No "Citrus" IPA?

Hey all, a few batches in and still lots to learn.

Today's question.

I'd like find a hop(s) bill that will have the pine/juniper resiny forest flavours, but leave out the citrus aspect. Just not a fan of that waft of grapefruit that seems so popular in a lot of IPAs.

 

Chinook.

 

This, it can be a little harsh if you go crazy (see arrogant bastard) but thats chinook all up and down

 

I know there's a brew from Alaskan that has spruce tips in it. Maybe that's the ticket?

 

The ones you'll want to specifically avoid are citra, cascade, centennial, amarillo, galaxy (among many others). I get a lot of "dank" when using Columbus. Maybe a blend of Chinook, Columbus and Simcoe to give a little complexity. Keep the simcoe as the lowest of the blend. Even a little cluster or northern brewer will bring out the earthiness.

Good luck!

 

I agree that Chinook can be a bit powerful. Have you considered making an English IPA, maybe with just a touch of Chinook for character? Fuggles, Goldings, and Target are great English hops that produce earthy notes.

 

I agree there is certainly an overabundance of Citrusy and/or Fruity IPAs on the market.

The right combo of the following hops works really well to produce a piney, resinous, dank IPA:

Simcoe
Apollo
Summit
Columbus

Chinook is not particularly a favorite of mine. I'm not sure if I dislike it for early/mid additions, late additions, or both. But when it's used heavily in an IPA/IIPA, it rubs me the wrong way.

 

Northern Brewer is an oft-overlooked hop that can add wonderful a nice earthy quality. It doesn't have to only be used for bittering. I've been impressed with its aroma abilities.

 

I like citrusy IPAs but that sounds like a great combo. You will get a little citrus from the Simcoe and Columbus and maybe a touch from the Apollo but the overall taste of a blend like that might only be legal in Colorado and Washington.

P.S. Check this out https://www.hopunion.com/aroma-wheel/

 

Hops Schmops. Toss a little Rosemary in at flameout and you'll get some pine. And I said a little. It's different, but nice when you mix it with some of the hops mentioned above. I haven't tried spruce tips, but I think they'd be even more what you're after, although much harder to buy.

 

I just brewed a cascade/columbus/chinook beer and am changing out the cascade for simcoe on the next batch. FWH with chinook for flavor, hop stand with all 3 for 30 minutes and dry hop for a week with all 3. I really like where it is now, and can't wait to see what the cascade --> simcoe change does

 

How much of each hop? Did you get a lot of citrus out of the cascade in that blend? You'll get a little from columbus too. I'm interested to see how well this works, but for inverse reasons; I love IPAs with a big citrus character. I don't love Chinook and rarely use it, but I love Columbus for the complexity it brings to the aroma.

 

1oz chinook fwh
1oz each cascade, columbus, chinook hop stand for 30 min at flameout
1oz each cascade, columbus, chinook dry hop for a week

11g batch, 1.060 OG, FG is about 1.012. I broke my hydrometer getting the last sample from this ;p


The cascade is definitely a background player, with a subtle orange flavor that fills in the edges. The columbus is danky/grapefruit/tangeriney and the chinook gives it a solid piney flavor that stands out just a little bit more from the FWH. I was going for something almost like celebration, but less citrusy, and this is really solid.

 

I think Chinook and Columbus for sure are ones to consider.

Northern Brewer.... that is a good one as well.

A couple other possibilities......

Liberty, Glacier, Willamette. I make a liberty/willamette ale ....pretty low hop that is kind of spicy.

perhaps Northern Brewer bittering. Liberty mid boil. Willamette or Glacier as your late additions....

English IPA idea is good too.

 

Warrior / Nugget / NB for bittering - then go all UK with fuggle, EKG and for the mixup Bramling Cross.

English IPA is more traditional than American anyway. Get a bottle of Sam Smiths IPA - enjoy yourself.

 

I've used pine tips in a English pale ale twice. Its great!! Just find some pine trees in the spring and pick the bright green, pliable tips off of them. I used over a pound in a batch (13 oz at 30 mins, 5 oz at flameout, left them in the kettle and strained them out on the way to the fermenter) The flavor was noticably pine, but not overpowering.

 

Be careful if you're doing this. I've not researched the back story, but certainly worth being aware of.

http://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/2or11t/tifu_by_homebrewing_a_poisonous_beer_and_having_a/

 

A further question is regards to the dry hopping.

If I do the all chinook boil (5 gallon extract), can I expect a dry hopping to add to the profile, or will it be overpowered by all the chinook prior to it.

What I'm considering would be to do 2 2.5g secondaries, with chinook dry hopping in one and cascade or another in the other.

Thanks for all the responses so far. I've tried some spruce beers, I didn't really like them. I'm not going for the chewing on pine needles effect, because even those have a citrus/vitamin C aspect (or so I recall from boy scouts) that I dislike.

 

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I'm just north of WA in BC, where everyone acts as if it's legal, so that flavor profile wouldn't go unappreciated around here.

 

Wow, certainly something to keep in mind. I get the pine sprigs at my parents house. They have 20 white pine trees that they planted themselves. I'm going to have to look up this Taxus look-alike though. Any guy who says, "pine leaves" (what the hell are those??) must not be much of a botanist.

 

i'm always a little wary of this stuff, but that dude had a rough day...