Bells Two Hearted IPA, Soapy taste

[breewboy]

Hello,

A few months ago i brewed an IPA with cascade hops which tasted soapy, last weekend i brewed a Bells Two Hearted IPA with only centennial hops, today i took a sample and it tasted soapy too. After some googling i found other people that think these two hops has a soapy taste.

I know that it could be a number of reasons this taste soapy except the hops, however i think it could be the hops since other people think both centennial and cascade hops taste soapy and i do too.

Recipe for Bells Two Hearted IPA

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 76.92 %
2 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 15.38 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %

*mash at 150 F

1.00 oz Centennial [9.50 %] (60 min) Hops 30.3 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [9.50 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Centennial [9.50 %] (15 min) Hops 15.0 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [9.50 %] (5 min) Hops 6.0 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [9.50 %] (1 min) Hops 1.3 IBU

1 pack of US-05

The recipe calls for centennial for dry hops aswell. I have a few thoughts if this beer continues to taste soapy.

1. Skip dry hops
2. Dilute with water
3. Dry hop with another hop i have at home(1 oz mosaic, 1.5oz citra and 1oz amarillo). Does any of the hops i have home fit as a replacement?

What do you think?

 

[gunhaus]

You were probably spot on - you likely are one of those that taste these hops that way. My brother has always declared that Two Hearted tastes like flowery soap. It is what it is, some people like cilantro, others despise. Some people taste the sulfer of asparagus, others cannot. Why would hops be different> Try some other styles till you get one that makes you happy

 

[camonick]

Have you had the commercial version? Do you think it tastes soapy? That would confirm your suspicion about the hop variety.
Edit: Didn’t fully pay attention to the questions... since your boil additions were all centennial (and you don’t care for their flavor) adding a different dry hop might make a muddled mess for you.

 

[moreb33rplz]

I don't get it with Cascade, but I get soapy flavor with Centennial, with both homebrew and commercial. I stopped using it for that reason.

 

[breewboy]

Have you had the commercial version? Do you think it tastes soapy? That would confirm your suspicion about the hop variety.
Edit: Didn’t fully pay attention to the questions... since your boil additions were all centennial (and you don’t care for their flavor) adding a different dry hop might make a muddled mess for you.

Don't live in the US and checked stored where i lived, haven't seen anyone selling this beer.

Thank you, i will skip dry hopping then.

 

[camonick]

Don't live in the US and checked stored where i lived, haven't seen anyone selling this beer.

Thank you, i will skip dry hopping then.

Don’t take my advice as gospel. I don’t usually brew pales and IPAs and was just trying to think in my head what that might taste like. I don’t really like cascade or centennial myself and don’t know if you can mask their flavor. Someone with more IPA experience might have a better answer.

 

[IslandLizard]

Don't live in the US and checked stored where i lived, haven't seen anyone selling this beer.

Thank you, i will skip dry hopping then.

You could try dry hopping with Columbus if you have some. It's definitely not citrus and may be able to hide citrusy flavors and aromas under her potent blanket of dankness, if you'd prefer that.

Or just let it age in bottles for a year.

 

[TVsn95]

I brew almost the same recipe all the time. I move my hops around and have tried quite a few. I din't notice anything off about Centennial but thats just me.
Citra is my go to for this one. I do like Mosaic, Amarillo. I dry hop heavy, 3oz Citra

 

[breewboy]

You could try dry hopping with Columbus if you have some. It's definitely not citrus and may be able to hide citrusy flavors and aromas under her potent blanket of dankness, if you'd prefer that.

Or just let it age in bottles for a year.

I have only the following hops, 1 oz mosaic, 1.5oz citra and 1oz amarillo

I brew almost the same recipe all the time. I move my hops around and have tried quite a few. I din't notice anything off about Centennial but thats just me.
Citra is my go to for this one. I do like Mosaic, Amarillo. I dry hop heavy, 3oz Citra

I will probably give this another try, hopefully i have a better result.

 

[IslandLizard]

I will probably give this another try, hopefully i have a better result.

I'd try using different hops, avoiding Centennial.

I have only the following hops, 1 oz mosaic, 1.5oz citra and 1oz amarillo

Any of those hops or a combo of 2 or 3 of them would be entirely different from Centennial. 2-Hearted is all Centennial, so if it doesn't taste right to you, it would be something to avoid.

