very dry and citrusy with a definitive lemon rind/zest character. Definitely one of the better brews I've made on the sensory side.

**defenestrate** · 03-10-2010, 12:10 AM

i love citra as a dry hop (leaf). i've yet to use it as a flavor addition. i did use it in a flameout and dry hop in a american brown and it was delicious, sweet melony citrusy goodness. i've also used it as a dry hop and flameout in a black IPA. i think that it needs a good malt backbone to stand up to.

Gargon · 03-16-2011, 12:58 AM

i also just made a american wheat ale using this hop only.
Lemon Wheat
American Wheat or Rye Beer

Type: All Grain
Date: 2/20/2011
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.50 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 60.00 %
4.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 40.00 %
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace [10.90 %] (60 min) Hops 19.8 IBU
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace [12.00 %] (60 min) (Mash Hop) Hops 4.4 IBU
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace [10.90 %] (15 min) Hops 9.8 IBU
0.25 oz Sorachi Ace [10.90 %] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.25 oz Sorachi Ace [12.00 %] (2 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs American Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP320) Yeast-Wheat

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG Measured Final Gravity: 0.000 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.51 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.00 %
Bitterness: 35.9 IBU Calories: 0 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.2 SRM Color: Color

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
Sparge Water: 4.58 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 3.13 gal of water at 161.4 F 150.0 F

Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

**fastricky** · 03-16-2011, 01:53 AM

Citra is great for dry hopping.

I don't get the appeal of Soriachi tho'. I didn't get lemon from it at all, just a very heavy-resin sort of flavor.

**DubbelDach** · 03-16-2011, 04:00 PM

Did this over the summer: Sorachi Summer Ale It used my cream ale base and was hopped with Sorachi only.

I loved it... Added a bit of zest there to enhance the lemon flavor, but this came out very comparable to Sam Adams Summer Ale.