AG #11 - Citra-cumulus

[Naich]

Time to get serious with the Citra. My packet has been burning a hole on the fridge shelf for a month or so now. This is the recipe:

Citra Mental by naich -- beerforge.com/recipe.php#167
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Volume: 23L, Efficiency: 80%
Alcohol (ABV): 5.8%, Original Gravity: 1.060, Final Gravity: 1.015
Bitterness (IBU): 46, Colour (EBC): 8

Recipe
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Malt/Fermentables:
1. Pale Malt - Marris Otter (5 EBC) : 5431 g (98%)
2. Caramalt (30 EBC) : 139 g (2%)

Hops/flavourings:
1. Citra - AA 13.8 - (90 min) : 7 g (8%)
2. Citra - AA 13.8 - (30 min) : 17.6 g (20%)
3. Citra - AA 13.8 - (15 min) : 28.1 g (32%)
4. Citra - AA 13.8 - (1 min) : 35.4 g (40%)

Yeast: Safale US-05 (Attenuation 75%)

I hadn't checked how much MO I had left in my 25kg sack and upon emptying it I was relieved to find I was only 27g short. When I found exactly 27g of grain trapped between the plastic inner sack and the hessian outer, I thought the beer gods were smiling on me. This is what I looked like when I realised I might not have enough grain:



Overnight mash and then up in the morning for sparging and boiling and swearing. The Father's Ruin Brewery is the last word in sophisticated brewing... or should that be famous last words?:



First runnings:



The hops. Cor, they didn't half smell nice:



Hubble bubble toilet trouble:



And these are the ingredients I forgot to put in the boil.



ARGH! Bloody hell! I've done it again. It was just getting down to pitching temperature when I had that oh-so-sodding-familiar sinking feeling, as my eyes fell on the Whirlfloc tabs and salts that I had forgotten to add to the boil. I've got 23 litres of soup:



What's the point in having a checklist if you don't look at the bloody thing? Eh? Could someone beat me around the head with a wet hop until I learn please? Oh well. It's not totally ruined, I guess. It should still be drinkable, even if it is a bit on the cloudy side. The salts are verging on overkill anyway, so there should be enough in there to keep the yeasties happy.

Mmm.. doesn't that look nice:



It's 1.056, not a million miles off. The wort was quite special - huge flavours and bitterness, so I've got everything crossed that it comes out OK. It's bubbling out some nice smells at the moment. Next time I'm printing the checklist onto a sheet of A2 and hanging it a foot away from my face on a broomstick tied to my head and a boot attached to a hinge at the back to kick me up the arse.

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Looks good, hope it turns out well.

I like your hydrometer, the markings are really clear, where did you get it from, I could do with one of those.

[Naich]

I've had a few people ask that. Unfortunately the place I bought it from only sells the multicoloured horrible looking ones now. I've never seen one like it since I bought it and I'm dreading the inevitable day that I break it.

[WishboneBrewery]

The race is on, mine was in the FV about Sunday lunch time I'll be dry hopping mine too with whatever weight is left in the pack of Citra pellet hops.

[Naich]

No contest - I think yours will clear a bit sooner than mine.

There are some awesome smells coming out of the FV though. It's almost like black current boiled sweets. Even the kids like sniffing this one and I spent about 15 minutes just sitting there, having a conversation (mainly "bloick?"... "bloick...!") and making my nose sting with the CO2 fumes. I might dry hop with some Cascade I've got left over from last time, rather than the rest of the Citra. Other people have reported getting grassy smells with dry hopped Citra and I want it to be all fruit.

[Naich]

First slurpings: CITRA!!!! Good lord that is one fruity beverage. Amazing flavour. I don't think there is any need to dry hop.

[WishboneBrewery]

Sounds good, I'll have to do a Gravity on mine tomorrow.

[jmc]

Hi Naich

Just found this thread as thinking of doing a Citra brew.

How did it turn out?

ATB John

[Naich]

Hi John. It was really nice - one of the best brews I've done. It's pretty uncompromising flavour-wise, just vast gobs of citra with a slight sweetness to balance it out. I might be tempted to move a couple of grams from the 30 minute to the 90 minute and reduce the Caramalt to 100g, but it was pretty spot-on as it was.

[jmc]

Hi Naich

I did a similar all Amarillo brew last year.

Your Citra brew is on the 'to-do' list.

I assume it cleared down Ok in the end?

ATB
John

[Naich]

Yeah, it mostly cleared. Actually, it was as clear as the current one I'm drinking, but that got infected so that probably doesn't help. I was surprised how well it lasted actually. I don't drink them that fast, so it takes me 6-8 weeks to get through a keg. The initial brightness and feeling of being clubbed round the head with a hop went away after about 3 weeks, but the more rounded flavour lasted right to the end of the keg.