Aroma hops with high Alpha Acids

[Alex NG]

Hi there.

I was planning on doing a pale ale with mid / late / flame-out additions of amarillo... Then I realised the AA content was up at around 10%.

I want the beer to be more tasty & aromatic rather than overly bitter.....

So. Is that AA too high to be using for aroma? Or does the AA not really make too much difference late in the boil?

[Wolfy]

The Alpha Acid percentage - itself - makes very little difference when hops are added at the end of the boil, since there is not enough time for the acids to isomerize and add bitterness. However - as a general rule - hops that have a high Alpha Acid content usually have less than desirable aroma and flavour, since they have been selected and bred for bitterness rather than flavour and aroma.

But if you like the flavour and aroma from late additions of Amarillo, by all means use them, just because they are high AA does not mean they will be unsuitable for late additions.

[critch]

you can get amazing taste from amerillo. some of my best selling beers utilise high alpha hops late in the boil,

ive done a few 10bbl batches using 5kg of 13.5 alpha hops. i used a few alphas early on in the boil, for foam suppression, and then hop bombed like crazy @ flameout. worked out officially as 18 ibu

[boingy]

Yeah, if you like the taste of them, chuck them in. It will be fine.

[InsideEdge]

Centennial are a good high alpha flavour/aroma addition.

[TC2642]

I'm doing this with my Citra pale ale, the AA's of this hop are around 13.8%, but it's giving of an amazing aroma at the moment.

[retourrbx]

what are Apollo like late?

[Barley Water]

Amarillo is like Cascades on steroids. If you wish to taste something commerical that uses them late in the process (ie hop bursting as well as dry hopped) try Dogfish Head 60. It's American ale flavor at it's finest, by the way, that is one of my favorite beers. If you like it, finding the formulation is easy and if you can not find it let me know and I will give you the one I use. That beer uses Warrior hops, Simcoe and Amarillo with Simcoe and Amarillo used for dry hopping. The beer is really not that bitter (which is one of the reasons I like it) but the hop flavor is there big time and there is nothing harsh about the beer. Sorry, I don't know anything about Apollo at all.

[yogester]

what are Apollo like late?

I have found them to be a bit on the earthy/resiny side with some tropical notes. Not a bad thing.