Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Lemondrop

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Lemondrop

    Hello all,

    Has anyone had the chance to try the Lemondrop variety from Hopsteiner? Looking for a new citrusy variety. My only concern would be the slightly high CO-H level. Any feedback would be appreciated.
    Cheers
    Scott Roche'

  • #2
    We've used this extensively at our brewery. It's a great hop! Actually contributes a subtle citrusy flavor and aroma. This hop was the saving grace in an IPA we made with California grown Centennial and Lemon Drop. The Centennial from CA is awful. Tastes like a dirty noble hop somehow. But, underneath is a nice subtle lemon aroma from the Lemon Drop hops and it's fantastic. We currently use this exclusively in our double IPA in combination with Citra and that's a winning combination right there! Very clean and interplays well.

    As far as measuring COH and all that jazz, I'm utterly useless. Brew a homebrew batch with them, if you like, buy more. If not, no amount of measurements could tell you what you're going to taste in a finished beer

    Comment


    • #3
      It's interesting. When I first got ahold of it I tried to use it like a rockstar hop with a little Mosaic or heavy in a Saison dry hop, and it got kind of shampoo grassy green tea on me. I've started using it as a handshake hop in other combos and it's been quite enjoyable. It was really money with Citra and pretty nice with Equinox. Restraint appears to be the key.

      Comment


      • #4
        **bump**

        I'm actually brewing with Lemondrop for the first time today, and am interested if people have some more experience with this hop since it is now not quiet so new.

        I am doing a Session IPA that should end up around 4.5% and 67 IBUs.
        I'm pairing it with Citra and Centennial hops, and the malt bill is pretty simple Pale Ale malt and White Wheat.
        In the recipe I wrote I'm only using the Lemondrop in the F.O. addition, and heavily as a single variety dry hop.

        I am going a little on faith here from the description, but since I've brewed extensively with Centennial, and have used Citra before, I more or less trust what I'm getting myself into without trying the new hops out first. However, opening the package of Lemondrop for the first time this morning, I was pretty underwhelmed. There is little in the way of aroma. I'm actually wondering if I need to shift the dry hop bill around a little and use some Citra, too, or if Lemondrop is going to magically grow more character when added to the beer. I don't think there are any issues with the hops themselves. They have been stored properly, come from a reliable source, and are from the 2016 crop. I just think they may be a lot more mild than what I was expecting.

        Thoughts/experiences (especially with drop hopping this variety)?

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by blonberg View Post
          In the recipe I wrote I'm only using the Lemondrop in the F.O. addition, and heavily as a single variety dry hop.

          I am going a little on faith here from the description, but since I've brewed extensively with Centennial, and have used Citra before, I more or less trust what I'm getting myself into without trying the new hops out first. However, opening the package of Lemondrop for the first time this morning, I was pretty underwhelmed. There is little in the way of aroma. I'm actually wondering if I need to shift the dry hop bill around a little and use some Citra, too, or if Lemondrop is going to magically grow more character when added to the beer. I don't think there are any issues with the hops themselves. They have been stored properly, come from a reliable source, and are from the 2016 crop. I just think they may be a lot more mild than what I was expecting.

          Thoughts/experiences (especially with drop hopping this variety)?
          In my experience, what I smell from the bag is not a mutually exclusive analysis for what a hop tastes and smells like.

          As a side note here's some points I picked up from someone who knows more than me.

          Begin rabbit trail/: think of the old Sam Adams commercials where they were rubbing hops together in their hands. The rubbing creates heat, the heat releases more smelly stuff. The smelly stuff released through heat is closer to what you're doing in a F.O. addition. Hops should always be assesed this way. Furthermore, drop a tiny handful of pellets in a glass of lukewarm water and wait about 20 minutes. If the hops are only floating, or only sinking, they will be a complete waste of money for dry-hopping. You want to see some disolving, some dispersing and a nice green glass of water over time). I say that because it helps to understand that when you get a bag of hops, it might be a favorite variety or famous variety and it could've been run later on the pelletizer and gotten hot, therefore sealing up aroma and volatile compounds, similar to unmilled malts. Hops that are like this are perfectly fine in any hot-side operation because the heat and motion of a whirlpool or boil will release the juice. End rabbit trail/

          To your question, assuming the hops are fine, split the amount between F.O. and D.H. and see what happens. It's always better to use a hop in multiple ways to extract the most from it. My experience was always both hot and cold side and it was dynamite. By contrast, I've opened the most amazing smelling ElDorado hops you could ever imagine. Deep, fruity notes of strawberries and tropics with a wonderful resinous pine back note. Used them extensively in many beers and found that they are just ok in actually contributing anything you smell in the bag to anything you smell in the glass.

