Azzaca and el dorado opinions

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olotti

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I just bottled an IPA using both these hops in 10, 5 and a 4oz hop stand with a 4oz all Azzaca dry hop. Anyway cracked the first bottle and I'm surprised at how subtle the nose is, I was expecting the aroma to jump out of the bottle much in the way it does when I use citra, simcoe, Galaxy. Are these two hops just more subtle and delicate? I've never used them before but see the descriptions of them along the tropical, citrus style, so that's what I guess I was expecting. Oh used MO, flaked oats and flaked wheat for malts.
 
IME, these 2 hops are not subtle. They are usually quite noticeable, especially when used copiously in the dry hop. I'm surprised you didn't get a huge aroma from 4 oz dry hop w/ Azacca. The one time I used that I hop, I got a humongous aroma, and it was in a hoppy saison that I only used 2 oz in the dry hop (3 gallon batch, but still...). Were the hops stored properly? Where did you get them from?
 
IME, these 2 hops are not subtle. They are usually quite noticeable, especially when used copiously in the dry hop. I'm surprised you didn't get a huge aroma from 4 oz dry hop w/ Azacca. The one time I used that I hop, I got a humongous aroma, and it was in a hoppy saison that I only used 2 oz in the dry hop (3 gallon batch, but still...). Were the hops stored properly? Where did you get them from?

I got the boil hops from my lhbs which has them refrigerated and they went right into my fridge when I got home and used a day later. The dry hops I had to order but they appeared and smelled ok when I received them. The weird thing I noticed is that when I dropped in the dry hops they sunk when usually they'll float then break apart, eventually it looked like they surfaced but I'm not sure if they all did or not, they also dropped out on their own instead of me cold crashing the primary to get them to drop out.
 
I have a batch of Amarillo/El Dorado in the keg right now being force carbed. 12 more hours and it should be good.

El Dorado was the showcase hop but I did add Amarillo to the dry hop. 1oz Amarillo and 2oz El Dorado.

3oz late additions El Dorado and 2oz late additions Amarillo. Normal IPA grain bill.

Looking forward to drinking this. I did notice not much of a nose when I was transferring to the keg. We shall see and I'll post back.

This is my first round with El Dorado.
 
I got quiet a lot of Azzaca and 'Ron Mexico' hops at NHC this summer. I used them in a Double Red IPA and there is very little nose from them, but there is a good flavor and the bitterness really starts to kick into high gear when the beer warms up. It is one of those IIPAs that you drink quickly before it gets too bitter to drink, but at 10.1%, not something you can drink a lot of anyway. I don't think I will use any of them again.
 
I got quiet a lot of Azzaca and 'Ron Mexico' hops at NHC this summer. I used them in a Double Red IPA and there is very little nose from them, but there is a good flavor and the bitterness really starts to kick into high gear when the beer warms up. It is one of those IIPAs that you drink quickly before it gets too bitter to drink, but at 10.1%, not something you can drink a lot of anyway. I don't think I will use any of them again.

Ok sounds like I'm not cry here then, seems like it's not much in the way of aromatics. I'd prob try el dorado again maybe in a smash but I'm also on board that I don't think I'd use Azzaca again.
 
Ok sounds like I'm not cry here then, seems like it's not much in the way of aromatics. I'd prob try el dorado again maybe in a smash but I'm also on board that I don't think I'd use Azzaca again.

Azzaca is probably great as a bittering hop like CTZ... A little more Orange Citrus rather than Grapefruit Citrus.

At NHC, Drew Beecham made a tincture of 2 ounces of Azzaca in a little Vodka using a Whipped Cream dispenser... WOW was it bitter! It was even more bitter than trying to chew on a 17.5% AA CTZ pellet! So Drew probably skewed my taste buds on Azzaca... :rockin:
 
Some times my IPAs don't have much aroma until they clear up weird but give it some time.
 
I'm surprised you guys didn't get much from Azacca. Which year crop did you guys get? Mine were from 2014 and they were extremely pungent and tropical. Mine were from BSG and came in those 1 oz Nitrogen-filled packages so they were really fresh.

