Centennial Blonde tastes like my Nierra Sevada

[RandyAB]

I just kegged a 15 gal batch of this recipe. On brewday I hit the numbers pretty much dead on and the beer finished where it should have. I must say that I was a little disappointed. I had previously brewed Biermuncher's Nierra Sevada Pale Ale and I found this recipe very close in taste. Has anybody else noticed this? The hop character is a bit too sharp for me and I'm thinking that it must be the Cascade hops that I'm not overly fond of.

When I originally brewed the Nierra Sevada I was a surprised by the hop profile and was wondering if I got it right. Instead of Pearl I used Northern in that recipe. Being in Canada I had never had the original Sierra Nevada before but when I was in Florida last fall I had the chance to sample it and found that the clone recipe was pretty close. I felt relieved that I hadn't screwed it up somehow.

Anyway, I'm thinking that I'm not a hophead. Personally I don't find the more hoppy beers "go down" quite as smoothly.........To each there own.

 

[Erroneous]

Age it for a while to let the hop character die down. If you don't like hop character, for which I'm truly sorry, then lay off recipes with late additions or dry hops. There are many styles that aren't or don't have to be hoppy so look into those. Just to name a few, many Belgian ales, Scottish ales, German lagers, English ales, etc. just don't dismiss a beer because it has a lot of bittering hops at the beginning. Also make sure it isn't that you just don't like American hops. Try some saaz, hallertau, goldings, and giggles.

 

[RandyAB]

Thanks Erroneous for your input and suggestions. It isn't that I don't like hops, I think that it is Cascade that I find a bit too "biting". I've brewed a few English Ales with IBU's around 35 that I really like. I also like to serve my beer to people who are BMC types and I think they find the sharply bitter beers a bit overwhelming. I was mainly surprised as to how similar this beer tasted to my Nierra Sevada. Comparing the two recipes, they are quite similar so I guess it is not a total surprise.

 

[Piratwolf]

I actually found the hop profile a bit rough on my 1st batch of CB as well, and I LOOOOOVE American hops. I think it's the very light body of this beer--really makes the hops shine. Good news: after 2 months in my beer fridge, the harshness mellowed and it became one of my favorite homebrews so far!

 

[RandyAB]

This particular batch was brewed in early March and has been sitting in the conical until now. I hope that it still has room to mellow out a bit more.

 

[RM-MN]

This particular batch was brewed in early March and has been sitting in the conical until now. I hope that it still has room to mellow out a bit more.

It sure does. The pale ale I made in November was really good in December with the hop aroma but as time has passed that aroma has dissipated and the bittering has mellowed too. It's still a very drinkable beer but nothing like it was when younger.

 

[Piratwolf]

This particular batch was brewed in early March and has been sitting in the conical until now. I hope that it still has room to mellow out a bit more.

I brewed mine last fall. Just gave the last bottle to a friend who is NOT a hophead--he loved it! Next Sat i'ma brew a 3gal test batch w/ Amarillo instead to see how that works. Should beat the harshness and the creamy body I think will really complement the mango-ish Amarillo.

 

[brew2enjoy]

I just finished a keg of CB and i thought it had no hop character at all! Funny how everyone's tastes are different.

 

[lloydhudson]

I am currently drinking a CB that I kegged about 6 weeks ago. My extraction was very poor but still came out 4.2ABV. I followed the recipe closely but then I dry hopped with 4oz Coriander crushed and 4 oz of dried mint. Becoming very drinkable now. A definite bittering dry to mouth taste, not much in the way of head retention. I will try it again but only in a 5 gal batch.

 

[RandyAB]

Two and a half months later I find this now a very nice beer. The harshness that was initially bothering me has settled. I'm quite amazed actually how different it tastes. I took a 3gal keg on a week long sailing trip last week and it was very well received, as was the other 3gal keg of English Pale Ale...neither came back alive

 

[Sippin37]

Is the cascade the bittering hop addition? If so you can trying doing a first wort hop instead of at 60 minutes and that should help smooth out the biting bitterness a little.

 

[jtkratzer]

I am currently drinking a CB that I kegged about 6 weeks ago. My extraction was very poor but still came out 4.2ABV. I followed the recipe closely but then I dry hopped with 4oz Coriander crushed and 4 oz of dried mint. Becoming very drinkable now. A definite bittering dry to mouth taste, not much in the way of head retention. I will try it again but only in a 5 gal batch.

The partial mash (or all extract, can't remember) I brewed laced very nicely. I thought it was a great lawnmower beer and my wife loved it. She's not into IPAs, but likes Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, go figure.

I brew CB as my first all grain and I'm excited to see how it compares since the hop utilization should be a bit different and there's no extract in it. Also was my first temp controlled fermentation.

 

[texasbrewer73]

I just brewed this Sunday. When tasting the wort right before racking to the fermenter, it tasted a little bitter, but nothing yeast and time won't take care of. Racking to secondary tomorrow, then cold crashing and kegging next weekend. Hope to taste this soon.

 

[DirtyOldDuck]

I am having a hard time with the concept that anyone would describe this beer as bitter. To me, while not necessarily subtle, I found the hops to be sublime and every sip made me smile. Every pour resulted in a pillowy white, long-lasting head and lacing that lasted until the glass was washed. My first keg of this is likely to kick today and I am already preparing to brew a 10 gallon batch.

 

[texasbrewer73]

The bitterness I experienced was right after it was chilled to pitch temp and before it went into the fermenter. As I mentioned, I think the yeast and a little time will balance everything out. Took a taste test when I racked to secondary and already things are evening out.