Hop combinations to avoid!!!

[SteakGrisel]

So today, while I was at work poundering the mystery that is recipe design, one question came to mind. What are hop combinations that should be avoided while creating recipes? Does anyone have first hand experience in the realm of failed hop combos?

 

[phoenixs4r]

I threw in some fuggles late in the boil once. IPA tasted like dirt.

 

[dogbar]

Really interesting question. Subscribed.

 

[david_42]

Hard to say, what constitutes failed? High-citrus hops will overwhelm noble hops, but all that means is you have a citrus-beer. More likely, people use the wrong hop type for a beer style.

 

[SteakGrisel]

Combos that take you out of style guide lines or just made your beer taste like dirt or fart, or foot.

 

[beergolf]

I threw in some fuggles late in the boil once. IPA tasted like dirt.

It is all a matter of YOUR taste. I do an amber ale with cascade and fuggles. It is great .it is the same hop schedule that Bell's uses for their amber ale.

 

[phoenixs4r]

It is all a matter of YOUR taste.

Well, duh....

 

[EzMak24]

I used some real citrusy cascades in a hefeweizen and the banana clove did not mix well with it.

 

[SwampassJ]

Well, duh....

You forgot to capitalize it to emphasize something aggressively.

Argentinian Cascade.

 

[shelly_belly]

I had a columbus/simcoe dry-hopped IPA that I could not drink.

 

[jtejedor]

I did an American brown that was really really toasty and use a ton of citrusy American hops. It clashed to say the least but I do enjoy most black ipas I have had.

 

[elproducto]

I had a columbus/simcoe dry-hopped IPA that I could not drink.

Blasphemy, emrace the dankness.

 

[Native302]

Yes I do a pliny clone with Columbus and simcoe dry hop that is awesome ...

 

[yodalegomaster]

I think it's a matter of mixing style categories. Which I think of as "The C's" = Citirus; "Nobel" which are the German noble type and then the "resiny" which are the English hops. I don't mix between the familys in a same beer. Then there are some hops that I just don't like at all like Cascade, perle, cluster, northern brewer, Saaz. I would only use them when I want to make a style, like a cal common without norther brewer just doesn't work to me.

 

[inthebackwoods]

Nifty little BYO hop chart. You can select a beer style and will pull up hops that may be appropriate for that style and gives characteristic descriptions of each hop: http://byo.com/resources/hops?style=2. It doesn't answer your question, but may help you decide more appropriately for a specific style.

 

[acefaser]

I had a columbus/simcoe dry-hopped IPA that I could not drink.

Are you sure it was from the columbus/simcoe dry hop? I don't think it was the combo, more likely the amount/ratio used. I know a few good recipes that use that combo, in fact wasn't the winning IPA recipe in the National Home Brew competition this last year use that combo?

 

[shelly_belly]

Are you sure it was from the columbus/simcoe dry hop? I don't think it was the combo, more likely the amount/ratio used. I know a few good recipes that use that combo, in fact wasn't the winning IPA recipe in the National Home Brew competition this last year use that combo?

I'm not sure what it was - it was just a clash of flavors to me. I had it at Avery's tap room.

 

[TimBrewz]

Resurrecting this thread, as I was searching for info about Liberty(NW grown nobel variety) hops and flavor/aroma clashes. My little brewing crew and I wound up with a few pounds of Liberty last harvest, along with cascade and centennial from a local hop farm here in the Portland OR area. We brewed at least 10 different beers with Liberty and found that they do not blend well as a flavor addition (10-30 min) with citrusy "C" hops. So, as mentioned above, noble varieties may not blend well with our standard American varieties. All the beers with Liberty and either Cascade or Centennial had a very odd flavor, while not terrible-very distracting. Liberty did well in single hopped lagers. So, Liberty does not play well with others, at least from our experience.

 

[yodalegomaster]

Well Liberty is descended from the noble hop family, so it's right at home with the lagers, it's quite clean and very hard to come by for home brewers, the last thing I would want to do is mix liberty with a "Big C family Hop", it's going to get lost. As for the columbus simco debate above. Either you love simco or hate Simco. Most people are very decisive on there like or dislike of Simco. It is in the "Big C family" and does mix well with CTZ, in my opinion; One of the best beers to try and find out if you like Simco is "Weyerbacher Single Simco" their from PA, so it might be hard to get it in the west.

 

[jmich24]

I had a columbus/simcoe dry-hopped IPA that I could not drink.

Love that combo!

 

[ghpeel]

I have heard tha dark crystal malts and strong American C hops do not often mix together well.

 

[allenH]

T-Can and Bearcat Midnight Wheaton Beatdown (northern brewer kit) is a really good wheat porter using Summit, Centennial and Cascade. I will admit, the dark malts take center stage

 

[TimBrewz]

Simcoe and Columbus are the only hops in Green Flash Westcoast IPA, one of my favorites.

Making a Cascade, Centennial, Columbus IPA tomorrow- that is another great combo.

 

[TimBrewz]

I have heard tha dark crystal malts and strong American C hops do not often mix together well.

I have not had that experience. I make an India Red Ale that has lots of dark crystal and uses Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade. It is great.

Though I have had people make the beer with Chinook, and not like it, so maybe some of the NW "c" hops would clash with dark crystal.

 

[Boy]

Perle/Cascade/willamette did not play well together at all in a ESB I made last year. Believe it was mostly the Perle since I like the cascade and willamette mix in my other beers.

 

[Odin_Brews]

I make a blonde with Perle/willamette/Cascade that I find excellent. It's an interesting thread in that it appears the same mix of hops in different styles may or may not go well.

 

[beeber]

It is a personal preference, but the combo of citra and columbus didn't work for me.

 

[ErieShores]

Bravo and Amarillo wasn't repulsive, but it sure wasn't the best combo I've ever tried.

 

[stonebrewer]

I have not had that experience. I make an India Red Ale that has lots of dark crystal and uses Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade. It is great.

Though I have had people make the beer with Chinook, and not like it, so maybe some of the NW "c" hops would clash with dark crystal.

Chinook is a little harsh for my taste. I do an Arrogant Bastard clone with Columbus that I really love. Recently I went with Tasty's recipe and used Chinook in place of the Columbus. While it is still a very good beer, I prefer the Columbus version I came up with better. Chinook is very present on the finish, whereas the Columbus is more up front with a malty finish.

I really enjoy Simcoe and have not tried it with Columbus yet, but that is definitely in the plans for a future brew. I'll use the Columbus for bittering and the Simcoe at 15 minutes and in dry hop. Probably with MO and a dash of light crystal malt. Should be a great sessionable beer.

 

[BassBeer]

I dry hopped an IPA with Cascade and Glacier recently (1oz. each) and wasn't thrilled with the result. They flavors didn't compliment eachother, never really meshed. Maybe citrus and earthy isn't the best combo?