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Citra Hops

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Okay so I just tried my IPA which used citra. I love it. I need to cut back on the crystal a bit it's a tad too malty for me but the hops profile is good. I used Simcoe for bittering and you can certainly taste that. Then I splint the citra with cascade for late additions and also dry hopped in a split manner. Next time I'll try all citra if not all at least all late and dry hop. I have over 3/4 a pound left why not play around.

This is encouraging. I just did an IIPA with Citra/Centennial@15, Centennial/Cascade@ flameout and will dry hop Citra/Cascade
 
Okay so I just tried my IPA which used citra. I love it. I need to cut back on the crystal a bit it's a tad too malty for me but the hops profile is good. I used Simcoe for bittering and you can certainly taste that. Then I splint the citra with cascade for late additions and also dry hopped in a split manner. Next time I'll try all citra if not all at least all late and dry hop. I have over 3/4 a pound left why not play around.

I am anxious to try a citra beer... I am thinking an APA of some sort tohugh - I might steal your bittering hop idea - that sounds fun.
 
Will be going this Sunday to pick up some Citra (along with Centennial and Amarillo) to dry hop my IPA. In the boil it was all Simcoe and Amarillo. I'm really trying to get a Bell's Hopslam like fruit flavor out of it. I'm excited for it to be ready.
 
Want to try one of mine, I'm not master homebrewer but I think it's pretty decent. You are damn close. Also I'm not sure if you already have the hops but they do have them at Scotzin Bros. I went looking for Sorachi but came up empty handed and they tried subbing me with citra but I have a ton in the freezer.
 
Just an update on my IIPA with citra/cascade for flavor aroma, and dryhop. I had a cookout on saturday and the 3-5 beer drinkers at the party went through a case of it and couldn't stop raving about the flavor. I love the beer and can't wait to brew it again with a little tweaking this time with just citra for flavor/aroma and dry hop.
 
Want to try one of mine, I'm not master homebrewer but I think it's pretty decent. You are damn close. Also I'm not sure if you already have the hops but they do have them at Scotzin Bros. I went looking for Sorachi but came up empty handed and they tried subbing me with citra but I have a ton in the freezer.

They have them at Scotzin's, huh? How on earth did I miss that - I buy almost everything from them.

That is good to know, I will be stopping by on Wednesday or Saturday to pick up some base grains for my next brew. I'll have to check out the Citra.
 
Just brewed a simple pale ale last night, and used citra hops at end of boil. (3oz) its a test brew to see how close I can get to a beer I had at the Hart & Thistle in Halifax, Canada. A friend of mine and I were there for the 100 yr Canadian navy birthday. Anyway, we got to talk with Nash (owner/brewer) he explained how he uses citra in his Kryptonite DIPA. IBU's - 100+ (233 calculated). It was fantastic! I expected way too much hop, but it wasnt as bad as I was antisipating. I couldnt wait to get home and brew it up. I dont know if I got close enough, he said he uses a ton at the end of the boil. But it was big fruity citris pineapple aroma. Check out his brew blog.http://hartandthistle.blogspot.com/
 
I loved Torpedo when it came out and I picked up a pound of Citra at my lhbs, they are or at least were selling hops for 15 dollars a pound. My plans are tonight or tomorrow night to brew an IPA with Magnum, Cascade and Centennial then dry hop with the Citra and more Cascade. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
 
I just tasted a bottle of my first batch using Citra, a pale ale also using Simcoe and Amarillo. The Citra was added just before flameout and in secondary (along with the other 2) for dry hopping.

I must go on record stating that I do not enjoy what Citra brings to the table at all. It completely overpowered the flavor of the other two hops. It's overly fruity and has a particularly strong apricot/peach flavor and aroma. I don't enjoy it at all - glad the wife likes this one at least.
 
I agree, its very strong. I just tapped a keg this weekend that used a half oz at 5 minutes and another half oz dry hop, in a 'light' ale (1.049) along with approx 10 oz of amarillo/cascade/columbus (in a 10 gal batch) and the citra really stands out. In past brews I would have described it as more tropical fruity - this time the grapefruit taste was very pronounced. It was interesting, and good, but not really to my taste for regular continuous drinking. However I took it to a party, and it got wiped out in less than 2 hours, so someone liked it!
I like what it brings to a PA or IPA, but in small small doses.
 
