I feel hop blending is a key part in the essence of any hoppy beer. I have my favorites but would like to hear some of yours and why you like them.
Have you tried brewing with commercial hop blends? I have brewed with Zythos and that beer turned out very good. Other blends are Falconers Flight and Falconers Flight 7Cs. I am drinking an IPA right now where all of the late hop additions were a 50/50 blend of Simcoe and Amarillo. That beer is very tasty (I have brewed this before). Cheers!
Chinook and Cascade go really well. Chinook and Amarillo are nice. Amarillo and Citra are made for each other, as well. Think about what you like in some commercial IPA's and then back track. More pine, more fruit, a blend of both, even. I like Simcoe with almost anything, especially Amarillo, or Centennial.
A very open ended question, but I'll play Bitter with Columbus or Magnum then 1/3 Columbus and 2/3 either Cascade or Centennial for late additions to a APA/IPA. Why, because it works Also agree with @FATC1TY that Chinook and Amarillo works and I have an APA with Amarillo and Citra on tap now that definitely works
How about Magnum for bittering, with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Centennial in the whirlpool, with more Mosaic as a dry hop? I never brewed with Mosaic, but this is going to be the next IPA I brew.
I'm about to do an IPA with Simcoe, Columbus, and Citra. 10 lbs pearl pale malt, 1 lb white wheat, 12 Oz carawheat. Vermont Ale yeast from Yeast Bay. Going to be insane. .50 Oz columbus for bittering and 6 Oz hop stand for 30 minutes. 4 Oz dry hop. Boom!
No-Go. IPA contains crystal malt. Crystal police will thwart your project before you can even begin. Best to move your project underground where the helicopters can't spot you from the air.
My three Mosaic® SMaSHes were intense. Like a tropical Simcoe®. Can't see brewing more of them. Need to find a home for the leftover hops. Maybe sub for a late Amarillo additon.
After today's brewing, I'm going to stay clear of bittering with Simcoe. I like the hop a lot, but it plays well (in moderation) with C hops. I really like Summit for bittering, Amarillo, Centennial and Simcoe to finish and dry hop with. An APA would be something like: 9# 2 Row 1# Munich .75# Crystal 60L .5# Carapils ~.5 oz Summit bitter @10 min .5 oz Amarillo @10 min .5 oz Cent @10 min .5 oz Simcoe @5 min DITTO @KO DITTO Dry hop 1 oz Cent .5 oz Amarillo .5 oz Simcoe BU:GU ratio should be between .8:1 and 1:1. I like APAs with a little maltiness, so I'm around .8 or .9. For an AIPA add some more munich, some table sugar and drop the the crystal down to .5# or .25#. Just double the hop additions and you're in great shape.
Not a fan of crystal in my ipas. Especially with the perceived sweetness of some of the American hop varieties giving off fruity citrus tones. The yeast I'm using is fruity and tart as well.