Last year's El Dorado was amazing IME. I have yet to try this years crop but I'm planning on using them in a 100% brett IPA that I'm hoping to brew next weekend.
 
I'm glad to have seen this thread because I'm going to be brewing a hoppy pale ale (straddling the line between APA and IPA) next week. OG of 1.056, mashed at 151F, with the below hop schedule to get to 43 IBUs:

0.40 oz Magnum (12.1) - 60 min
1.50 oz El Dorado (14.9) - 5 min
1.50 oz Cascade (5.5) - 5 min
3.00 oz El Dorado (14.9) - "Bagged hopstand"
1.00 oz Citra (11) - "Bagged hopstand"

Not sure if that'll be a bit much on the El Dorado, but I've never used it and want to get a nice punch from it.
 
Well I think the reason I wasn't getting anything is because apparently the batch is infected. Cracked a bottle today to do a color comparison with another IPA I bottled today and it gushed, cracked two more and same thing. Tasted one after decanting all the foam and it was like phenols and white wine. After having an infection caused from a bad starter earlier in the year on another IPA I'll never forget the taste and smell. Bummer. Guess this will be a redo.
 
Well I think the reason I wasn't getting anything is because apparently the batch is infected. Cracked a bottle today to do a color comparison with another IPA I bottled today and it gushed, cracked two more and same thing. Tasted one after decanting all the foam and it was like phenols and white wine. After having an infection caused from a bad starter earlier in the year on another IPA I'll never forget the taste and smell. Bummer. Guess this will be a redo.

Extending a moment of silence for your beer
 
Well I think the reason I wasn't getting anything is because apparently the batch is infected. Cracked a bottle today to do a color comparison with another IPA I bottled today and it gushed, cracked two more and same thing. Tasted one after decanting all the foam and it was like phenols and white wine. After having an infection caused from a bad starter earlier in the year on another IPA I'll never forget the taste and smell. Bummer. Guess this will be a redo.

Sorry to hear this. I've had a couple batches get 'infected' in the past couple months.. Both IPAs w/ a ton of hops. Such a shame. I'm pretty sure the cause is one of 2 things: 1.) Some kind of wild bacteria in my bottling bucket (got a new one, so that takes care of that) or 2.) Not rinsing my bottles enough after soaking in Oxiclean. I've been reading the residue can mix w/ the beer and cause chlorophenols to form, which taste medicinal (nasty). Gotta keep on truckin' tho
 
Sorry to hear this. I've had a couple batches get 'infected' in the past couple months.. Both IPAs w/ a ton of hops. Such a shame. I'm pretty sure the cause is one of 2 things: 1.) Some kind of wild bacteria in my bottling bucket (got a new one, so that takes care of that) or 2.) Not rinsing my bottles enough after soaking in Oxiclean. I've been reading the residue can mix w/ the beer and cause chlorophenols to form, which taste medicinal (nasty). Gotta keep on truckin' tho

Thanks yeah it sucks besides just the money but all the time and expectation that just goes down the drain. In a year and a half this is the first infection I've had from an unknown source, I had two IPA's go bad after I used a bad batch of washed yeast in both brews, but otherwise I've been lucky but I really try to be super careful on sanitization. I'm now in the process of bleach bombing all my bottling equipment and my glass fermenters.
 
Thanks yeah it sucks besides just the money but all the time and expectation that just goes down the drain. In a year and a half this is the first infection I've had from an unknown source, I had two IPA's go bad after I used a bad batch of washed yeast in both brews, but otherwise I've been lucky but I really try to be super careful on sanitization. I'm now in the process of bleach bombing all my bottling equipment and my glass fermenters.

Same exact story here.. About a year and a half with no infection and then out of nowhere, I get 2 in a row. Just gotta be extra careful as the gear gets older I guess.. that or replace it.
 
Well I just pulled my first glass out of my El Dorado/Amarillo IPA. It tastes fantastic! It's different that's for sure. I almost wish I would've just dry hopped with El Dorado only. The Amarillo is surely noticeable and then there's this other flavor that I'm not familiar with at all. I can see why some say it tastes like cherry lifesavers. This beer is only 11 days old so I'm sure it'll change.
 
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