Someone already mentioned Cilantro tasting soapy to some people, and delicious citrusy to others. What if those oils in Cilantro also appear in Centennial? That would fit your case.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Don't live in the US

In that case it's a good idea to edit the country field on your profile, it saves everyone time.

Centennial is one of those hops that a lot of people find soapy, it's not clear whether it's linked to the OR6A2 mutation that is linked to around 1 in 6 people perceiving coriander/cilantro as soapy, but hops, and C-hops in particular, share a lot of the terpenols involved in the flavour of coriander.

So if you're one of those people, then Centennial - and by extension Two-Hearted - is probably not the hop/beer for you.

 

[breewboy]

I'd try using different hops, avoiding Centennial.

I meant to write trying this again with other hops.

In that case it's a good idea to edit the country field on your profile, it saves everyone time.

Centennial is one of those hops that a lot of people find soapy, it's not clear whether it's linked to the OR6A2 mutation that is linked to around 1 in 6 people perceiving coriander/cilantro as soapy, but hops, and C-hops in particular, share a lot of the terpenols involved in the flavour of coriander.

So if you're one of those people, then Centennial - and by extension Two-Hearted - is probably not the hop/beer for you.

Thank you i changed the country now.

This is my 8th brew so i have not tried alot of different hops just yet. I did a single hop with citra and that one turn out really good.

I diluted the batch a few days ago in hope of reducing the soapy taste, i thought it tasted a bit better when i took a sample, bottled half of the batch today and the other half i will dry hop for a few days(just to see what the difference will be).

 

[NobleNewt]

I've brewed Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde and the Bell's Two Hearted Clone from the forum, and I perceive a soapy taste from the Centennial as well.

I listened to a podcast with one of the brewery owners or brewers (can't remember which) that said they basically get first pick of each year's Centennial crop.. Basically, they get the best of the best. Any surplus they have, they sometimes sell through the Bell's General Store to the public, but it goes fast. All to say, the Centennial we get as homebrewers isn't the same Centennial that Bell's gets.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Centennial hops hand selected by Bell's Brewery for Two Hearted Ale, packaged exclusively by Bell's General Store for homebrewers.

[...]

These are the same hops we used to make the #1 rated beer in the US, Two Hearted Ale.

 

[breewboy]

I've brewed Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde and the Bell's Two Hearted Clone from the forum, and I perceive a soapy taste from the Centennial as well.

I listened to a podcast with one of the brewery owners or brewers (can't remember which) that said they basically get first pick of each year's Centennial crop.. Basically, they get the best of the best. Any surplus they have, they sometimes sell through the Bell's General Store to the public, but it goes fast. All to say, the Centennial we get as homebrewers isn't the same Centennial that Bell's gets.

Yea i guess that's the case for the biggest breweries at least. Still a lot of people love this beer and don't feel the soapy taste.

I bottled the last of the batch yesterday, will try one in 2 weeks and see what the taste is like.

 

[dirty_martini]

I’m one of those guys that thinks centennial and cascade are soapy. I like them as blending hops to add some floral background notes, but on their own I just think of ivory soap. It’s why I’ve never been a big fan of Bells two hearted or Stone IPA.

if you want something in the same vein, close but with a less floral character, I would sub in some other common American ipa hops like amarillo or simcoe for at least 50% of the dryhop. You’ll still get some of that floral centennial like two hearted, but you will have enough citrus and pine to cut it a bit and achieve a little more balance that leans more to your tastes

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I’m one of those guys that thinks centennial and cascade are soapy. I like them as blending hops to add some floral background notes, but on their own I just think of ivory soap. It’s why I’ve never been a big fan of Bells two hearted or Stone IPA.

So do you find a similar soapiness in cilantro/coriander leaf?

 

[breewboy]

Something interesting is that i bought some ingredients in bulk and Two Hearted was my 4th brew from this bulk order. My next brew(which i brewed last weekend)was a American Pale Ale with both amarillo(3 oz) and centennial(3 oz). Will try it in a few days.

 

[dirty_martini]

So do you find a similar soapiness in cilantro/coriander leaf?

Not at all. Love cilantro

 

[breewboy]

I have now tasted my Two Hearted IPA, the soapy taste is still there however much less than before bottling, the dry hoped version is a lot worse. The APA had similar soapy taste but less.

I have some leftover Centennial hops and i am wondering if i can "test" it somehow? Can i dry hop the hops in water or boil it in water to see if i get the same soapy taste?