Making an WCIPA and using magnum hops for the first time on this beer at least, for the bittering charge. Also would like opinions on how it pares with citra & el dorado (whirlpool) then citra & mosaic at dry hop.
idea is that magnum grown in different places has different aromas. i believe i recall some lightly tropical fruity notes when i smelled from the bag, but none of it made it through in any way i could pinpoint in any of the many beers ive used it in.
i intend to switch back to magnum for bittering once i get rid of the pound of bittering hop i got this year. its really neutral and reliable in bitterness
I love Magnum as a bittering hop and use it in almost every beer I make, unless I run out. Agree with the comments above that it is very neutral when used this way and it provides a very smooth bitterness.
However…the one beer style where I might consider using something other than Magnum to bitter is a WCIPA. Maybe all top of the boil IBU’s are the same, but I have convinced myself that something like Chinook or Columbus gives me that firm, crisp bitterness that I’m looking for in this style. I don’t know. I don’t make a lot of IPA’s so I could just be fooling myself.
That all make sense to me but I might be missing the (this) hop brings crisp bitterness. I’ve not perceived bitterness as crisp or really any description other than bitter. Help me understand what you mean please.
But I would describe a “crisp” bitterness as sharp and dry, with an obvious hop bite in the finish. Others can describe it as they wish. Imo, the best WCIPA’s give me this impression.
The bitterness I get from Magnum is much smoother, less sharp, less biting. It’s a fantastic hop and like I said before, I use Magnum to bitter almost every beer I make.
There are so many recipe and process variables at play here that I don’t want to dismiss using Magnum in a WCIPA. Certainly it can work and work well.