Columbus Hops - Onion like aroma?

[Invertalon]

I ordered in a pound of Columbus with my order a few months ago from Yakima, 2015 harvest.

I brewed a big DIPA last week and Columbus was basically the primary bittering hop, at around 3oz.

When I measured out the hop, I noticed it had an oniony aroma to it. I planned to use this in my dry hop as well to get a very dank like IPA, but the aroma has me concerned a bit... I tweaked my dry hop to eliminate Columbus.

Fast forward 10 days, I pulled a hydro sample and of course enjoyed the sample afterward. No oniony character or aroma, but I did get that incredible dankness (also used a bit of Simcoe, Centennial and a touch of Citra for late additions and the hop stand). Really awesome stuff.

Does anyone else pick up onion in the aroma of Columbus? It's like a faint green onion or something, but perhaps that is just part of the "dank" qualities of this hop? Not sure... First time using it myself so I can't compare it with other harvests/suppliers/batches.

If this quality is not typical, I will likely just stick to using it for bittering additions only or buy individual ounces for dry hop if needed from the LHBS.

Thanks!

 

[jageraholic]

I dont get much onion from columbus, but definitely a huge dank and resiny taste. Its a very powerful hop that can easily dominate any other hops in the batch if used too much.

 

[Invertalon]

Yeah, even as bittering only (120min and 60min additions) I still get a notable dank/resin profile in the hydro sample which I love... I was just concerned about using it as a late addition, at least the hops I have.

 

[dmtaylor]

I've never experienced onion with Columbus, but I know many people who have. And every one of them says it disappears after a few weeks. Very common and no cause for concern.

 

[tagz]

I don't think onion is a typical descriptor for Columbus, and I've never noticed it so it might just be the particular crop you purchased. I have read that onion and garlic aromas are produced by a late harvest and develops when they sit on the bine for too long.

 

[guidoz83]

I had the same impression with a Columbus, crop 2015. Very oniony at nose but after boil/hopstand/whirpool/dry hopping, the flavor disappears (i'm a little bit disappointed for this ).

 

[Invertalon]

I decided I really wanted Columbus as a dry hop, so I picked up 1oz to add with all my other hops for the dry hop from the LHBS... This one didn't have any onion aroma, so I gladly added to the DIPA... Guess it just must be the pound I got from Yakima directly!

 

[slym2none]

I have never gotten onion from Columbus, and it's one of my faves for dry-hopping with.

 

[emsroth]

I just popped a 2oz pack of 2016 Columbus for dry hopping. ONION in the bag.

I've heard that some hops have onion until they oxidize a bit. After 15 minutes the onion aroma is going away. I will check again tomorrow after leaving them out at room temp overnight. I'm hoping I'll get to dry hop it then.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I just received a batch of 2018 CTZ (Columbus) from Yakima Valley Hops and they reak of onion.

I'm used to CTZ smelling like cannabis and citrus. Is this year's crop messed up?

You guys think I'm ok using this for aroma and dry hop?

Hoping the onion doesn't translate into the final product

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I just popped a 2oz pack of 2016 Columbus for dry hopping. ONION in the bag.

I've heard that some hops have onion until they oxidize a bit. After 15 minutes the onion aroma is going away. I will check again tomorrow after leaving them out at room temp overnight. I'm hoping I'll get to dry hop it then.

how did this end up translating into the final product?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I just received a batch of 2018 CTZ (Columbus) from Yakima Valley Hops and they reak of onion.

Usually means they've been picked a bit late.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

Usually means they've been picked a bit late.

Thanks, how do you think this translate into the final product when using as late addition aroma or dry hops?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It can end up oniony - some people like that sort of thing.

 

[thehaze]

I've gotten a bit of dankness and " green " , " tomato stalky " notes from Columbus, but not onion.

I do get onion from Mosaic and Citra, but Mosaic is very oniony...

 

[drewmarkwith]

I’ve gotten green onion from YVH Columbus pellets 2015-2017 so I stopped buying that specific hop from them. 2016 was so bad, also had a rotten vegetable aroma that I called to complain and they refunded my purchase. In general a big fan of YVH, and continue to buy from them so not putting them down in any way. 2014 was their last year where Columbus was spot on dank/citrus.

