Rakau Hops

[Robin0782]

Any ideas on what could pair well with these hops? Been really wanting to try them and was finally able to order some. I have Centennial, Columbus, Cascade, Nugget, Pacifica, and both the Falconers Flight blends on hand. I want the Rakau to contribute heavily to the flavor and aroma. I was thinking of bittering with Columbus and then using a mix of Centennial and Rakau for 15, 5 and Flame out. Dry hop with 2 oz Rakau. I could just do all Rakau I suppose. What do you think?

 

[othellomcbane]

Do you have enough Rakau to do a single hop IPA? Personally, that's what I like to do with new hops to really get a feel for them, especially when they sound as unique and delicious as Rakau. (Peach and passionfruit is what I've heard). I have 5 ounces of Rakau in my freezer right now and that's what I plan on doing with them.

If you mixed them, I would say to avoid the Nugget and only use Columbus for bittering if you want to use it at all. I think a bit of Centennial for bittering, then a mix of Rakau and some of the Falconer's Flight for flavor / aroma would be delicious.

 

[dukeredhair]

I 2nd the single hop idea. That is always the best way to really get the feel for a hop and with good spacing of your additions can actually bring out new and unexpected flavors. If you don't have enough for that I would leave the flavor/ aroma additions to a mix of falconers flight and rakau.

 

[Montanaandy]

I would personally blend them with the FF & 7c's.

 

[Robin0782]

I ordered 8 oz., so all or mostly Rakau is certainly a possibility. Maybe something like this:

Rakau IPA
Partial Mash

Grain/DME
4.5 lbs Briess Golden DME
3.5 lbs American 2-row
12 oz Aromatic
8 oz White Wheat

Hops
.5 oz Columbus @ 60
1 oz Rakau @ 60
1 oz Rakau @ 15
1 oz Rakau @ 5
1 oz Rakau @ 1
2 oz Rakau @ Flame Out (Steeped 15 minutes)
2 oz Rakau Dry Hop 14 days

US-05 Pint Starter

Readings
Est. OG - 1.057
Est. FG - 1.011
Est. ABV - 6%

Around 50-60 IBU. Promash says 107 IBU but that will get diluted down because I do a partial boil and top up from 3.25 to 5.5 gallons.

 

[Robin0782]

Well, I thought I'd update for anyone who might be interested. Currently drinking my Rakau/Columbus IPA. Here's what I brewed.

Grain/DME
4.5 lbs Briess Golden DME
4 lbs American 2-row
12 oz Munich 10L
4 oz Crystal 60L

Hops
1 oz Columbus @ 60
.5 oz Rakau @ 60
1.5 oz Rakau @ 15
1 oz Rakau @ 10
1 oz Rakau @ 5
2 oz Rakau @ Flame Out (Steeped 15 minutes)
2 oz Rakau - Dry Hop 14 days

US-05 Starter

Readings
OG - 1.055
FG - 1.009
ABV - 6%

Not real impressed by the Rakau hop to be honest. Lots of apricot like aroma and flavor. When I first kegged it, that was overwhelming and unpleasant. They have since toned down and aren't bad... But this isn't really what I want from an IPA. I tossed an oz. of Columbus into the keg for the heck of it. Overall, I'd give this beer a 6/10 probably. Not bad, not great.

 

[HopHoarder]

I found a Rakau/ Wakatu hopped IPA to be a great combination. I blogged about it here:

http://www.closertothehop.com/?p=175

 

[Colbizle]

Well, I thought I'd update for anyone who might be interested. Currently drinking my Rakau/Columbus IPA. Here's what I brewed.

Grain/DME
4.5 lbs Briess Golden DME
4 lbs American 2-row
12 oz Munich 10L
4 oz Crystal 60L

Hops
1 oz Columbus @ 60
.5 oz Rakau @ 60
1.5 oz Rakau @ 15
1 oz Rakau @ 10
1 oz Rakau @ 5
2 oz Rakau @ Flame Out (Steeped 15 minutes)
2 oz Rakau - Dry Hop 14 days

US-05 Starter

Readings
OG - 1.055
FG - 1.009
ABV - 6%

Not real impressed by the Rakau hop to be honest. Lots of apricot like aroma and flavor. When I first kegged it, that was overwhelming and unpleasant. They have since toned down and aren't bad... But this isn't really what I want from an IPA. I tossed an oz. of Columbus into the keg for the heck of it. Overall, I'd give this beer a 6/10 probably. Not bad, not great.

really old thread so sorry for bringing it back alive but seriously guy? You throw 9 oz of Rakau hops in an "IPA" with a light grain bill and then claim that the hop characteristics are "overwhelming and unpleasant"? WELL no ****! If u really wanna get a feel for a hop u should be using 2-3 oz in ipa not 9.

