Citra Hops

I just tried some Citra hops yesterday in an IPA a local hombrewer made.

Damn. You guys are going to want these when they become available later this year. They are super fruity, juicy, and they have something I am still trying to put my finger. I don't know the AA% but they come through like a much cleaner fruitier cascade.

Just a little tease... I feel lucky to have tried them.

Isn't Citra a proprietary hop for Sierra Nevada?

flyangler18 said:

Isn't Citra a proprietary hop for Sierra Nevada?

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I have no idea. Perhaps, but my impression is they will be available to all after this years harvest.

flyangler18 said:

Isn't Citra a proprietary hop for Sierra Nevada?

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I don't think it is proprietary, but it is in their Torpedo IPA.

It appears Sierra Nevada is the first to use it in commercial bottled beer.

But I don't believe it's proprietary.

Citra Hops / Extra IPA questions - Bar Talk & Questions - BeerAdvocate

flyangler18 said:

Isn't Citra a proprietary hop for Sierra Nevada?

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Definitely not. I suspect they just got a large supply of them. I've had at least 3-4 different craft brewed beers with them (just yesterday had one at Widmer). I know Hop Union has been sending around samples.

I'm hoping they become generally available, but I'm not sure if there will be a sufficient supply of them this year. Maybe in a few years. Hope I'm wrong about that though.

They are really good, though I'm afraid that it will be the next big thing and every IPA is going to have them.

flyangler18 said:

Isn't Citra a proprietary hop for Sierra Nevada?

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No, but they happen to own most of the fields where they are grown.

I read somewhere that it had an apricot fruit flavor instead of the typical citrus.

Am I way off?

slimer said:

I read somewhere that it had an apricot fruit flavor instead of the typical citrus.

Am I way off?

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No, I don't think your way off at all.

From the example I had I wouldn't say it's primarily apricot though it will also depend on what else is in there, even grain bill and yeast.

I got orange, mango, lychee - very clean fresh and tropical flavours, apricot certainly would have made sense but I wasn't looking for it.

Hop Union had a table of these at the Philly Craft Beer Fest during beer week. Had a nice handful of em right in my nose. Very tropical for sure. Picked up mango and tangerine. Was kicking myself that I didn't throw a handful in my pocket to try out, but I didn't find the table until 3 hrs after arriving! From what I understand there is fairly limited acreage right now, so I'm not sure if they'll make it to any LHBS's soon, but I'm going to be very excited when they do for sure.

I think that the would be good in a Magic Hat #9 clone based on what I have heard.

Sounds similar to some of the New Zeland varieties. Charlie P posted that they will be available to homebrewers this fall.

Any further word on availability on this variety? My interested is piqued after reading about citra hops in the latest BYO. Someone suggested hopstoyou but they are out of stock.

I know this is an oooold thread but I googled Citra and got here, and wanted to see we'll be carrying it within a few days in 2oz packages, 2009 whole leaf, in addition to the other hops varieties we carry (everything else is pellet).

Got some 2009 whole leaf Citra myself, just vacuum packed them last night actually, man they smell good.

I also just got some fresh Citra leaf-hops yesterday. I'm trying a SN Torpedo clone this weekend. I will only be using them for dry-hop along with Magnum & Crystal but looking forward to it.....

Sweet, well when you need some more let us know

Nikobrew said:

I know this is an oooold thread but I googled Citra and got here, and wanted to see we'll be carrying it within a few days in 2oz packages, 2009 whole leaf, in addition to the other hops varieties we carry (everything else is pellet).

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This may win my business on my next buy. I really want to try these hops...

Beerrific said:

This may win my business on my next buy. I really want to try these hops...

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Glad to hear it! I'm excited to and to help spread this new hop around that's been getting some great reviews and attention. Keep in mind with my pricing the flat rate $5 shipping and the 7% off HBTDEAL7 coupon as well

Getting some of these in the shop soon. Probably do a SMaSH with them to see what's it's all about.

They are also available at www.freshops.com

http://www.freshops.com/cgi-bin/sho...words=all&template=PDGCommTemplates/hops.html

Chello said:

They are also available at www.freshops.com

http://www.freshops.com/cgi-bin/sho...words=all&template=PDGCommTemplates/hops.html

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Word. I'll have a per pound price that comes out to about their same when you figure in flat rate $5 shipping and the 7% off coupon, and that I can combine with other stuff it should come out about even.

Anyone interested in trading a $20 northern brewer gift certificate for some citra hops?

I am excited to try this hop! I am brewing a Citra Smash this weekend with Pale Ale Malt and American Ale yeast. Will post results.

if you used this hop, and added mangos to secondary, would it be overkill? I want to do a mango IPA, and have been hearing about how tropical-ly this hop is

I just got 3oz of pellets at my LHBS for $5.25. I think a SMaSH is in order!

