Cascade VS Centennial

Ive read that cascade is a stronger version of centennial yet some recipes call for both. Besides the AA what else is different between these two ?

I think that is the other way around... Centennial is like a super Cascade.

Cascade is usually in the 4-7% AA range while Centennial is more like 8-11% AA

I had the two mixed up.
Why do recipes call for both ? Why not adjust the additions for more or less of the one type ?

They are similar, but slightly different. With a higher AA%, the Centennial makes a slightly, better bittering hop, but you can pretty much use them interchangeably.

Bru said:

Why do recipes call for both?

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Because as homebrewers, we can!

Good answer.

Brewsmith said:

Because as homebrewers, we can!

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And THAT my friends, is why I love homebrewing.

They have a very different flavor IMO. I don't see them as interchangeable at all. But to each his own.

I agree totally with this. I've heard many times that Cascade is a 'super' version of Centennial but to me they are totally different. I really like Centennial but a little goes a long way. (By little I mean dry hop with an ounce or so.) More than that and it can get cloying. Your mileage of course may vary, that's just my taste.

I think they are different enough that they are very complimentary -- that's why you'd use both. And because you can.

Duster72 said:

They have a very different flavor IMO. I don't see them as interchangeable at all. But to each his own.

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To me, Centennial comes across as a more refined, "smoother" flavor. Cascade is a pretty distinctive "sharp" to my pallet.

I've been reading the book DESIGNING GREAT BEERS and it has an extensive chapter on hop chemistry. I certainly don't even have an academic mastery of the subject, let alone a practical one, but I'll try to provide some superficial highlights as I understand them.

Bittering, i.e. IBUs / AA%, is primarily a function of the 'soft resins' of the hops, making up to 15% by weight of the hops.

Flavor and aroma are function of the 'essential oils', which make up between 0.5 and 3% of the hops.

There are 3 main essential oils, each of which imparts different flavors/aromas.

The overall effect of a given type of hops is then a function of AA% (of course), the ratio of total oils to resins, and the ratio of the 3 types of oils to each other. The book provides charts of these ratios for many varieties of hops.

Centennial is nearly 2x as 'oily' as Cascade, but the ratio of the 3 oils is quite similar.

What this means in terms of taste or smoothness comparisons between the two, I have no f'ing idea.


Hope this helps