I agree that it should be used in smaller doses. I try to let all of the people who buy them from us understand how potent they are. Not only is the taste up there with amarillo ans simcoe, but the alpha acid percentage is also high (12-13%). IMHO citra could eventually save us homebrewers alot of money by using them sparingly and getting a great tasting ale.
 
I think next time I just won't dry hop with them. Here's the recipe I used, I basically tweaked Dude's Lake Walk Pale Ale to add Citra:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.41 gal
Estimated OG: 1.056 SG
Estimated Color: 11.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 50.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item
8 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
2 lbs Toasted Malt
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
8.0 oz Wheat, Flaked

0.75 oz Amarillo [8.50 %] (60 min)
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (20 min)
0.75 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (5 min)
0.75 oz Citra [5.00 %] (5 min)
0.75 oz Amarillo [8.50 %] (5 min)

0.75 oz Amarillo [8.50 %] (Dry Hop)
0.75 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop)
0.75 oz Citra [5.00 %] (Dry Hop)
^----all 3 mixed together and dry hopped with two additions: half added on day 1 in secondary, then the second half added on day 5 for a total of 10 days

0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
1 Pkgs SafAle American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-05)

Mash @ 152.0 F


The beer tasted great just prior to racking to secondary for dry hopping, but upon completion all I could taste/smell were stone fruits (apricot, peaches) from the Citra. I'm hoping if I age it for a little while the Citra aromas will die down a bit.
 
its funny you dont like the stonefruits, because thats exactly what im looking for. I remember the first time I have sculpin IPA thats what I got. A lot of peach/apricot/mango notes and I loved it. It was the most unique hop profile I had in an IPA. Lately, that beer has been missing it and I just think its the difference between crops year to year.

I just bought some and havent had a chance to use them. I like to only use 2 hops for flavor/aroma. I like my recipes simple. What do people think are the best single complimentary hops for it. Since simcoe/amarillo is such a great combo, i was thinking that. At the same time I was thinking using something like columbus or summit might be potent enough to stand up to the citra while still letting the stonefruit flavors shine. Or maybe, just go straight tropical fruit and blend them with Nelson Sauvin or Amarillo. Any thoughts? MA
 
I have a pound of Citra from Niko (thanks Niko!!!) and am planning to sub in my APA for either Cascade or Centennial. I am also considering it for an American Brown.
 
I'm brewing a fresh hop pale ale, and used chinook and centennial in the boil. I plan on dry hopping with citra. After reading these posts, I'm not sure what to expect. I'll have to try and let y'all know how it turns out.
 
Just to update on that Pale Ale I brewed - the Citra hops calmed down a bit over time and the beer is drinking quite well now. At first though it basically tasted like I threw peaches and apricots into the fermenter which I didn't enjoy. I'll still omit the Citra next time, but that's completely based on personal preference - I don't enjoy stone fruits.
 
How much whole leaf Citra would be a good amount for DH this recipe? 1/2 recipe will use Simcoe for DH. Other 1/2 will get Citra, but I have never used it.

Recipe:
American Indian in London

20# Maris Otter mashed at 154F for one hour.
OG: 1.054 measured. FG: 1.012 measured.
Hops:
USE TIME OZ VARIETY FORM AA
FWH 2.5 Columbus pellet 14.2
boil 60 mins 1.0 Simcoe pellet 12.4
boil 10 mins 1.0 Ahtanum pellet 5.2
boil 10 mins 1.0 Simcoe pellet 12.4
boil 10 mins 1.0 Centennial pellet 8.8
boil 10 mins 1.0 Amarillo pellet 8.2
boil 1 min 1.0 Simcoe pellet 12.4
boil 1 min 1.0 Centennial pellet 8.8
boil 1 min 1.0 Amarillo pellet 8.2
boil 1 min 1.0 Ahtanum pellet 5.2
Dry hop?

Thanks guys!
 
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