Best use for Citra Hops

I've always wanted to try out Citra hops.

Recently I bought the last two oz of citra whole hops. My question to everyone, if making an IPA or a PA, what amount and increments should I use these two oz.

I was thinking:
20 min - 1oz
10 min - .5 oz
5 min - .5 oz
Along with a little bittering at 60 min.

Suggestions?

The last two oz at my LHBS

I would take that 20 minute addition and move it to dry hop. Maximize the citrus aroma.

dry hop with Citra

Here are two recipes I made using Citra hops, both pale ales.

http://hopville.com/recipe/1066896/american-pale-ale-recipes/citra-pale-ale

http://hopville.com/recipe/1066896/american-pale-ale-recipes/citra-pale-ale

I enjoyed both of them. The first one has a mango aroma/flavor while the second is definitely grapefruit.

RM-MN said:

Here are two recipes I made using Citra hops, both pale ales.

http://hopville.com/recipe/1066896/american-pale-ale-recipes/citra-pale-ale

http://hopville.com/recipe/1066896/american-pale-ale-recipes/citra-pale-ale

I enjoyed both of them. The first one has a mango aroma/flavor while the second is definitely grapefruit.

Click to expand...

I would love to see both recipes, but from what user you posted the "mango" recipe twice. Would love to see the grapefruit one

yeah use citra sparingly i did a citra smash and it had a harsh grapefruit flavor (still drinkable though:cross but i highly recommend dry hopping with citra because the aroma was awesome

0.50 oz Citra [13.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 24.4 IBUs
0.50 oz Citra [13.40 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 12.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Citra [13.40 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 8.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Citra [13.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 2.4 IBUs
0.25 oz Citra [13.40 %] - Aroma Steep 5.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Citra [13.40 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

that was my hopping schedule

edit: i should add i bottled this beer and after 5+ weeks the aroma would hit you upon opening the bottle

I use about 8-9 oz in my Zombie Dust recipe, it seems to have went over fairly well with everyone else also. Personally, I don't see how one could overdo Citra.

15 10 and 5

Bitter with something else, add a flavor addition at 20 or 15 or both, then ramp up the citra for aroma and dry hop. I just made a write up of a simple citra hybrid ale on my blog. Check out the link on my signature if interested.

Dry hop. Don't boil citra for 20 minutes if you only have two ounces.

cmybeer said:

Bitter with something else, add a flavor addition at 20 or 15 or both, then ramp up the citra for aroma and dry hop. I just made a write up of a simple citra hybrid ale on my blog. Check out the link on my signature if interested.

Click to expand...

That was great to read. I appreciate that. Gives me some great ideas for the recipe. I'm curious
what festival you attended?

I did a wit with a quarter oz at 30 and 15 and a half oz at 5. Turned out fantastic - great citrus aroma and flavor for a 1.048 beer.

Glad your brew turned out great. A group of us did 5 single hop IPAs with the same wort and came to the conclusion that Citra was best for very late (after 5 min) additions and dry hopping. It is not a great bittering hop and is only OK for flavor. My last two brews, an APA and an Imperial IPA, both use late additions of Citra and are dry hopped with Citra but rely on Simcoe, Amarillo, or Centennial for Flavor additions and a neutral hop like Magnum or Warrior for bittering. Citra shines for that burst of citrus and tropical fruit aroma!

Yeah, I definitely think the aroma is one of the things that really shines about that wit. The Citra tropical fruit flavor joins a pantheon of fruits with the lemon from the wit yeast and the orange we added late in the boil to really give some fullness to the flavor - not sure how it would work without a fruity yeast or other fruit additions.

boxofjibboo said:

I would love to see both recipes, but from what user you posted the "mango" recipe twice. Would love to see the grapefruit one

Click to expand...

Sorry. I guess I was too tired to post correctly last night. Try this recipe for the grapefruit flavored pale ale.

http://hopville.com/recipe/1068411/american-pale-ale-recipes/citra-cascade-pale-ale

With only 2 ounces of whole hops, they would best be used as a dry hop.
Bitter with a touch of centennial, flavor and aroma with Amarillo.

It seems most people only do .5 oz in dry hop. Is that all I really need? I usually do at least 2 oz dryhop but would love to do .5 if it still gives great aroma

With only 2 oz of whole hops i think your only option is to dry hop with them.
2oz of whole hops is just shy of a half ounce of pellets.

2 oz of late Citra hops goes a longgg way.

If you're making a predominately piney, citrusy, dank, earthy, or other non-fruity and non-tropical IPA, but you want some added hop complexity, then I would "whirlpool" with Citra and similar hops. They will provide a hint of character without dominating.

