Single Hop APA: Citra, Amirillo or Simcoe?

[dunnright00]

I'm actually going to do all three eventually...

I've got 6oz. Each of these hops and I want to make some single hop APA's. I'm going to start with two of these, and then the third later. Which would you do first? Do you think each of these will make a nice brew? Any good base APA recipe you can recomend?

I'm exited about this as my fridge smells AWESOME!!

 

[BrewThruYou]

If it were me, I'd do Citra. Amarillo a close 2nd. I'm not a big Simcoe guy (personal preference).

 

[cricky101]

I just finished a keg of an all Amarillo IPA and loved it. Haven't had much experience with the other 2 though.

 

[beergolf]

Another opinion...

All Amarillo is very good.

Simcoe next.

Citra is to overpowering by itself but in combo with Amarillo it is great.

Amarillo/Simcoe is another great combo.

 

[Brewfat]

Another opinion...

All Amarillo is very good.

Simcoe next.

Citra is to overpowering by itself but in combo with Amarillo it is great.

Amarillo/Simcoe is another great combo.

Agreed on citra by itself. I just got through the last of my citra and think I decided I don't like it.

 

[bigljd]

Agreed on citra by itself. I just got through the last of my citra and think I decided I don't like it.

Cool, that leaves more Citra hops available on the market for me

 

[bullinachinashop]

Amarillo by itself is pretty spectacular!
I like the other 2, but find that they are better combined with others.
So first i'd do an all Amarillo APA, then I'd do a combo late hop burst with the Citra/Simcoe

 

[flabyboy]

Are the people who don't like Citra just doing late additions with it or are you putting it in 20-15 mins of boil?

I just put together an Imperial IPA with Warrior bittering, than Amarillo starting at 15, Citra starting at 5. Going to dry hop with both

 

[bullinachinashop]

Citra is pretty powerfull!
I have used it to DH an APA and you pick up perceived bitterness from it.
I like it as a FWH for flavoring additions.
I also just brewed an Citra/Simcoe IPA that Should be interesting.

 

[dunnright00]

So, to those saying to combine citra or simcoe, how do you suggest using these? Aroma/flavor? Use the amarillo for bittering?

I'm still going to single hop these, just wondering how to use what's left.

 

[RosewaterFoundation]

I've bittered with Citra and found that to be dissapointing...it just lacks something. I find it best for later additions.

 

[flabyboy]

So, to those saying to combine citra or simcoe, how do you suggest using these? Aroma/flavor? Use the amarillo for bittering?

I'm still going to single hop these, just wondering how to use what's left.

I've read that bittering with Citra can make your beer smell like cat piss. This is why I used warrior to bitter and saved the citra/Amarillo combination for late additions

 

[SimBrew]

I was looking for just about the same thing as you.

Just got 4 oz of each Amarillo, simcoe, citra, centennial.
4 hops that I don't know and was planing to do a SMASH with each.
But got bad comment about the citra as bittering hops, so non citra SMASH.
There plenty of centennial recipe so I drop the SMASH centennial also.

I' think I'll do a 7.5 gal APA (90% MO, 5% carapils, 5% crystal 80L) and split in 3 boil of 2.5 gal :

1- All Amarillo
2- All Simcoe
3- Citra 20, 5, 0, dry with some bittering hop (columbus,centennial, chinook, target)

That should help me taste each one.

 

[Piratwolf]

This is sort of a tangent, but I'm wondering whether it makes any sense to bitter with the high-value, hard-to-get hops like Simcoe and Citra (and sometimes Amarillo)? If all we're talking about is bitterness, why not use some widely-available and relatively cheap high AA bomb hop? Of course there's the purist aspect of a SMaSH, which I respect, but I looooove Simcoe so much for its flavor and aroma that I've been subbing in Nugget or Columbus for bittering.

Is there any reason not to do this?

 

[flabyboy]

This is sort of a tangent, but I'm wondering whether it makes any sense to bitter with the high-value, hard-to-get hops like Simcoe and Citra (and sometimes Amarillo)? If all we're talking about is bitterness, why not use some widely-available and relatively cheap high AA bomb hop? Of course there's the purist aspect of a SMaSH, which I respect, but I looooove Simcoe so much for its flavor and aroma that I've been subbing in Nugget or Columbus for bittering.

Is there any reason not to do this?

Makes the most sense to me. Simcoe is like an endangered species these day

 

[maager]

Here is a all-Citra APA SMaSH that I brewed this past fall, turned out amazing:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/oh-hey-citra-pale-ale-smash-282010/

I really dig the Citra, the key is to let it age a little and it mellows out and tastes really awesome.

 

[SimBrew]

This is sort of a tangent, but I'm wondering whether it makes any sense to bitter with the high-value, hard-to-get hops like Simcoe and Citra (and sometimes Amarillo)? If all we're talking about is bitterness, why not use some widely-available and relatively cheap high AA bomb hop? Of course there's the purist aspect of a SMaSH, which I respect, but I looooove Simcoe so much for its flavor and aroma that I've been subbing in Nugget or Columbus for bittering.

Is there any reason not to do this?

I think you are just right, I had a really hard time finding those hops, and they are all famous for their aroma and flavor, I might do just like you said and bitter with something else.

I'm not that crazy about the smash thing, for me it was only a change to tast only one hop at the time, but a bittering addition at 60 and the good hop after might get me that also.

 

[carrolte]

i used citra and cascade as flameout on my last batch of a light beer that i have been doing alot of. this was my first time using citra and it produced a very distinct and strong grapefruit flavor. it did start to mellow after 2 week in keg but i will not use it again. i dont like grapefruit.

 

[JonM]

I am in the middle of doing this exact thing - one batch of each.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/genius-exercise-futility-277563/

I haven't gotten to the point where I'm ready to post results, but here's a quick preview:

Citra - the flavor is POTENT!! It started out with that juicyfruit/mango flavor and then that morphed into a much more earthy, almost Galena hop/oniony kind of flavor that blends with the fruitiness. It's weird, but good. Probably won't do again though.

Amarillo is the hands down favorite. It has a wonderful hoppiness that's not too piney, not too citrusy, not too ... anything. Just right.

Simcoe was kind of a disappointment. Even though I used the same amounts as the other batches, and accounted for AA% differences, the flavor is very mild and it has an unexpected and kind of lemony flavor that I'm not crazy about. Maybe it'll develop further, but at this point it's not all that great.

Hope this helps! Cheers!

 

[Piratwolf]

I'd have to agree with JonM about Amarillo. I've only done 3 SMaSHes, but the Amarillo was by far the best!