Galena vs Citra

[Mobstar]

Good day!

I'm about to brew a batch of IIPA tomorrow and my LBS didn't have either Chinook or Columbus in stock so I bought 2 potential substitutes.
Galena and Citra have similar alpha acids and both claim to have citrus notes. Can anyone chime in on their experience with either or of these Hops? I will be using one of those 2 as my bittering hops and the rest of the recipe calls for Cascade.

Thank you!

 

[ss4ivan]

Try warrior or magnum if available. Citra is a little pricey and IMHO should be used for flavor aroma and not bittering. Citra gives tropical flavor and aroma.

 

[Mobstar]

I would really love to but these 2 are the only options at the moment. Perhaps I should use the Galena as the Bittering and add the Citra during flame out or dry hop?

Try warrior or magnum if available. Citra is a little pricey and IMHO should be used for flavor aroma and not bittering. Citra gives tropical flavor and aroma.

 

[m00ps]

Just because 2 hops have the same alpha%, doesnt mean they are anything alike

Galena is a bittering hop, through and through. I remember reading at some point, it was the most widely grown hop in the US simply for its clean bittering potential. It doesnt have much aroma/flavor other than a general "hoppiness". Use it for early bittering additions

Citra on the other hand, has aroma/flavor in spades. Its currently one of the most expensive and sought after hops out there. If you waste its precious character on a bittering addition, which you wont even taste, the hop karma boogeyman will come for you. Definitely use it for a flameout addition. And add more for dry hopping if you have it. And at more at flameout. And at some more to the dry hop. etc

 

[GrogNerd]

going with just what you have: Galena is good for bittering and I would definitely give the Citra/Cascade combo a try

 

[ss4ivan]

Agreed Galena is listed as a substitute for columbus

 

[pshankstar]

I used Galena as an experiment. It was the only hop used to bitter the lager kit I had. The beer turned out ok but the hoppiness to this beer was just plain. I could taste a hop bitterness to the beer, but there was nothing more to it.

Now, I recently did a small IPA test batch. Bravo hops were added at 60 & 20 mins. I then added Warrior at 5 mins, then dry hopped with Citra. This beer has been what I consider my best home brew I have made so far.

I figured I would give you my input on both brews since you were asking about Galena hops but someone else mentioned using Warrior. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Mobstar]

Thanks for the input.
My LBS has a very crappy selection when it comes to Bittering Hops. They mostly stock noble hops and the more mellow stuff.. I'm making an IIPA here and now you guys got me worried that the 60min 1oz Galena hop addition might not be enough bitterness.

This is the hop schedule. wondering where to throw in the 1oz of Citra

60min Galena 1oz
15min Cascade 1.5oz
5min Cascade 1oz
0min cascade 1oz

 

[ss4ivan]

I would throw in the Citra at flameout or dryhop it.

 

[GrogNerd]

I would throw in the Citra at flameout or dryhop it.

I would agree

 

[IslandLizard]

An IIPA needs a solid bittering charge, use a high %AA hop like Warrior, Magnum, Galena, even Nugget. Don't waste expensive aroma/flavor hops on that, you'll need all of them later on.

Then use a good amount of flavoring hop say at 5 or 0 minutes, and again, more after flameout during an extended whirlpool when the wort has cooled down below 190°F. Some of us do 2 or 3 whirlpool hop additions at various temps and for long durations, as long as an hour or more. Any or a mix of the "potent character" hops is suitable, like Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, Galaxy, etc.

After fermentation is over, use one or 2 dry hop additions for aroma, 2-5 oz each in a 5 gallon batch.

As you can see you'll easily need 8-16 oz of hops for an IIPA. Perhaps order a few by the pound, online? I never buy hops by the oz anymore. LHBS hops can be old and/or badly stored. Deep frozen is best.

 

[pshankstar]

I would throw in the Citra at flameout or dryhop it.

Ditto! Do this I think it would be your best bet with the Citra hops.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

I've found Galena gives a smooth bitterness when added at 45 minutes, and a delicate, subtle fruity-floral note when added late in the boil. Citra I haven't tried.

 

[Mobstar]

I ended up using 1/2 cascade and 1/2 citra at flame out and I will do the same for dry hopping.
Now I'm debating if I should just toss the hops lose in the secondary or put them in a bag.

I sampled the wort I leeched for the hydrometer and it smelled and tasted amazing. I'm really looking forward to the finished product!

 

[flugelizor]

I like to just toss in the pellets loose to get optimal contact with the beer.
After 4-7 days chill it for two days or so (cold crash) if possible before racking it because those loose hops get stuck in the siphon. Cold crash makes them drop right out of the way.

 

[Mainer]

Just because 2 hops have the same alpha%, doesnt mean they are anything alike

Galena is a bittering hop, through and through. I remember reading at some point, it was the most widely grown hop in the US simply for its clean bittering potential. It doesnt have much aroma/flavor other than a general "hoppiness". Use it for early bittering additions

Citra on the other hand, has aroma/flavor in spades. Its currently one of the most expensive and sought after hops out there. If you waste its precious character on a bittering addition, which you wont even taste, the hop karma boogeyman will come for you. Definitely use it for a flameout addition. And add more for dry hopping if you have it. And at more at flameout. And at some more to the dry hop. etc

+1
Galena for bittering, Citra for late or dry.
They're both great hop strains, but for drastically different purposes.

***EDIT*** Okay, now that I read the whole thing I see you already brewed it, so my comment is deeply unhelpful. But it sounds like you did the right thing.