 

[sablesurfer]

Thread necro, but since it's here I'll use it. ("That's what she said.")

Rakau hops in most recent somewhat belgiany strong because of the apricot and pine descriptors on all the sites. The inspiration was blood oranges into a belgian strong with lots of raisin as well...so like a mince pie.

Beer turned out great, so good my glass seems to empty itself, but the rakau is a bit of a standout because it doesn't blend in well. Not getting much apricot at all and no 'pine'yness. What I do get are hints of tropical fruit and like a sapling branch woodiness. Literally like you were hiking and needed a thin branch to poke at something or get something out of a fire, just what that branch would smell like. And then I get a dustiness that I could really do without.

I know it is the rakau now because this is second beer I've used it in, and that one had a dustiness that was unpleasant. Also, the other night I was judging and first thought was, "I know this hop." Sure enough I compared it to my belgian strong last night and they are super similar in aroma and that taste.

(This was flavor and dry hopping with some sorachi ace for this beer.)

 

[Colbizle]

Thread necro, but since it's here I'll use it. ("That's what she said.")

Rakau hops in most recent somewhat belgiany strong because of the apricot and pine descriptors on all the sites. The inspiration was blood oranges into a belgian strong with lots of raisin as well...so like a mince pie.

Beer turned out great, so good my glass seems to empty itself, but the rakau is a bit of a standout because it doesn't blend in well. Not getting much apricot at all and no 'pine'yness. What I do get are hints of tropical fruit and like a sapling branch woodiness. Literally like you were hiking and needed a thin branch to poke at something or get something out of a fire, just what that branch would smell like. And then I get a dustiness that I could really do without.

I know it is the rakau now because this is second beer I've used it in, and that one had a dustiness that was unpleasant. Also, the other night I was judging and first thought was, "I know this hop." Sure enough I compared it to my belgian strong last night and they are super similar in aroma and that taste.

(This was flavor and dry hopping with some sorachi ace for this beer.)

Good info. I decided to include it my IIPA the other day which sits along side simcoe, amarillo and citra. I'm hoping it plays nice. What are your thought on dry hopping with it? It's an expensive ask hop right now and hard to find too. I'm not sure if I wanna waste it on a dry hop. Thoughts?

 

[sablesurfer]

The dry hopping definitely added aroma, I would suggest going a bit lighter than you would 'expect to'. Make it a supporting aroma hop instead of primary...at least that is how I would do it in future.

I have no idea what I spent, it was some promotion for like 8 or 10 oz and I have just been playing around with them.

The biggest thing would to to not expect it to be APRICOT like I kinda did.

Edit, from my recipe for 3gallons:
Hops
Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU
7 g Chinook Pellet 13 Boil 30 min 14.5
10 g Rakau Pellet 10 Boil 10 min 7.52
10 g Sorachi Ace Pellet 12 Boil 10 min 9.02
10 g Rakau Pellet 10 Boil 0 min
10 oz Sorachi Ace Pellet 12 Boil 0 min <== LOL, must have been grams
1 oz Rakau Pellet 10 Dry Hop 3 days
1.25 oz Sorachi Ace Pellet 12 Dry Hop 3 days

 

[Colbizle]

The dry hopping definitely added aroma, I would suggest going a bit lighter than you would 'expect to'. Make it a supporting aroma hop instead of primary...at least that is how I would do it in future.

I have no idea what I spent, it was some promotion for like 8 or 10 oz and I have just been playing around with them.

The biggest thing would to to not expect it to be APRICOT like I kinda did.

Edit, from my recipe for 3gallons:
Hops
Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU
7 g Chinook Pellet 13 Boil 30 min 14.5
10 g Rakau Pellet 10 Boil 10 min 7.52
10 g Sorachi Ace Pellet 12 Boil 10 min 9.02
10 g Rakau Pellet 10 Boil 0 min
10 oz Sorachi Ace Pellet 12 Boil 0 min <== LOL, must have been grams
1 oz Rakau Pellet 10 Dry Hop 3 days
1.25 oz Sorachi Ace Pellet 12 Dry Hop 3 days

Good idea, I'll throw a half an ounce in a the mix on the dry hop.

 

[drives_a_bike]

Oh boy! Now I'm pumped!

I'm making a Rakau/Calypso IPA tonight. I bought a bunch of hops a while back and I have recipes for all of them except these two. So I thought, what the heck.
10lbs Golden Promise
2.5lbs 2 row
1lbs 20L
8oz carapils

1oz Belma FWH
1oz Rakau @20
1oz Calypso @15
1oz Rakau @10
1oz Calypso @5
2oz Rakau 7 day dry hop
2oz Calypso 7 day dry hop
S-05
1.066 OG
1.015 FG
6.7%
80IBU