Cascade, Citra, Centennial, Styrian Goldings Hop Ratio

[afrith]

I have some hops in the freezer that have been there for a while.
I am thinking of making a good full favoured IPA to use them, something along the lines of a Jaipur or a Hophead Revelation.

I am planning to start with a OG of around 1057 using mainly Maris Otter with about 400g of Caramalt and I aim to have around 50 IBUs using Challenger for bittering hops then use my Cascade, Citra, Centennial and Styrian Goldings for flavour and aroma.

I want all of the hops to contribute to the flavour and I don't want the Cascade to overpower. Has anyone any suggestions about the ratio to use these hops in?

Thanks
Andrew

[afrith]

Would something like this work?

Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.057
Final Gravity: 1.014
Alcohol Content: 5.6% ABV
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 47 EBU
Colour: 13 EBC


Maris Otter Pale 5500 grams 93.2%
Caramalt 400 grams 6.8%

Challenger Whole 7.6 % 60 mins 30 grams 14%
Cascade Whole 5.7 % 10 mins 20 grams 9.3%
Centennial Whole 10.5 % 10 mins 25 grams 11.6%
Styrian Goldings Whole 4.5 % 10 mins 20 grams 9.3%
Citra Whole 14.1 % 10 mins 20 grams 9.3%
Cascade Whole 5.7 % 0 mins 25 grams 11.6%
Centennial Whole 10.5 % 0 mins 25 grams 11.6%
Styrian Goldings Whole 4.5 % 0 mins 25 grams 11.6%
Citra Whole 14.1 % 0 mins 25 grams 11.6%

[seymour]

This is just me, but I think Cascade contributes really great flavours at about 40 minutes remaining, but easily overpowering anytime it's used late (but take that as you will, because literally millions of beer drinkers disagree with me on that point.) I find it has a very one-dimentional grapefruit aspect which is easily overdone, especially considering the Centennial lends even more of that. Otherwise, it looks like you've got a winner there.

Happy brewing!

[afrith]

Seymour thanks for your advice.

I think that I am one of the millions of beer drinkers that enjoy Cascade late in the boil. I have made a couple of all cascade brews that I have been very happy with but this time I want something that will be a little different and have a range of different hop flavours.

I will take your advice and move the 10min Cascade back to 40 mins and reduce the Challenger so that the bitterness doesn't go too high. I will leave the post boil Cascade because I love the smell from them. Should I move some of the Centennial back too?

I am not sure if I will steep or dry hop with the post boil hops. Which would give more aroma?

[seymour]

Your plan sounds good. No need to back-off any Centennial, because although people talk about it as "super-Cascade" I think it has MUCH more flavour complexity than just one-dimensional grapefruit. That's what I was trying to express, but didn't really get the point across: your Centennial and Styrian Goldings should produce truly multi-layered hoppy aromas, American/Continental Europe best-of-both-worlds, with the distinctive characterists you identify as Cascade, but LOTS more going on in addition, such as earthy, resiny, burnt orange, lemon zest, flowers, honey, marmalade, black pepper, cedar wood, perfume, etc. If you use too much Cascade in the last aroma additions, (I think) you risk overpowering some of those more diverse, delicate, delicious notes.

Again, I'm just one vote. Brew what you like, it sounds like you know what you're doing. Cheers!

[afrith]

I am really looking forward to this. I haven't made such a full flavoured, complex, hoppy IPA-type beer before. The description that you give above adds the icing on the cake.

Thanks again, I will take your advice and tone down the post boil Cascade - to about half the other hops. I will save the rest of the Cascade to go with the Challenger on another brew day.

[seymour]

I think that's a great choice. We'll see if you agree soon enough!