Citra hops are starting to let me down

i'm having a hard time using citra as well. i like the flavor but it's kind of intense. i'm trying to find a way to mix it in small doses with another hop thinking it would create a unique flavor. right now i'm looking at centennial. i get a deep fruity flavor from citra and a slightly brighter fruit flavor from centennial. if i could stick those together and add a third hop to give some dimension/complexity like ctz, palisade or nugget i think it could work.

Try a small amount of Centennial and Citra and top it off with some Nelson Sauvin. Sauvin gives a killer tropical fruit taste. It gives a pineapple like flavor

jcorn said:

Try a small amount of Centennial and Citra and top it off with some Nelson Sauvin. Sauvin gives a killer tropical fruit taste. It gives a pineapple like flavor

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I agree with this as well. I just brewed a citra IPA with all citra late additions but dry hopped with centennial and citra combined. IMO, beers with citra are best drank fresh. I would put a 2 month limit on this beer or it'll lose its desirable citra aroma.

I started doing a little less aromatic additions since I dry hop anyways. It really is incredible how potent citra is in flavor (extremely high alpha % is definitely a plus). Everyone around this area seems to love Zombie Dust. Brewing a good citra beer will give you that same exact taste. It really is the most unique hop in my opinion.

I made an IPA recently with Galaxy and Pacific Jade, i popped the first bottle last night after only a week (and after just finishing a zombie dust fwiw) and you get a nice fruitiness out of the paring of those hops that is at once bitter, lingers and develops on the pallet a bit but finishes with a bit too much bitterness. I'm thinking a downward adjustment in one of the two is required but this is definitely a combo I'm using again. Compared to the ZD and an all Citra IPA i've made in the past this is a lil more complex without lessening the impact you want from an IPA.

I made a Citra pale ale last month and I just dumped it I love hops, but this thing was an unbelievable grapefruit bomb. I really like Citra, but by itself is just too much for me.

The Soft Underbelly said:

I made an IPA recently with Galaxy and Pacific Jade, i popped the first bottle last night after only a week (and after just finishing a zombie dust fwiw) and you get a nice fruitiness out of the paring of those hops that is at once bitter, lingers and develops on the pallet a bit but finishes with a bit too much bitterness. I'm thinking a downward adjustment in one of the two is required but this is definitely a combo I'm using again. Compared to the ZD and an all Citra IPA i've made in the past this is a lil more complex without lessening the impact you want from an IPA.

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I am not familiar with Pacific Jade and Galaxy. Is it clean bitterness? Just made a bit too much of it? I am trying to find a good pairing for citra. My cascade I have is so weak it doesnt contribute and anything citrusy high in alpha gives too much dirty bitterness or adds floral flavor.

jcorn said:

I am not familiar with Pacific Jade and Galaxy. Is it clean bitterness? Just made a bit too much of it? I am trying to find a good pairing for citra. My cascade I have is so weak it doesnt contribute and anything citrusy high in alpha gives too much dirty bitterness or adds floral flavor.

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Galaxy is Australian and Pacific Jade is from New Zealand. Both were an impulse buy over the summer.

I used too much... I think the pacific jade is what lends the tropical fruitiness which hit me in the middle. The initially bitterness is good, the lingering bitterness is rather dry, I wouldn't call it dirty but it's definitely dry. I started with a half oz of galaxy at 60 min and followed up much too soon with a half oz of the pac jade at 30 min. Both were roughly 14% AA. I split the other half ozs over the last 15 min. I don't have the recipe at hand but I'd definitely brew with this combo again and switch up the hop schedule.

I have some homegrown cascade which aren't very bitter or citrusy. The lend a nice herbal flavor to a honey pale ale I brewed though.

The Soft Underbelly said:

Galaxy is Australian and Pacific Jade is from New Zealand. Both were an impulse buy over the summer.

I used too much... I think the pacific jade is what lends the tropical fruitiness which hit me in the middle. The initially bitterness is good, the lingering bitterness is rather dry, I wouldn't call it dirty but it's definitely dry. I started with a half oz of galaxy at 60 min and followed up much too soon with a half oz of the pac jade at 30 min. Both were roughly 14% AA. I split the other half ozs over the last 15 min. I don't have the recipe at hand but I'd definitely brew with this combo again and switch up the hop schedule.

I have some homegrown cascade which aren't very bitter or citrusy. The lend a nice herbal flavor to a honey pale ale I brewed though.

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That would be out of my comfort zone for pale ales. Sounds like it would be past 50 ibu. I love taking a small amount of hops (.5 oz magnum) at 60 mins. and follow up with a bunch of late additions (normally around 2ozs of 14% Citra @ 15mins. to hit my ibu's around 50 so I get way more flavor than bitterness.