Rye IPA with Citra/Sorachi/Amarillo

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topherman

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Hey everyone,

I've got a recipe idea I'd like to try. I love rye IPAs, especially with the citusy hops. I've been really curious about Citra and Sorachi Ace, and a friend recommended blending them with Amarillo. So, to give it a try, I came up with this recipe:


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.01 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 9.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 70.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
1 lbs Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 9.09 %
4 lbs Amber Liquid Extract [Boil for 20 min] Extract 36.36 %
2 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 18.18 %
2 lbs Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 18.18 %
1 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 9.09 %
8.0 oz Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.55 %
8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.55 %
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (60 min) (First WoHops 30.4 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [9.30 %] (10 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
0.50 oz Citra [13.40 %] (10 min) Hops 7.9 IBU
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace [10.20 %] (10 min) Hops 6.0 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [9.30 %] (5 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
0.50 oz Citra [13.40 %] (5 min) Hops 4.3 IBU
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace [10.20 %] (5 min) Hops 3.3 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [9.30 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Citra [13.40 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Sorachi Ace [10.20 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -


Mash Schedule: Batch Sparge, Decoction Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 7.00 lb
----------------------------
Batch Sparge, Decoction Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Saccharification Add 9.45 qt of water at 165.1 F 154.0 F
15 min Mash Out Decoct 3.21 qt of mash and boil it 170.0 F



I've read that citra and sorachi seem to get pretty mixed reviews, especially when they are used for bittering, and even those who enjoy them recommend not going overboard in the boil. For those of you who like them, is an ounce each during the boil, and an ounce each dry hop going to work well, or is even that too much?

Any other tips/comments are welcome, too.

Thanks!
topher
 
Yeah, I did, with a few changes. I don't have my recipe book here, but I'm pretty sure that I had scaled back the sorachi and citra boil additions to 0.25 oz each at each addition, and 0.5 oz of each dry hop, so that a total of one ounce of each was used. The grain bill was unchanged, and HOLY STUCK SPARGE, BATMAN. I've heard people say that they can work with rye without a problem, but I mashed out at 175 F and it still turned to cement. I had to stop and force air into the runoff tubing to get my screen unclogged, but after many arduous hours of dripping, it ended up being beer.

The aroma is a pretty interesting combination of sharp herbal notes and a bit of citrus; it actually smells a bit like lemon basil. The taste is good; the maltiness is a subdued biscuitiness, with a very light touch of cardboard (oxidation from un-sticking the screen). Next time, more rye (hopefully the new mash false bottom will reduce sticking). The hop character is very good, with a well-balanced bitterness and a lot of herbal, grapefruity hops, with a long-lingering lemon aftertaste. The pushiness of the Sorachi makes this a love-it-or-hate-it beer; most people like it and find it a very interesting flavor you don't taste in many beers, but a small few of my friends are totally turned off by the lemon, which lingers for a while and prevents the beer from having the "clean" finish of many IPAs.
 
That sounds really interesting. I asked because I'm planning on doing something similar with a little bit of rye, a little wheat, sorachi/citra and possible some citrus zest. For additional hop character I was considering Palisade primarily because I get a passionfruit flavor out of it. Amarillo sounds like it'd be tasty too.

If you did it again, would you change the ratios? Maybe a little more Citra/Amarillo than Sorachi? I was thinking for mine I'd do a 2:1 Citra/Sorachi ratio
 
I have never used Palisade, but you make it sound like a great idea.

I don't know if I'd change the ratios. If anything, I think I would consider increasing one or both citra boil additions; the Sorachi was noticeable, but it wasn't out of control. Honestly, next time I brew this thing the big change I'm going to focus on is making the rye character more evident.
 
sorachis are good supplemental hops. as you saw, a little goes a long way. citras could be punched up though...they are some amazing hops for aroma. between citra and amarillo, you should get a nice citrus/tropical fruit note and a little sorachi can add an extra dimension underneath without being too forward. I think just the addition of more citra would balance out the lemon from the sorachis.
 
Here's my basic plan... I've decided go for a very hoppy sort of pale ale/american wheat hybrid and forego the rye (SWMBO hasn't liked rye beers in the past)

OG: 1.055
IBU: 48.6

7.5lb 2-row
2.0lb Wheat Malt
1.5lb Vienna Malt
Handful of rice hulls in mash
0.25 oz Palisade (8%) FWH
1.0 oz Citra (12.5%) 15min
0.5 oz Sorachi Ace (10.8%) 15min
1.25 oz Citra (12.5%) 5min
0.5 oz Sorachi Ace (10.8%) 5min
1.0 oz Citra Dry Hop
0.5oz Sorachi Ace Dry Hop
0.5oz Palisade Dry Hop
S05

I'm thinking of adding a little bit of orange, lemon, and grapefruit zest at flameout as well. I'm inspired by Ithaca 13... SWMBO and I have had 6 pints and 4 bottles of it in the past two weeks, it's so amazingly good.
 
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