I stick to Farmhouse Supply for Columbus now and get a solid dank citrus aroma out of the bag.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I’ve gotten green onion from YVH Columbus pellets 2015-2017 so I stopped buying that specific hop from them. 2016 was so bad, also had a rotten vegetable aroma that I called to complain and they refunded my purchase. In general a big fan of YVH, and continue to buy from them so not putting them down in any way. 2014 was their last year where Columbus was spot on dank/citrus.

I stick to Farmhouse Supply for Columbus now and get a solid dank citrus aroma out of the bag.

Good to know, that I don't need to write off YVH for other varieties. I'll stick to other vendors for Columbus going forward.

I brewed a 10 gallon 12% abv barley wine with these onion-ey ones. The onion columbus was only about 20% of the late boil additions (centennial, simcoe, apollo, and mosaic were other varieties). Should be ok (I tasted some of the blow off from the primary and not picking up any onion).

I ordered a different batch of columbus for the dry hop from northern brewer which I'm planning to use those instead. Definitely won't be throwing in these onion bombs as a dry hop.

Two years ago, I brewed a similar 10.5% ABV american barley Wine called "Bad Influence" and took 2nd place at local competition. This version has more hops and more malt.


Good Influence (a.k.a. Secretly Badder Influence)

All Grain Recipe


Brewer: Brahery
Batch Size: 11.50 gal Style: American Barleywine (19C)
Boil Size: 16.56 gal Style Guide: BJCP 2008
Color: 17.2 SRM
Bitterness: 143.0 IBUs Boil Time: 150 min
Est OG: 1.112 SG Mash Profile: Brahery Mash (batch sparge)
Est FG: 1.021 SG
ABV: 11.94%


Ingredients
Amount Name Type #
1.00 tsp Calcium Chloride (Mash 60 min) Misc 1
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60 min) Misc 2

30 lbs Golden Promise (3.0 SRM) Grain 3
1 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 4
1 lbs Cara 45 (Dingemans) (47.0 SRM) Grain 5
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 6
1 lbs Melanoidin (Weyermann) (30.0 SRM) Grain 7
7.00 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 8

5.33 oz Black Printz (add at mash out) (500.0 SRM) Grain 9

9 lbs Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 14
3 lbs Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 15


1.50 oz Apollo [17.7%] - First Wort Hops 10
1.50 oz Centennial [8.4%] - First Wort Hops 11
1.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.6%] - First Wort Hops 12
1.50 oz Simcoe [13.5%] - First Wort Hops 13

2.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10 min) Misc 18
1.00 oz Apollo [17.7%] - Boil 10 min Hops 19
1.00 oz Centennial [8.4%] - Boil 10 min Hops 20
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.6%] - Boil 10 min Hops 21
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.5%] - Boil 10 min Hops 22
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10 min) Misc 23

1.50 oz Apollo [17.7%] - Boil 3 min Hops 24
1.50 oz Centennial [8.4%] - Boil 3 min Hops 25
1.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.6%] - Boil 3 min Hops 26
1.50 oz Simcoe [13.5%] - Boil 3 min Hops 27

2.00 oz Apollo [17.7%] - Steep 5 min Hops 28
2.00 oz Centennial [8.4%] - Steep 5 min Hops 29
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.6%] - Steep 5 min Hops 30
2.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.2%] - Steep 5 min Hops 31
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.5%] - Steep 5 min Hops 32

6 pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast 33
Ferment @ 60 degrees F
Raise to 70 degrees after 5 days (active fermentation complete)

2.00 oz Apollo [17.7%] - Dry Hop 3 days Hops 34
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.6%] - Dry Hop 3 days Hops 35
2.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.2%] - Dry Hop 3 days Hops 36
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.5%] - Dry Hop 3 days Hops 37
2.00 oz Centennial [8.4%] - Dry Hop 3 days Hops 38

 

[MGamber]

