Pairing WLP644 with Sabro

[mtweeman]

Hi!

Was thinking lately about recipe for some tropical influenced IPA with coconut and pineapple flavor (pina colada). Has anyone of you tried making one using WLP644 (to get pineapple) and single hop Sabro (for coconut)? I think it should work if balanced in a proper way. Any advices appreciated.

 

[couchsending]

Tough thing with Sabro is by itself the coconut turns into Cedar when used in even modest quantities.

I’ve had awesome luck with WLP644 and El Dorado providing a ton of pineapple. Denali and Zythos are super pineapple forward as well. I’d literally use just 15% of the hop bill as Sabro. It is the most potent hop on the planet and will flatten anything, even Galaxy. All you need is a small
Amount to get the coconut. This is based on my personal experience as well as conversations with some of the best commercial hoppy beer brewers who have used Sabro a bunch.

 

[mtweeman]

My idea was to ferment WLP644 quite warm to get this pineapple note more transparent. For hopping, I was thinking Sabro only - no bittering addition, some amount on flameout and later dryhopping. Also, adding some lactose to get milkshake IPA. Do you have any specific amount of Sabro on your mind that could work with that? Or this is completely crazy?

 

[couchsending]

If you use Sabro alone most likely you will get a lot of “woody” or cedar character that will be odd and out of place. It takes very little Sabro to become very apparent, it’s nuts. Unlike any other hop. Same with its derivatives. Personally I wouldn’t rely on 644 alone either for the pineapple.

Some blend of Galaxy, El Dorado, Sabro would be my recommendation. I’ve made the beer you’re trying to make but before Sabro was available, so I used actual coconut. I’ve probably made 6 or so beers with Sabro as well. I’ve used every new school hop from all over the world and there’s nothing like Sabro. It’s potency is of the chart, more so than any Galaxy, Vic secret, Nelson, etc etc etc. It takes very little and is insanely potent.

If you did want to use it alone you literally only need maximum 2oz at WP and 2oz in the dry hop. Where as you could use more than double or triple that amount of Citra to get the same level of aroma and flavor. At least that’s with the 2lbs of it I’ve used.

 

[mtweeman]

Sounds like proper reasoning. Thanks! Maybe I'll try hop mix that you mentioned in the future.
How did come out the beer with coconut that you made? Do you have recipe available? Would be good to have some firm start with that attempt.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Personally I wouldn’t rely on 644 alone either for the pineapple.

I get a huge amount of pineapple and mango from WLP644.
Some people are surprised there's no fruit.

 

[couchsending]

Sounds like proper reasoning. Thanks! Maybe I'll try hop mix that you mentioned in the future.
How did come out the beer with coconut that you made? Do you have recipe available? Would be good to have some firm start with that attempt.

Trillium makes a beer called El Dorado cutting tiles. I probably first had it two and a half years ago. It no joke smelled and tasted exactly like Dole Pineapple juice at firsts. As it warmed it went a little more apricot but I’ve never had a beer that actually resembled straight juice as much as that one and I’ve had most of the over hyped up “juice bombs” out there. You can find that grain/hop bill on their sight. I usually get more red jolly rancher from El Dorado bit something about that malt bill, plus honey, plus El Dorado turned it into nothing but intense Pineapple. And not the rotting pineapple you tend to get in a lot of beers these days.

I started there and added some toasted coconut. It’s been a while since I made it honestly. There’s a thread on here about someone making the pina colada IPA. Inspired by a beer from Fieldwork. I’d check that thread out.

I made it twice. Once with just 007 and once with a blend of Conan and 644. Personally I think 644 is sort of a pain to work with. It doesn’t like to flocc and with high dry hopping loads that can lead to some serious hop burn unless you either fine it or lager it for a while.

 

[Mer-man]

@couchsending would you suggest Sabro as a good "lifter"/synergy hop? I have a PtE clone on deck and picked up some Sabro cryo and was going to add a little (10%) to both my whirlpool and dryhop dosing.

 

[couchsending]

Sure

Not sure it really goes with the hop bill in PTE though??

Russian River does make an all Sabro beer called Ron Mexico. They started making it when it was just called HBC438.

 

[Mer-man]

No but the high thiol and terpene alcohol content should help at 5%... according to Yakima Chief.