If you're making a predominately tropical, fruity IPA - then I would add Citra to the dryhop. Late boil additions with it will also help.

Bobbrews, I'm not trying to start a debate, but the OP said only 2 oz of whole citra hops. In my limited use and research of whole hops, I've used 5 oz whole to 1 oz pellets. So i dont think his 2 oz is enough.
I personally use 2 oz of pellets in an APA.

My bad... was reading the replies on the last page, not the opening question. For a 5 gallon batch of American IPA with good aroma and flavor, I would recommend 7-8 oz. total hops minimum.

Exactly, i wouldn't want the OP to use his 2 oz of hops, then come back in a month asking why his IPA has no flavor or aroma.
There is a wealth of good info and very knowledgeable people on this board and sometimes the info can get confusing. Thats why i was just trying to clarify for they OP.

Great stuff in this thread on using Citra hops. I'll play around with this on my next IPA.

Highly recommend trying out the Zombie Dust clone if you are a fan of Citra hops.

I brewed a kit that used Magnum for bittering at 60min, then Citra for flavor, aroma and dry-hop. It was yum.

boxofjibboo said:

That was great to read. I appreciate that. Gives me some great ideas for the recipe. I'm curious
what festival you attended?

Click to expand...

Funny story....the music festival actually got cancelled three weeks before it was supposed to happen....Poor ticket sales I guess.

It was supposed to be called Soundtown in Somerset Wisconsin and in place of doing that the group of us who were planning on going went camping instead for the weekend.

So now that there has been clarification, my 2 oz WHOLE HOPS will be best used for dry hopping? I liked the idea of magnum for buttering centennial and Amarillo for flavor and aroma. I want to make a nice fruity/piney IPA.

Billybrewer09 said:

Exactly, i wouldn't want the OP to use his 2 oz of hops, then come back in a month asking why his IPA has no flavor or aroma.

Click to expand...

I have used 2 oz of Citra whole hops as dry hops in my last two 5 gal batches of IPA and found it to produce whopping fruit and citrus aroma easily discernible above the 90 IBU of bittering and flavor hops in an Imperial IPA. Citra has a potent nose. Not that 5-10 oz wouldn't be wonderful but, IMHO, 2 oz is plenty!

Brewitt, i think citra packs a big punch and i use them regularly in an APA.
That is why i suggested with only 2oz he use them as a dry hop.
Some other post were suggesting they be used late in the boil. And 2 oz was not enough for that IMHO.

MJMARSHA said:

Highly recommend trying out the Zombie Dust clone if you are a fan of Citra hops.

Click to expand...

Was just gonna say that - if I'm not mistaken this one is Citra all the way.

Billybrewer09 said:

Brewitt, i think citra packs a big punch and i use them regularly in an APA.
That is why i suggested with only 2oz he use them as a dry hop.
Some other post were suggesting they be used late in the boil. And 2 oz was not enough for that IMHO.

Click to expand...

Ah, I was confused. Got it.

Dry Hop

So now I'm wondering should I dry hop my Kona Fire Rock clone with Citra? Or save them for an ipa?

Yes. YES! More Citra in everything.

Citra bomb!!!!

I recently made an IPA with Centennial and Citra. IMO a really great combo. I think it's hard to go wrong basing an IPA off Centennial. 1.5 oz Nugget to bitter, 1 oz of Centennial at 15, 10, 5, then 2 oz at flameout steeped for 20 minutes. Dry hop with 2 oz Citra 13 days. 1.059 to 1.010. Awesome.

We've got Citra hops in both pellet and loose form at Best Damn Home Brew Shop 1036 7th ave 619-232-6367
Cheers

I see this threat was just revived. I wanted to add that I had a Citra IPA from Oddside Brewery (a smaller outfit out of Grand Haven, MI, apparently) at a bar in Saginaw and it was A W E S O M E. Maybe even better than the Centennials in Bells 2-H. You don't see too many craft beers that name the hop variety right in their title, but after drinking it, I'd say it was warranted. I need to have some more, definitely.

Brewitt said:

I have used 2 oz of Citra whole hops as dry hops in my last two 5 gal batches of IPA and found it to produce whopping fruit and citrus aroma easily discernible above the 90 IBU of bittering and flavor hops in an Imperial IPA. Citra has a potent nose. Not that 5-10 oz wouldn't be wonderful but, IMHO, 2 oz is plenty!

Click to expand...

I've spent a decent portion of my brews this year doing single hop "experiments" with my IPA recipe. Citra clearly won out. I got punched in the face by its flavor and aroma. I also only hop burst/late hop, so its really powerful. Summit was the only other hop that came close. Citra is just amazing. Glad I preorder this year and still have a half pound in the fridge