I got a 1/2 pound of CTZ from YVH that I swore was Summit. Looked like Summit and it had that Summit onion/scallion smell to it. This opposed to a pound of CTZ from YVH that had much larger pellets and a huge dank aroma to it. I emailed with pictures of each and said I thought they screwed up my order but the guy insisted it was CTZ, not Summit. I used the pound bag first and they were very good. Then I dug into the 1/2 pound bag, expecting the worst and didn't get it at all. The final beer had a nice dank quality the same as those done from the pound bag. I wrote back asking what's the difference and was told the pellets are made at different places and may well have been from different farms. Whatever...the beer turned out fine.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I got a 1/2 pound of CTZ from YVH that I swore was Summit. Looked like Summit and it had that Summit onion/scallion smell to it. This opposed to a pound of CTZ from YVH that had much larger pellets and a huge dank aroma to it. I emailed with pictures of each and said I thought they screwed up my order but the guy insisted it was CTZ, not Summit. I used the pound bag first and they were very good. Then I dug into the 1/2 pound bag, expecting the worst and didn't get it at all. The final beer had a nice dank quality the same as those done from the pound bag. I wrote back asking what's the difference and was told the pellets are made at different places and may well have been from different farms. Whatever...the beer turned out fine.

Sounds like I got the same half pound bag you got.

Good to know final beer turned out ok.

Out of curiosity did you dry hop with the onioney ones or just use as hot side additions?

 

[MGamber]

Both. An oz for bittering and an oz (along with some others) in the dry hop. I didn't get any onion/scallion in the final beer like I do with Summit or Apollo.

 

[sheikyerbouti]

I'm very sensitive to onion in hops (Nugget, El Dorado, etc) and I've never gotten that smell from Columbus.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I'm very sensitive to onion in hops (Nugget, El Dorado, etc) and I've never gotten that smell from Columbus.

Me neither until now

 

[Oldskewl]

Anyone experience an astringency from using Columbus for 60 min bittering or FWH? I recently brewed the Trillium Vicinity Clone. Used 1/4 oz FWH and 3/4 oz at 10 min. Also did 1:1:1 Nelson:Columbus:Galaxy whirlpool and a 3:1:3 of the same for Dry Hop. At 2 weeks in the keg is is extremely bitter. Bitterness lingers on the tongue. I also brewed the Hop Hands clone twice a couple years ago that used Columbus for Bittering. I had the same experience.

 

[davidabcd]

I did a 5oz Columbus DIPA. Very earthy, "astringent" wouldn't be the worst description. It was a nice beer but definitely a sipper.

 

[MGamber]

Anyone experience an astringency from using Columbus for 60 min bittering or FWH? I recently brewed the Trillium Vicinity Clone. Used 1/4 oz FWH and 3/4 oz at 10 min. Also did 1:1:1 Nelson:Columbus:Galaxy whirlpool and a 3:1:3 of the same for Dry Hop. At 2 weeks in the keg is is extremely bitter. Bitterness lingers on the tongue. I also brewed the Hop Hands clone twice a couple years ago that used Columbus for Bittering. I had the same experience.

Yeah, I get that. I played around with Columbus a couple months ago using it at 60/FWH and in the dry hop (along with some other hops for the same Trillium reason) and the beer was drinkable but definitely not my favorite. It imparted a very sharp bitterness and an astringent quality from the dry hop. Haven't used it since, opting instead for either Warrior, Vic Secret or nothing at all until the last 10 minutes of the boil. It does add a dankness to the beer but Cashmere is much smoother and more rounded and much more pleasant than Columbus.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

columbus are good in a west coast style IPA for FWH, but not great in a NEIPA style

for NEIPA skip the bittering addition all together or use something like magnum or warrior if you really want something early boil

columbus is usually great in dry hop, but I always blend with other varieties. wouldn't use it on its own

 

[Oldskewl]

Glad it’s not just me. Thanks for the feedback. I hope this Vicinity clone calms down soon. It’s a little overbearing. I won’t be using Columbus for bittering anymore.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

Glad it’s not just me. Thanks for the feedback. I hope this Vicinity clone calms down soon. It’s a little overbearing. I won’t be using Columbus for bittering anymore.

I wouldn't write it off completely for all styles. It can be good in a black ipa, barleywine or something where you want a little bite. Not good as bittering for total juice bombs though