Centinnial Hops?

I have been wondering if anyone has noticed an odd after taste a few seconds after taking a drink of a heavily hopped beer like an IPA that had a significant amount of centennial hops added to it? Here is why I ask.

I like heavy hopped beers, the hoppier the better I say. My last IPA was based off of the Stone IPA recipe but I nearly doubled all the hops in the recipe. It was primarily centennial hops as being the dominant hop used. After carbonating I had a sample. I noticed a odd after taste, not gross, not "oh my, I ruined my beer" kind of taste, just different. After letting it condition for a while longer I sampled again, maybe not quite as noticeable but definitely there still.

One night I was out with friends, had an Ninkasa Tricerihops, another beer with centennial hop additions and noticed the same after taste. Then again out with buddies and had a Stone IPA, the one I brewed with additional hops and same thing. Is this a normal characteristic of centennial hops? If so, is there a different hop that adds the bitterness and hoppiness of centennial that may not have such a strong after taste?

On a side not, what would an IPA with lots of citra hops taste like. I dont think citra is a hop generally used in IPAs but was just thinking it might be good.

If you took an established recipe and doubled all the hops but did not also change the grain bill then the original balance of the recipe would be way off and that could be contributing to the problems you have. Regardless of the hop varieties and Citra is used in a lot of IPAs as are a lot of the "c"hops these days.....

I've brewed a few 100% all Centennial hop recipes, love Two Hearted Ale, and Founder's Centennial IPA. Never had this sort of issue--could it be how you perceive the Centennial mixed with other hops?

Having the added hops throw the balance of the beer sounds reasonable, but like I stated, I tasted the same after bite in two commercially brewed beers too.

As far as the citra hops I have found lots of recipes that utilize citra, I was mistaken in my original post. I am going to brew my next IPA with mostly citra and see hot it goes. I will back off on the hops this time and try to not over do it this time.

johnsonbrew said:

Having the added hops throw the balance of the beer sounds reasonable, but like I stated, I tasted the same after bite in two commercially brewed beers too.

As far as the citra hops I have found lots of recipes that utilize citra, I was mistaken in my original post. I am going to brew my next IPA with mostly citra and see hot it goes. I will back off on the hops this time and try to not over do it this time.

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Then I would guess there is an element to the Centennial that your taste is just sensitive to and doesn't really agree with you, always a possibility as everyone's tastes are different.

I love Centennial. The only bad aftertaste I get from them is when the taste goes away and I can taste my own tongue again.

It's possible - I definitely find that I'm sensitive to a couple of beers that use only Centennial. Founders Centennial Pale Ale and Stone Ruination, for instance, definitely both leave me with a similarly unpleasant after taste.

This is a flavor that has been noticed by others as well. I have no idea where it is coming from and have noticed it in commercial beers as well. I dont think it is an off flavor from contamination or anything, its not gross or bad just different and doesnt really make it a tasty beer.

you know . . . I love hops - but sometimes I am not a big fan of centennial either. Heavily hopped centennial beers give me a taste like I am drinking "lemon scented pine sol." Kind of a soapy/lemon taste I guess. I don't know how else to describe it. I don't dislike centennial..... I use it. I like some of it...., but I don't like it exclusively.

I really did not like the two-hearted (dead ringer) clone from NB - because of the 100% centennial. Brewed the same recipe again and used Centennial to bitter, Cascade through the middle. Cascade and Citra at flame out and Citra to dry hop - now my go-to IPA. I like an ounce or two of Centennial (usually to bitter or at 30 min.) but that is usually all I go with.