Using ONLY Citra hops

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by AlCaponeJunior, May 22, 2013.

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  1. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,157) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    In Memoriam Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not a SmasH but,

    13 lb. 2 row (I used Briess, will use MO next time)
    .75 lb. Honey Malt
    Mash at 152
    60 min boil
    1 oz citra at 30
    1 oz. Citra at 5
    1oz. citra at F/0
    1oz. Citra hopstand
    1/2 oz. Citra, 1/2 oz. Amarillo DH 7 days
    Did mine with Conan, but prob. great with Cali
    Not overpoweringly hoppy, light and refreshing. Yuummmmm
     
    #41 cavedave, May 24, 2013
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  2. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    After popping the top on my chinook brewed citra dryhopped ipa last night I can honestly say I will NEVER brew an all citra beer again. Chinook and citra are perfect bedfellows.
     
    #42 SFACRKnight, May 24, 2013
  3. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    Recipe Please? Im looking to try out the new Belle Saison and have a ton of citra to use up before the next harvest.
     
    #43 jmich24, May 25, 2013
  4. StylzMC

    StylzMC Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2012 Canada (YT)

    I didn't read any responses but from my multiple smash and ipa experiences with Citra, less is more.
     
    #44 StylzMC, May 25, 2013
  5. Smokebox_79

    Smokebox_79 Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2013 Pennsylvania

    Have an IIPA in the secondary, gonna bottle it next weekend. Had 2oz. Galaxy for the bittering and early addition. Then had 1oz. Citra late. Dry hopped with 2oz. Citra and 1 oz. Galaxy. The smell out of the airlock was magical!
     
    #45 Smokebox_79, May 26, 2013
  6. DrewBeechum

    DrewBeechum Pooh-Bah (1,954) Mar 15, 2003 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Sure... here it is for a 6 gallon batch OG. 1.058, IBUs - 51,

    6.25 lbs Pilsner Malt
    4.25 lbs Wheat Malt
    0.5 lbs Munich
    0.75 lbs Sugar
    1.0 oz Citra (or Magnum for more focused approach) 90 minutes
    2.0 oz Citra 5.0 minutes

    Mash at 149F for 60, circulate, etc. Ferment with a cool start and a natural rise. If the citra character isn't strong enough, add 1 oz as a dry hop for 1 week.
     
    #46 DrewBeechum, May 27, 2013
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  7. dougfur

    dougfur Initiate (0) Jan 24, 2011 New York

    I would say that Kern River brewing has proved that Citra goes really well with Amarillo...
     
    #47 dougfur, May 27, 2013
  8. dfess1

    dfess1 Initiate (0) May 20, 2003 Pennsylvania

    I would disagree with that. I brew 10 gal of our house pale once a month, and all 10 gal are gone in a month (with two other taps going as well).

    20 lb MO
    1 lb 30*
    1 lb carapils

    2oz Nugget @ 60
    2oz Citra @ 20
    2oz Citra @ 10
    2oz Citra @ 5
    1oz per 5gal dryhop 7 days

    1272 Wyeast - this helps bring out more of the tropical flavors of the hop
     
    #48 dfess1, May 28, 2013
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  9. Hanglow

    Hanglow Pooh-Bah (2,051) Feb 18, 2012 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Disagree too, most of the best single hop lower abv ales made here are using 100% lager malt or just pale ale malt or with a bit of wheat added. The citra ones included
     
    #49 Hanglow, May 28, 2013
  10. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Well, this seemed like the place to post this report, so here it is.

    Popped a test bottle of munich/cittra-bomb-from-hell smash today. It's been a week since I bottled, figured to give it a test and see how things are progressing. Split a 12 oz bottle with my guitar player. I frequently split bombers of homebrew up between the three of us, and thus these guys are at least familiar with my ideas about how homebrew should taste. They don't have a real critical eye for craft beer, nor are they homebrewers, but...

