Creating a Citra and Amarillo IPA

[Jutty]

I am looking to brew and bottle (for the summer) a kinda honey sweet, fruity IPA with a good hop snap. As a new AG brewer I'm trying to keep it simple. Just got beersmith and am playing along with that. I can get all the numbers to work out but unfortunately beersmith doesn't have a tap handle for sampling and still quite green. I'm using MO for my base, would like a small amount of honey malt (if it'll make a difference) and I'm really stuck on citra hops (I've had before in an American pale ale) and to try Amarillo (which I'm told are fruity too). I've read not to use citra for bittering bc of the cat flavours. Any advice? 5 gal batch and 80-90 IBUs.

 

[edroberts]

I am looking to brew and bottle (for the summer) a kinda honey sweet, fruity IPA with a good hop snap. As a new AG brewer I'm trying to keep it simple. Just got beersmith and am playing along with that. I can get all the numbers to work out but unfortunately beersmith doesn't have a tap handle for sampling and still quite green. I'm using MO for my base, would like a small amount of honey malt (if it'll make a difference) and I'm really stuck on citra hops (I've had before in an American pale ale) and to try Amarillo (which I'm told are fruity too). I've read not to use citra for bittering bc of the cat flavours. Any advice? 5 gal batch and 80-90 IBUs.

I haven't noticed any off flavors using Citra as a first wort hop (which I've done several times for my pseudo-Zombie Dust clone using MO). Honey malt accentuates the sweetness some, but unless you have a BU/GU ratio above .65 it seems to muddle some of the flavor of the Citra a little bit IMHO. At 80-90 IBU, that shouldn't be a problem. In addition I would bet that the Amarillo will offset some of this anyway.

 

[eric19312]

Sounds like a good recipe concept. I use these a lot as late additons, usually with some columbus. I use Warrior for bittering most American IPAs it seems to provide nice bitterness without competing with american hop flavors. I agree keep the grain bill really simple.

 

[bobbrews]

IPAs are technically not supposed to be sweet. The best examples are dry and inherently bitter (to varying extents).

It seems like you want a crowd pleasing Summer Ale with a decent amount of hop aroma, like Victory Summer Love, but with more fruityness and aroma.

Citra and Amarillo work great together anywhere from 15/10/5/0/DH. In equal amounts, the result is very tropical and fruity. For more complexity, use slightly more Amarillo than Citra, since Citra will overpower. You will need to use more hops than you think is necessary, especially for the hopstand and dryhop.

I would recommend Magnum, Columbus, or Warrior for bittering... you won't need a lot... An ounce or less.

For yeast, check out Wyeast 1272. It offers more fruity esters than 1056. Ferment around 68 F and dryhop in at least 2 stages, preferably 3 for optimal aromatic potential.

 

[Jutty]

Thanx for all the good info. I've been reading like mad and just got into podcasts which I'm now addicted to listening to. About the IPA. I'm going to forget the honey bc I really want the full hop flavours. I heard on a podcast about magnum and it's crisp clean taste. I'm actually drinking a homebrew Irish stout (steeping grains, extract and hop boil) that has 1 oz of magnum full boil, no additions. I was surprised to see it in the kit but a very nice bittering hop that doesn't steal the malty flavours. Sold on magnum! I'll punch it into beersmith and then do late additions with the fruity hops. Haven't dry hopped yet. This might be the batch!

 

[JordanKnudson]

Here's a sample idea for a recipe, you could tweak it as you like (it's less ibus than you originally asked for, but 80-90 ibus puts you more in DIPA range). It's just an idea, but you could brew this with excellent results, or make changes as it suits you.

13 lbs Maris Otter
0.5 lbs C40

Mash at 149F for 90 minutes.

1 oz Magnum @ 60 (46 ibus)
0.5 oz Citra @ 15 (10 ibus)
0.5 oz Amarillo @ 15 (7 ibus)
0.5 oz Citra @ hopstand
1.5 oz Amarillo @ hopstand
1 oz Citra @ dry hop
2 oz Amarillo @ dry hop

Wyeast 1272

OG: 1.070
IBU: 63
SRM: 6.6
Est ABV: 7.3

 

[OscarBrau]

I made a citra/amarillo pale ale using Maris Otter. It's one of my favorite beers. I used just amarillo as the bittering, because I'd heard the same thing about citra (though zombie dust and pseudo sue beg to differ).

