Hop Flavor

I am about to make an all Cascade APA, I have never made any type of pale ale, or very hoppy beer in general. I am adding all my hops around 15-20 for the full flavor and should extract enough bitterness from that, about 35 IBUs.

I was drinking a APA a a local brew pub last night and it had a very distinctive hop after flavor. I really liked the beer but SWMBO really hates the strong after taste, she wants it to be a little cleaner. I know this isn't a common thing in all pale ales because, for example, DFH 90 min has very little after taste, and SWMBO really likes that.

So, this after taste, is it a product of specific hops? Or is it a product of when the hops are added? Or is it a product of a beer that may not have been allowed to condition long enough?

aftertaste could be caused by a myriad of things. i would bet it was high bittering hops because the back of your tounge is the area that tastes bitter flavors and as that is the last part of your tounge the beer touches i would imagine that is what the after taste was. to keep that down add your hops later in the boil and add less at the 60 min mark.

It could also be harsh bittering hops

Also, each hop type has a different combination of bittering chemicals and aroma oils.

Great, thanks for the comments.

I am planning on adding none at the 60 min mark, making one big 20 min addition, and then some more for aroma.

I would want another (more experienced) brewer to confirm this, but you really should have a 60 minute addition. A nice balance between bitterness and hop flavor/aroma is a nice quality in an APA.

With a big enough addition at 30, I will be extracting enough bitterness. I am using 2.5 oz at 20 mins that will extract 38.5 IBUs.

You could use less hops with a smaller addition at 60 min and achieve the same IBU. A 30 minute addition does not give full bitterness extraction, and is too long for aroma. I would do a 60 min, then a 10 and a flameout, adjusting the 60 min to hit your desired IBUs, but that is me. ( I would also dry hop if I was really looking to get aroma out of this brew)

My Nierra Sevada doesn't add any cascade until 15, then 10 and then at flameout.

I use some Pearle for bittering.

Go with your instinct. I've seen a lot of recipes that don't go 60 with cascade. It's a great flavoring and quick bittering hops.

I have 3oz of cascade I was planning on using. I want to do all Cascade. I also decided on doing the large 20 min addition to really maximize the flavor.

I was trying to identify the difference in the bitter flavor that can be found in different pale ales regardless of the IBUs (some with lower IBUs have bitter aftertaste where as some with high IBUs end very clean).