Citra-heavy IPA tastes like orange juice - in a good way!

[flatsix]

hello!

I've brewed over 100 batches of beer, and I've never had one turn out like this before. It smells like a DELICIOUS pale ale / IPA, and tastes great, but it also has this sharply citric/malic/acidic bite at the front of the palate - exactly like orange juice - and it's not at all unpleasant... so definitely not acetaldehyde etc. It's just really really different.

It's a low ABV (4%) pale ale with a a ton of late-addition hops, mostly Citra. The grain bill is nothing fancy - just some 2-row with some pils thrown in.

The yeast was ECY29, aka the Conan yeast, aka the Heady Topper yeast. I have not used this yeast before, and I suspect this has something to do with this citric character/acidity. Also, of note, despite making a starter, I had a slow start and after 32ish hours had to pitch a second container of ECY29 before things really got going.

Any thoughts/ideas? Has anyone seen this before?

 

[day_trippr]

My first Citra pale was exactly like that. I loved it. If there ever was a "breakfast beer" that was it ; )

Cheers!

 

[Hoptologist]

I love citra, we use the hell out of it. Never had it turn out the way you describe though. I would assume the yeast played a role in it, did you stay within temps for that yeast? Never used it, can't find Heady out here to make my own and try.