          Comment


          • #6
            Thank you for that. It totally makes sense. I know that hot side you get a lot more out of the hops than just what you smell from the bag, but I always thought that if you added them at diacetyl rest temps (where I always dry hop), you were more or less getting just what you smelled in the bag.

            I'm going to do your (friend's) water processing test when I dry hop the beer.

            About these lemondrop hops specifically: you've found them to be very aromatic as dry hop additions? Can I assume that when dry hopped they add more of their green tea and melon than maybe the lemon that seemed to pop when they were added at F.O.? I was very happy with how the wort turned out with the hop cocktail of Centennial, Citra, and Lemondrop. I'm just thinking that maybe I should add some Citra or Centennial with them, too, to make sure I get more of that citrus bite.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by blonberg View Post
              Thank you for that. It totally makes sense. I know that hot side you get a lot more out of the hops than just what you smell from the bag, but I always thought that if you added them at diacetyl rest temps (where I always dry hop), you were more or less getting just what you smelled in the bag.

              I'm going to do your (friend's) water processing test when I dry hop the beer.

              About these lemondrop hops specifically: you've found them to be very aromatic as dry hop additions? Can I assume that when dry hopped they add more of their green tea and melon than maybe the lemon that seemed to pop when they were added at F.O.? I was very happy with how the wort turned out with the hop cocktail of Centennial, Citra, and Lemondrop. I'm just thinking that maybe I should add some Citra or Centennial with them, too, to make sure I get more of that citrus bite.
              I can't say if I've ever used them all by themselves in any context. What I can say is I've used them with only Citra, and made plenty of beers that only have Citra. They do add a lemony note when used with Citra in a dryhop that you don't get with just Citra. I can safely say they are one of my favorite "intrigue" hops for dry-hopping. They do give a nice aroma that is unique and pleasant. Sort of like doing a hardcore west-coast dry hop schedule with all C-hops and then adding something like Hallertau Middlefruh in tiny amounts to just add some special note that no one can put their finger on. Lemon Drop does this but it's a more familiar flavor and smell when using with something like Citra or Centennial. Getting notes like Green tea and melon I would say is similar to something I read in "for the love of hops" where the amount of hops added doesn't just mean "more" of the flavor and aroma that you want, it just becomes different. A ass-load of Citra doesn't smell like "more" citra to me, it smells differentj--like dank and resinous as opposed to bright and fruity. Similarly, adding different amounts of lemon drop might give you those notes and some nice lemony back-drop as well.

              Comment


              • #8
                I've had success getting that sugary lemon aroma/flavor when using restraint and in a mixed culture dry saison with not a lot of malt character. I like to use it in small amounts with another hop - ive had success using Meridian in conjunction with it. Use too much and I think you start to get less from it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  So for my 6BBL batch I ended up dry hopping with 5lb of Lemondrop and a pound of Centennial (as insurance, for certain lemon-like aroma).

                  I am quite pleased with the resulting beer. The aroma is lemony, but it is also very high (higher?) in Green Tea and Melon. It is distinctly IPA, while also being really different from the tropical fruit bombs that seem to be what every hoppy beer is these days. Keeping the Citra out of the dry hop left a lot of its flavor without that dank aroma it often gives - and while there is nothing wrong with that, it wasn't what I was looking for here.

                  I will certainly give this hop another go (and I think the advice that this isn't a solo hop is good - it seems to be a great "handshake hop" [love that term] that gives great benefits to other hops - at least Centennial and Citra). Heck, I think I'll be brewing -this- beer again. It has only been online for half a day, and already it is taking off and has won over the staff.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Anyone paired lemondrop with Loral and/or Mosaic? Was thinking about doing this, but not sure if the other two might overpower the lemondrop completely.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      i have the same question. havent had a chance to use it in production but at home a batch with lemondrop was definitely not intense in the flavor/aroma dept. i would also be concerned about them being overpowered. is that the case?

                      or do they hold their own as long as you just use them in the "handshake hop" way of not being the sole/main hop?

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X