I got them from http://www.hopsdirect.com/, got them in last week, and vacuum packed them in appropriate amounts. I got a head ache doing that of the pungent smell. I dry hopped 5 gallons with a little bit while I was at it and tasted that yesterday. Oh my, that hop is truly amazing. It has a great smell and taste to it. Definitely on the top of my list of great IPA hops.

I used some in my basic Single Hop Pale Ale recipe and the taste going into secondary was great. I didn't add any bittering hops, just .5oz FWH, .5oz @15min, and 1oz @ 5min. Now it's dryhopping with another 2oz for a week, then cold crash and into the keg. I also made an identical batch using Chinook on the same day. They are both very smooth with good flavor and aroma, but the Citra smells amazing.

I brewed an APA with alot of late hop additions and I got alot of pineapple and peach. the flavor and aroma was so intense that it could almost pass for a fruit beer on its own

Are these dual purpose hops or should they be used for bittering only?

The AA% listed online is 11.9%

I have 1/2 lb in my freezer - got a great deal from LHBS. I did a Citra IPA a few weeks back and it went VERY fast.....
try this:
Citra ipa
14-B American IPA
Author: kc


Size: 10 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 215.41 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.065 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.016 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 11.1 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 6.36% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 65.9 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
.5 lb 2-Row Carapils® Malt
1 lb Crystal Malt 60°L
1 lb Crystal Malt 10°L
23.0 lb American 2-row
2 oz Nugget (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 30 min
3 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
3 oz citra (11%) - added during boil, boiled 0 min
1.9 ea WYeast 1968 London ESB Ale

Also I met the head brewer from DEschutes late last year. He helped to develop the strain. It is mot proprietary to any one brewery, but I am sure it is trademarked ala Zeus/tomohawk. Don't go looking for rhizomes.

Torpedo and Widmer Drifter Pale are two commercial examples (damn fine ones I might add) and I bet we see more this summer.

Cudafiend said:

I brewed an APA with alot of late hop additions and I got alot of pineapple and peach. the flavor and aroma was so intense that it could almost pass for a fruit beer on its own

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Kind of the opposite from what I've heard. I read that it's not good for flavor from a bunch of people, do I dry hopped with it. We'll see. I brewed a summer wheat and I wanted some citrus and fruity flavors from hops. If it's good I may try it with Citra for flavor, I'm dry hopping it with citra and used Amarillo Centennial and Chinook for flavor.

From what I read about these hops they are good for dry-hopping or late additions only, even though they are 11 IBU's: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/citra-ipa-143415/
Well, that sucks, I got a whole # of them from hops direct. I think I will go ahead and try a single-hop IPA with them anyways just to see for myself.

My local brewery has a citra smash on tap right now that is really nice, I can see no reason not to use them for bittering.

Really? Can you describe the taste for me? Is is really that fruity? And what's the malt in this SMaSH, do you know?

BTW, if the hops have a fruity-peachy flavor, maybe I could use'em in an American Wheat? Something light, heck, maybe with fruit additions?

They definitely have a fruity taste, apricot-peachy. At least the brew I made with it (with all late additions https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/american-ipa-wyeast-1098-british-ale-150662/), the flavor seemed not as intense as the AAU's and the smell would suggest, but definitely the dominate flavor in my brew.

It's really a different taste compared to cascade or centennial, no real spiciness; cascade and centennial are hot & citrusy, where Citra seems cool & fruity.

The aroma is fantastic, so definitely works for aroma if nothing else. I will use them for flavor additions, just need to experiment to find the perfect combo. The above linked recipe was good, just needs a little more depth.

The brewery has a standing program of making single hop beers to help patrons learn the different flavor and aroma characteristics of each. They just use American 2 row and which ever hop it might be. On the nose you get a lot of stone fruit apricot/peach with some mango. It is also a really clean citrus rind without any of the standard grassy notes you get from cascade. No cat pee and limited to no herbal piney flavors. Just a great clean refreshing fruity beer. It would make a great summer beer, but maybe to fruity for some.

Scooby_Brew said:

Really? Can you describe the taste for me? Is is really that fruity? And what's the malt in this SMaSH, do you know?

BTW, if the hops have a fruity-peachy flavor, maybe I could use'em in an American Wheat? Something light, heck, maybe with fruit additions?

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I think for 11% AA they just didnt have the same bite as say cenntennial or even cascade. One ounce at 60 min just didn't cut it for a an IPA even a bitter pale ale. However the aroma late additions it is great.
\

J

If you want some Citra at a good price I plan on running a sale on it shortly (probably in a week or two). If it's cool to I'll post a link here to the sale thread when I do.

I just brewed an AG IIPA with all Citra during a demonstration today. Actually it sounds like i'm taking all the credit. I assisted the owner of my LHBS during a AG demo he did today where he put together an AG IIPA recipe using all Citra. I am anxiously awaiting to see how it turns out but one thing I can tell you that while we were brewing the wonderful scent of these hops kept turning my attentionto them!