All Citra IPA

craig_reed · 03-03-2011, 06:52 PM

I am going to be brewing an all citra IPA with 5 oz of whole citra hops (fresh as can be!)

I am using 1lb of Caramel 20 and 11lbs Light LME as well. I don't have my specifice hop schedule with me (at work) but am super excited for this brew. But it will be 4 oz throughout the boil with 1 oz dry hopped.

Recently brewed a Simtra IPA (Simcoe/Citra) and it was a HUGE success with everyone, even a local small brewery in town. They loved my recipe, and all of my friends keep telling me to rebrew it again (I already have twice).

I love the citra hop, and my local HBS just got in a fresh shipment of whole leaf citra so I figured why not.

What do you guys think?

**Yooper** · 03-03-2011, 07:04 PM

I made an all citra APA. I hated it.

It screamed MANGO, and I didn't like it. I dryhopped with cascades to cover some of the "tropical fruit" flavor a bit, and it came out reminiscent of Juicy Fruit Gum.

I like citra with simcoe and/or chinook very much, or as one of the late additions, but not all on its own. It's way too fruity for me.

craig_reed · 03-03-2011, 07:29 PM

Interesting - maybe I will pick up some cascade to mask it a bit. I was hoping hte high abv would help cut some of that out though..

Naven · 03-03-2011, 08:30 PM

I have heard nothing but good stories from others doing all citra recipes. Put then again, I would probably really like the fruitiness referenced by Yooper. I'm going to brew a Amarillo/Citra pale ale (Amacitra?) here in the next few days, which is hop combination I read rave reviews about.

iswenson · 03-03-2011, 08:39 PM

Theres a Citra Hopped Amber in the recipe section that looks good. Perhaps switch the malt bill to suit an APA and your gold.

BTW your looking at a IIPA with that much LME. I would use 6 lbs + the 1 lbs 20L, drop the citra down to 3 oz.

1 oz @ 60
.5 oz @15
.5 oz @ 0

1 oz dryhop

sorry I didn't see you were using fresh hops...go w/ your original schedule. I think it would make a bomb beer. Even w/ 11 lbs making an IIPA it would steel be good

usmclar1 · 03-03-2011, 08:47 PM

I love Citra, but will agree with critics that it has some odd stuff going on with it when used as a bittering hop. My favorite recipe is a Warrior/Sorachi Ace/Nelson Sauvin/Citra/Motueka IIPA recipe (just "belgianed" it for the first time too) with the late boil hops being heavy on the Citra side. Adds a very "bright" aroma when used as a dry hop too in my opinion.

craig_reed · 03-03-2011, 09:02 PM

Thanks for the input!

I forgot to mention I am going to use White Labs Californial Ale V as my yeast for this one.

I say what the hell, I'll just go for all 5 oz and 11lbs. I originally only wanted 10lbs, but the LHBS messed up and gave me 11 for the price of 10, so I figured why not add a little extra alcohol to it?

AA on this citra is 13.4% a little higher than normal

I think it should turn out well.. I am at work but I think BeerSmith had it coming out at 6.8%ABV or so

Mike_A · 03-09-2011, 06:39 PM

6.8 ABV with 11lb LME - are you making 5 gal or 10?

Your alpha acid extraction efficicency will depend heavily on the gravity of your boil - basically how much extract do you have in the boil at the point you're tossing in the hops. Beersmith figures all of that out though, but you can decrease the amount of hops by adding the extract in late boil. All boiling really does to LME is sterilizes it, so you only need about 15 minutes.

MashTun-Kutcher · 03-09-2011, 07:26 PM

I love the smell of raw citra hops but for some reason dry hopping it gets a different smell. Its not bad or anything its just differnt to me. Just something to keep in mind.

BrewThruYou · 03-09-2011, 07:45 PM

I just brewed a Citra IPA that was bittered with Warrior last night. All late additions were Citra and then I'll dryhop with Citra too.

I read some stories on here that said Citra was disappointing when used for bittering, so I decided to use a cleaner bittering hop like warrior or magnum.