Columbus as a bittering hop

[bassballboy]

I recently bought a pound of Columbus hops from Yakima, with intentions of using it as my primary bittering hop.

My assumption was that it would be similar to centennial, but higher AA, so I'd use less to get the same IBU's.

The more I read, this might not be the case. It sounds like Columbus is a very dank hop... Which I don't want. I want a smooth bittering hop I can use in all tours of beer for a clean bitterness - cream ales (very small amounts, like .25oz) to IPAs and Stouts.

Any input on how Columbus hops are strictly as a bittering hop?

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Personally, I don't like using it for bittering. Comes off a little harsh. I like it for mid to late additions and dry hopping. If you want something smooth and clean, I recommend using a lower AA hop like cascade for bittering. I'm sure you'll get varying opinions on this though.

 

[tonyc318]

I agree with the last post. I did an all Columbus IPA and there is a quality of bitterness that I don't really care for when it's used early in the boil. I would rather use something like magnum or warrior for the bittering charge.

 

[bassballboy]

Thanks for the info guys. Now I have a pound of Columbus hops which I have little use for...

 

[Kyle1111]

Thanks for the info guys. Now I have a pound of Columbus hops which I have little use for...

Well in my experience Columbus is a great bittering hop for IPA's. It has a bitterness that seems to last longer on the palate than other hops. The bitterness seems to hit you a little later than that of other hops as well. I haven't used anything else quite like it, actually, so why not make an IPA or a pale ale, you never know, you might love it.

But, that said, I would hesitate to use it for other styles of beer. But if you don't want to waste it, why not try using it as a first wort hop? That should cut down on some of the harshness, and make the bitterness a bit smoother. The cohumulone content is reasonably low, and the dankness shouldn't come through too much with an early addition, even with a first wort hop.

I say give it a shot and see how you like it.

 

[Glynn]

if your looking for bittering hops with a low harshness, you want a low cohumulone hop like horizon, warrior, magnum. do a search on low cohumulone hops. Columbus is a great flavoring hop that goes well with the one mentioned above so i wouldn't be to disappointed.

 

[Calichusetts]

Dont be crazy...FWH with columbus if you think its too harsh. I personally use it a lot in both a FWH and a 60 minute with none of the harsh characteristics mentioned, though I usually use it in a combination with casacade or something else.

Remember, this community is amazing in their experience and ability to help you out, but taste is subjective and give it a shot at least once, you might not find the same results as others.

 

[unionrdr]

Clumbus is a dual purpose hop. I use it in IPA's for flavor & aroma additions in combination with "C" hops. Works pretty well for that.

 

[tonyc318]

Thanks for the info guys. Now I have a pound of Columbus hops which I have little use for...

That's a little crazy. While Im personally not a big fan of Columbus at a bittering hop, FWH is a great way to use them for a more mellow bittering quality. Not to mention you can late hop like crazy with Columbus. Excellent aroma and flavor. Little use? Add 2-4 oz in the last 5 mins of an IPA recipe.

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

When I'm making an IPA I love Columbus as bittering, aroma, flavor, and dry hopping. That being said I like a little roughness from my bittering hops in an IPA. What I use more often than not is a 50/50 split between Columbus and hop extract to bitter. I found that when I just used the extract (or used magnum or warrior) that I didn't get quite the 'bite' that I want.

 

[Robin0782]

I bitter all my IPAs with Columbus and love it. Try it before you decide anything about it. Its not going to be undrinkable or anything.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Thanks for the info guys. Now I have a pound of Columbus hops which I have little use for...

It's great in IPA's and I use it in my stouts too (just not for bittering) . I'm sure you'll find a use for it. And like others have said, try bittering with it and make up your own mind. In smaller amounts it may not be as bold, and it won't impart much flavor if you use it early in the boil.

 

[MuddyCreek]

I followed one of the article suggestions and did a 'hops test' with some bud light and 6 different kinds of hops (4 of which I rarely use.) I found that I really liked the combination of columbus and amarillo for an IPA.

I suppose different tastes vary but ultimately I decided after my test I would make more use of Columbus, Willamette and Amarillo while tapering back on Chinook and Cascade.

 

[r2eng]

I only use it for IPA's and Stouts... "dank" really does not describe what I taste at all. Some describe it as "pungent", which is what I find (and all those who drink my beer!). In a stout, it is actually nice - especially American Stouts or RIS's. I see it as really close to the smell of the hops, just like Cascade.

As a general rule, I usually use Warrior or Galena for bittering as they are clean - they leave room for other hops to shine.

FYI - I tried some "Herkules" German hops. NO ONE described them as smoky, but they really are. I do not like smoked beers, so this one was not my cup-o-tea. However, I am going to try it in a stout. It may be good.

As someone above pointed out, try it. Just stick to pales, IPA's or stouts. I have a couple of pounds in the freezer and use Columbus regularly.

My $0.02

 

[bassballboy]

Wow, thanks for all of the feedback everyone.

I brew partial mash, so can I FWH by putting them in right after taking the grain out?

Maybe I can throw a little in a Stout for say 20 minutes to get some earthiness and citrus.


Also, I wanted to ask about the Co-Humulone content and how that connects with harshness of the bittering. I used centennial to bitter a recent pale ale (1.25oz in a 3.75G boil of a 5.5G batch), and did not pick up harshness despite centennial having extremely high Co-Humulone content. Any explanation for this - maybe I'm not attuned to it?