I would bitter with amarillo, then do equal additions of each at 15, 5, flameout/hop stand, and dry hop.

The maris otter provides a very nice toasty/bready maltiness. If you want some honey sweetness, a small amount of honey malt should do. I wouldn't use any caramel malts for fear of overdoing the sweetness.

 

[JordanKnudson]

I would bitter with amarillo, then do equal additions of each at 15, 5, flameout/hop stand, and dry hop.

The maris otter provides a very nice toasty/bready maltiness. If you want some honey sweetness, a small amount of honey malt should do. I wouldn't use any caramel malts for fear of overdoing the sweetness.

I think OP's earlier idea to bitter with Magnum is better. Why waste the Amarillo on a bittering addition?

Also, he had said that he has decided not to use the honey malt, so a little crystal wouldn't be a problem (esp. with a lower mash temp).

EDIT: I should also say that no crystal is *needed,* but a small quantity isn't going to get in the way of the hops, just as long as restraint is employed.

 

[lookwow]

My house IPA i use Citra/Amarillo and i like to add a little rye to it. Give you a little earthy/spice to the very fruity hops. Just an idea

 

[Redhawk96]

I am a big fan of honey malt in IPA's for that barely there sweetness balance to a big hop addition. 0.25 to 0.5 # in a 5 gallon batch would do it. I think the dark yellow/orange color it contributes is nica as well.

I have made IPA's with mostly Citra and mostly Amarillo hops (bittering with Magnum), and that is a great way to get a feel for there individual contributions. It would halp you get to the blend of the two that you personally like. I find that a little Simcoe with either of these is very nice as well.

 

[Jutty]

JordonKnudson, it appears your recipe was on my mind while I played on beersmith last night. We have a lot of similar values. Here's what I might try. What do you all think?
14lbs MO
.5 c40
1.75 oz magnum @60
1 oz Amarillo @20
.5oz citra @20
1oz Amarillo @0
.5oz citra @0
2oz Amarillo Dry hop
1oz citra Dry hop
Est. OG 1.082
Ibu 92.8. (Figure if I lose a touch, should put me in my wheelhouse)
Color 7.9
Abv 8.2

Dry hopping? Never done it. I normally primary for 4-5 days then secondary for 2-3 weeks then keg at 8-11psi for a week then drink! Fermentation is quite stable at 68 degrees.

 

[Schmoogdaddy]

FWIW, this past weekend I bottled a 1.082 O.G. Citra/Amarillo/Cascade IPA.

For my own taste, I like to overload the flavor/aroma with American hops and don't care about the bitterness so much, so I go with later additions.

I went with .5 oz. of each at each addition - 40 min, 20 min, then from 10-0, I continuously hopped by tossing single pellets in until used up. Finally, dry hopping the secondary.

 

[JordanKnudson]

JordonKnudson, it appears your recipe was on my mind while I played on beersmith last night. We have a lot of similar values. Here's what I might try. What do you all think?
14lbs MO
.5 c40
1.75 oz magnum @60
1 oz Amarillo @20
.5oz citra @20
1oz Amarillo @0
.5oz citra @0
2oz Amarillo Dry hop
1oz citra Dry hop
Est. OG 1.082
Ibu 92.8. (Figure if I lose a touch, should put me in my wheelhouse)
Color 7.9
Abv 8.2

Dry hopping? Never done it. I normally primary for 4-5 days then secondary for 2-3 weeks then keg at 8-11psi for a week then drink! Fermentation is quite stable at 68 degrees.

I think it looks excellent! That much Magnum is going to add a whole lot of bitterness, but if that's what you're looking for, it's going to be delicious (esp. since you've increased the OG into official DIPA range). Just make sure you pitch plenty of yeast!

Dry hopping is easy. Just gently drop the hops into the fermentor about 5 days before you're ready to bottle. You can drop them in loose (esp. pellets), or you can use a sanitized/boiled muslin hop bag to contain them. There are plenty of threads here on the forum about it, so read up a little and go for it! (It really is simple, so don't let it intimidate you).