Diesel Fuel Hops

I've noticed a diesel fuel smell in several commercial beers that use a lot of Amarillo or exclusively use Amarillo. I've used Amarillo with other hops, typically in the 20-0 range and didn't get the diesel smell, but never used a lot of it or brewed a 100% Amarillo beer.

I brewed a 100% kettle hopped Motueka beer and dry hopped with Crystal. It smelled like diesel and flowers. I'm guessing Motueka is what caused the diesel because I have used Crystal to dry hop other beers and didn't get any diesel. It was the only time I used Motueka.

I think the diesel aroma is pretty gross in a beer and would like to avoid making beers that smell like diesel fuel. The diesel seems to affect the flavor a little bit too.

In your experience, which hops produce diesel and under what circumstance?

Do you mean like a "dank" or "marijuana" like smell? I'm not really familiar with diesel fuel but I've heard it smells pretty "dank".

harrydrez said:

Do you mean like a "dank" or "marijuana" like smell? I'm not really familiar with diesel fuel but I've heard it smells pretty "dank".

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No, sir. The dank I'm familiar with doesn't remind me of diesel fuel. Diesel fuel smells similar to regular gas, but different.

I just got a scoresheet back for my American Wheat that uses all Amarillo and one of the comments was "diesel" in the aroma. I've brewed this beer many, many times and never got that until I poured off a sample, warmed it up to about 100F in a flask and smelled - I'll be danged if I didn't agree that there was just a faint hint of diesel.

I tasted a number of American IPAs recently as a member of a competition tasting panel. The term "petroleum-like" came up in my comments several times. It's my guess that certain combinations of hops amplify this flavor/aroma and perhaps Amarillo is one of the culprits although by itself the hop seems more light citrusy. The pungent bad onion flavors of Summit hops are another possibility, especially in combination with some of the more resiny varieties.

BigEd said:

I tasted a number of American IPAs recently as a member of a competition tasting panel. The term "petroleum-like" came up in my comments several times. It's my guess that certain combinations of hops amplify this flavor/aroma and perhaps Amarillo is one of the culprits although by itself the hop seems more light citrusy. The pungent bad onion flavors of Summit hops are another possibility, especially in combination with some of the more resiny varieties.

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"Petroleum-like" is an excellent description. My judge suggested it was sanitation related but I'd agree that it's hop derived.

Randy_Bugger said:

In your experience, which hops produce diesel and under what circumstance?

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In my experience, none of them do. Sorry...you asked.

harrydrez said:

Do you mean like a "dank" or "marijuana" like smell? I'm not really familiar with diesel fuel but I've heard it smells pretty "dank".

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you are thinking of New York City Diesel ?

I've heard Apollo described as having a gasoline-like flavor. I don't get that from it but whatever.

brew_ny said:

you are thinking of New York City Diesel ?

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I was thinking he meant sour deisel myself. First thing that came to mind when I read the title. I've hit on hop combos that reproduce that resiny quality of pliny but not this one.