Took a gravity sample of a pretty simple single hop apa with Nelson Sauvin today. Smells like a litterbox. I know, only a week since brewday, still has the krausen, RDWHAHB. Just looking for any ideas of what to do if it doesn't come around in a couple of weeks. Was planning on dry-hopping with my last ounce of the stuff, but if its just gonna give me more of the same, no thanks. I also have citra, centennial, amarillo, crystal, willamette, simcoe, pacific jade, bobek, belma, and sovereign that could be used, but something tells me the simcoe might just make it worse. Any suggestions for the worst-case scenario? Recipe here: http://hopville.com/recipe/1673311
some people say simcoe smells like cat piss in high amounts, maybe a heavy dry hop of simcoe WILL go nicely with litterbox? On a more serious note, I haven't ever gotten litterbox from Nelson (even in higher amounts) although a little goes a long way with Nelson. Try again once it is ready to rack to secondary, I've never even tried the beer when there is still krausen so I don't know what the taste would be at that stage. The centennial and amarillo will both go well with the nelson. I've made a nelson/willamette rye IPA which turned out well and a nelson/crystal pale ale but I found that recipe needed a little work, could have been my ratios. If I was in your situation I would definitely go either Centennial or Amarillo, or of course, both if the lone Nelson just isn't cutting it for ya.
I haven't worked with nelson yet but this isn't the first thread I've seen regarding its potency. 4oz in a 5 gallon batch would usually come off as tame to me but it seems you're experiencing some intense stuff! I'd hit it with a ton of amarillo and centennial and perhaps a little pacific jade to see if it rounds it out more. Won't know until it's all done and aged out a bit I would assume. I was planning to brew an all nelson saison this weekend but I'm beginning to think it's not a good idea.
I've brewed Nelson saison's before and feel that the nelson flavor goes well with the saison yeast characteristics, provided you are light handed with the nelson.
Nelson is a favorite of some people. I think it often tastes like piss. Anchor uses it successfully in Humming, but most other Nelson hopped beers I have had tasted pissy. Galaxy sometimes contributes a similar pissy flavor, but not as bad.
From my experience with a Kolsch yeast and pungent hops, you need to lager for awhile (extra)...the awkward phase could last up to a month...don't ask me why...that's just been my experience.
Nelson Sauvin appears to be a polarizing hop: some folks like it and some folks don’t. I have had a few solely hopped Nelson Sauvin IPA/APA beers and I hated it. It has a weird, unpleasant flavor that I simply don’t like. WickedSluggy used the terminology of piss/pissy, I suppose that is as good a word as any for this unpleasant flavor/aroma. Ironically I do enjoy drinking Anchor Humming Ale which is solely hopped with Nelson Sauvin. A BA posted in a past thread that Humming Ale is lightly hopped. If that is the case, maybe Nelson Sauvin in small doses is OK? Cheers!
If worried about additional cattiness or cutting the cattiness, rack to a keg and keg hop at lagering temps with a/some non-catty hop(s): amarillo, centennial, pacific jade, crystal (Not sure how the Jade would work with its pepperyness and weird citrus, but everything else sounds good). If you don't keg, dry hop it, and bottle condition, then lager it for a week or two.
Hate to thread-jack, but I'm thinking of making a DIPA single hopped with a total of 8oz. of Nelson. Is this insane?
I've done a triple ipa with 6oz of nelson added to a 5 gallon corny as a dry hop alone. Does that make you feel better?
