Early Taste Test - SNPA Clone - Super hoppy?

[frozt]

Hello all,
I'm two weeks into carbing my bottled SNPA Clone recipe, and I simply couldn't resist chilling and taste testing one. What I found was a reasonable amount of carb given the short conditioning time, but to my taste the beer was incredibly bitter/hoppy. To me this beer tasted far hoppier than either SNPA (37 IBUs) or even SN Torpedo (65 IBUs). Is it possible that this is just green beer, given my non-BJCP-certified palate?

For reference, here's my recipe, which clocks in at about 34 IBUs:

Sierra Madre Pale Ale (Modified from original)

1.5 lbs Briess Caramel 60L
6 lbs Amber DME
1 oz Chinook (60 min)
1 oz German Perle (20 min)
2 oz Cascade (1 min)
1/2 bag lemon peel
1/2 bag coriander
Safale US-05

 

[badbrew]

wut exact size of bag did you take half of?

 

[frozt]

It was a small ziplock bag (~2 x 4 inches). Wish I had a more precise amount honestly, but the LHBS didn't have them marked with any particular weight.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Sierra Madre?????!?!??!?!??!

SNPA is nothing like that recipe, and you are questioning a diff?????

NO WEIGHT ON THE BAG??!??! BS.

Sorry. Please clarify.

 

[frozt]

Clarify what exactly? The LHBS is a bit limited - they suggested the modifications from the orginal Sierra Madre recipe from NB. The lemon peel and coriander were suggested to better replicate the SNPA flavor. Regardless of whether or not this is an effective clone recipe or not, what I'm wondering is how I got this much hoppiness out of 4 oz of hops in a 1.060 boil.

 

[Calder]

SNPA is 1 lb Crystal 60, with the rest being 2-row (or a light extract) to 1.056. Chico yeast, Cascade hops, and no other additions. I think maybe pearle as an early addition, but there is certainly no lemon or coriander.

So, when you say hoppier, do you mean flavor or IBUs. Most people think flavor, but I suspect you mean bitterness. Both Lemon and Coriander can make it seem more bitter.,

 

[Cromwell]

1 oz of Chinook for 60 mins seems high to me, but I'm a n00b. You do know the hops will mellow and 2 weeks is very green, right? And yes, lemon peel is bitter.

 

[frozt]

Yes, I'm referring to bitterness. The lemon peel and coriander were steeped FWIW, not left in the carboy. I've since learned to take what the people at the LHBS with a grain of salt. I'm hoping with age this one will mellow out some, though it's by no means undrinkable right now.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Bitterness will mellow, and I suspect you will come to really appreciate the extra hops just as you drink the last one.

Sorry if I seemed harsh, but you were comparing to SNPA when that is not a snpa clone.

Chinook is DOUBLE the AA or "bitterness" of cascade if memory serves. That is probably the difference.

BREW SOMETHING ELSE QUICK!!!

 

[Ramitt]

SN needs to do a plain IPA so we can call is SNIPA

 

[Yooper]

That recipe looks like a pretty hoppy and bitter beer, and not anything like SNPA as mentioned. I'm not a lemon or coriander fan in beer, but that should mellow a bit and be less bitter with some time. It will never taste much like SNPA, though. But I think if you like coriander in beer, you might find yourself enjoying this beer in the future.

 

[frozt]

cheezydemon3, you are correct, the Chinook I used was 11.8% AA. For those comparing this to a SNPA recipe, which recipe are you referring to? NB's Sierra Madre or something else? Regarding my original question, do you think the lemon peel/coriander is creating a more bitter taste, or that there was too much Chinook at 60 minutes?

Looking at the Sierra Nevada site, Magnum and Perle are listed as bittering hops, Magnum being 14% AA according to beersmith. This being the case, how could Chinook be the culprit?

 

[Yooper]

This being the case, how could Chinook be the culprit?

Only because you used more than the recipe called for- about 25% more. So it'd be 25% more bitter from the hops. That's a lot. And then the lemon peel would probably contribute to bitterness.

Again, that will fade a bit with some time.