Best hop / hop combination to get a pineapple flavor

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Acrebrewer, Nov 10, 2018.

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  1. Acrebrewer

    Acrebrewer Initiate (0) Jul 10, 2017 Massachusetts

    After having Pineapple Tessellation from Lone Pine brewing in Portland ME, my wife really wants to brew a Pineapple NEIPA. She'd like to get the flavor mostly from the hops / hop combination. She does intend on aging a bit on pineapple chucks as well. Has anyone been able to achieve this? I have a pretty good base NEIPA recipe which is a clone of Swish from Bissell Brothers Portland.
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Have you considered asking Lone Pine what hop(s) they used and/or how they brew it? I've been there once, on a Portland beer vacation, and they seemed pretty cool.

    One piece of advice about pineapple: It contains an enzyme that will eat proteins in the beer, robbing it of body. You may want to consider cooking the pineapple first, which as I understand it denatures that enzyme. I sometimes use pineapple in a Berliner, and I don't cook it, but I'm not too worried about body in that beer.
     
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  3. NorCalKid

    NorCalKid Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2018 California

    Denali is a good one. Combine it with “fruity” like hops i.e., Citra, Galaxy, El Dorado.
     
  4. mikehayz

    mikehayz Devotee (300) Aug 11, 2012 Virginia

    I've had an IPA featuring El Dorado that was a big pineapple bomb.
     
  5. Prep8611

    Prep8611 Savant (1,208) Aug 22, 2014 New Jersey

    El dorado for me. I also made a pineapple cream ale where I cooked the pineapple, blended it, then froze in parchment paper lined loaf pans. Put the bricks froZen after primary fermentation was finished. Kegged after 7 days.
     
    chavinparty likes this.
  6. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Excellent advice, I was unaware of that.
     
  7. wasatchback

    wasatchback Maven (1,460) Jan 12, 2014 Tajikistan
    Trader

    El Dorado and Denali all day.

    The “juiciest” beer I’ve ever had was an El Dorado Cutting Tiles from Trillium. It literally smelled and tasted exactly like pineapple juice, I couldn’t believe it. I tried to replicate it and got very close.

    You can also ferment with wlp644 or Citrus which is very pineapple forward yeast.
     
  8. MrOH

    MrOH Grand Pooh-Bah (3,331) Jul 5, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I like Azacca for pineapple notes
     
  9. bulletrain76

    bulletrain76 Maven (1,287) Nov 6, 2007 California

    A lot of the pineapple aroma in IPAs can come from ethyl butyrate produced by yeast during fermentation, in combo with certain hop oils. London III and similar english yeasts can produce high levels of ethyl butyrate, which is part of creating the "juicy" aroma and flavor in many hazies.

    As far as hops, I like Azacca, El Dorado, Chinook, Citra, Simcoe, and Motueka but a lot of it comes down to yeast/hop interaction.
     
    chavinparty likes this.
  10. mjryan

    mjryan Maven (1,485) Dec 22, 2007 Minnesota

    I think any of the new/newish ripe fruity hops will work well considering you plan on adding pineapple to the beer. Citra, Denali, El Dorado, and maybe even Mosaic ought to play well with your fruit addition.
     
    GreenKrusty101 likes this.
  11. secondbase

    secondbase Initiate (0) Jun 3, 2015 Tennessee

    Ferment with wlp644! I love this strain for NEIPA and it throws a ton of tropical fruits, pineapple included.
     
  12. BeerMaverick

    BeerMaverick Zealot (694) Dec 14, 2010 Connecticut

    Believe it or not... Chinook in the whirlpool (180F). I couldn't believe it - I had a DIPA from a homebrewer using mostly Chinook in the WP and, although I expected pine tree from everything I've heard about it, it was pure pineapple. I then brewed a DIPA trying this same thing and, again, pure pineapple. Galaxy is also strongly pineapple (Tree House notes this constantly), but I get more Honeydew melon from it personally (some pineapple for sure though). El Dorado to me is more jolly rancher candy-like.
     
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  13. BoardwalkBock

    BoardwalkBock Pooh-Bah (2,017) Aug 18, 2012 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Use a combo of El Dorado and Zythos (or Falconers Flight if zythos is unavailable). I’ve had good luck with zythos and pineapple flavors.

    Also, if you are up to changing the yeast around, I’ve noticed (through limited runs) that wyeast 1272 gives off a citrus flavor moreso than its other american ale/london ale counterparts used in IPAs.
     
  14. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I'm getting some pineapple + herbal notes from a Pekko dry-hopped cream ale. It's kind of a weird hop. Not sure I really dig the herbal finish. Not sure how I'll use the remaining 6 oz I have. B
     
  15. NorCalKid

    NorCalKid Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2018 California

    Sounds like BRU-1. Mint Tea + Melon
     
  16. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    When I read pineapple and herbal, I thought a malty blonde ale might work. (Maybe not dry hopped, but late/standed.)
     
  17. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The dry hops were an after thought. I felt the beer was not as bitter as I wanted it to be and decided to do something different as a point of interest or learning experience. I need to think more about this herbal character. There is something about it that I find unpalatable and distracting but better descriptors aren't coming to me yet. Maybe a little like a eucalyptus cough drop (but not menthol).
     
  18. bryantc3

    bryantc3 Initiate (0) Apr 12, 2017 New Jersey
    Trader

    High quality simcoe is usually solid for pineapple. I also had an OH centennial a year ago that was straight pineapple juice - oddly enough.
     
  19. wmeri

    wmeri Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2018 Maine

    IIRC Lone Pine's fruited Tessellations are more or less their normal Tess, just with fruit. To quote their website, the pineapple Tess is "Our take on our Tessellation brewed with fresh pineapple" and their regular Tess is "Our 100% mosaic hopped Double IPA stands bright, but with a strikingly soft and rounded mouthfeel. Heavy whirlpool & dry hop additions showcase the complex mosaic hop aromatics of blueberry, mango, and juicy, overripe peach."

    So I guess they use Mosaic hops and Pineapple fruit? Probably could use Citra, El Dorado, Azacca, and/or Galaxy as well depending on just how tropical you desire.
     
  20. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Chinook grown in MI is know for pineapple.
     
    NorCalKid likes this.
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