    Two thumbs up!! :grimacing:

    As you can see from the recipe, I used six ounces of citra in the boil (half of that at flameout), and two more dry hopping, eight ounces total citra. Many would say that this is "overdoing it," which was the entire point of this beer, to purposely "overdo it with the citra." I have to say, for this one example (recalling that when N=1, S=0), I think we're going to need new parameters for what overdoing it on the citra actually means, because I can't taste or smell anything but deliciousness, without excessive bitterness, without off flavors, without overly-pungnet-to-the-point-of-unpleasant characteristics, or any otherwise detracting properties. Aroma was monstrous, flavor was high, but I can't seem to find a problem here.

    I've had various other IPAs/IIPAs that were more intense and pungent than this one, so purely using lot of citra does not seem to be a very accurate predictor for the imminent end of the universe. :rolling_eyes:
     
    #50 AlCaponeJunior, Sep 3, 2013
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  11. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    Different strokes.. I brewed Kern Rivers Citra DIPA, and a Zombie Dust clone, and both IMO, need something to help the Citra. It's overboard enough I just can't pound 'em easy enough. Then again, I'm weird, and trying to wrap my head and taste buds around Mosaic... So...

    Admittedly, the KR Citra, does include amarillo with really places nice with citra.

    Good to hear the beer turned out good. Simple is usually best in some cases, and more doesn't always equal overboard.
     
    #51 FATC1TY, Sep 3, 2013
  12. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I wonder how much hop age plays into situations like this. The last time I used citra in the boil and for dryhopping was in October of 2012, fresh from the 2012 harvest. Two judges discerned a distinct cattiness and musky flavor. My last IPA used Chinook throughout the boil and dryhopped with 2 oz citra pellets and I didn't get that cattiness from that batch. I dig citra a lot, and enjoy the dank muskiness paired with the tropical and citrus, and after hearing that munich and citra make excellent bedfellows I am looking forward to hopping the shit out of my red.
     
    #52 SFACRKnight, Sep 4, 2013
  13. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah


    Well I assume that my citra was from the 2012 harvest, but don't know precisely when it was harvested or packaged. I have had them for a few months, and they've been opened for about 2 months, kept in freezer the whole time. I am of the impression that hop quality and freshness does not seem to degrade noticeably if kept frozen and purged of as much O2 as possible. Therefore I think these could be considered pretty fresh.

    Specifically on the cat pee thing, I detect none. My buddy detected none, or at least didn't mention it if he did. I'll have some other people try it and will be careful to note any unsolicited cat pee opinions. I'll also mention to those who don't find cat pee on their own the fact that citra sometimes elicits such descriptions, to see if anyone is avoiding the descriptions so as to avoid hurting my feelings. Really I don't mind at all if someone says "tastes like cat pee" because citra is supposedly supposed to taste like cat pee, and that was part of my reason for dumping in the citra using such a large shovel, to see if I could detect this notable phenomenon. :rolling_eyes:
     
    #53 AlCaponeJunior, Sep 4, 2013
  14. Smokebox_79

    Smokebox_79 Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2013 Pennsylvania

    I did and IIPA with 3oz of Citra and 3oz of Galaxy. Fruitiest IIPA Ive ever tasted.... No cat pee!!
     
    #54 Smokebox_79, Sep 4, 2013
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  15. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California

    You may be immune to sensing the cat pee or have a high tolerance, as its predominantly women who pick it up. That being said, as you stated above, the cat piss beers don't really offend me either.

    Next time throw in a bunch of Nelson with the Citra and finish with some Apollo and Chinook, to get the full "Cat pissing on a wild onion patch in a vineyard surrounded by pine trees" effect.
     
    #55 barfdiggs, Sep 4, 2013
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  16. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I will have some women try this brew, fishin' for cat pee comments. :grimacing:
     
    #56 AlCaponeJunior, Sep 4, 2013
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