Double IPA with Citra Cryo, Motueka, Mosaic 702, Alora and Nelson SubZero Hop Kief

Version 7 of our Continued Learning features an exciting new hop format from Freestyle Hops: Nelson Sauvin SubZero Hop Kief. This concentrate enhances aromas of nectarine, passionfruit, and pink grapefruit, and rounds off the overall notes of Lemon Meringue Pie, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Fresca.

The newest and sixth addition to the Continued Learning series is our introduction to β-glucosidase, a dry-hopping enzyme, which unlocks additional aromatic compounds. We also utilized chit malt, a very lightly malted grain which adds body and mouthfeel. Chit malt is also high in thiol precursors. When combined with the thiol yeast strain we used, it creates intensely fruity flavor and aroma combinations.

In this version, we used an experimental hop blend from YCH called YCH303. It's a 70-30% blend of three Cryo hops (Citra / Mosaic / Simcoe) and Phantasm. Still wondering what Phantasm is? Simply put, it’s a thiol powder extracted from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Thiols are naturally occurring sulfur compounds that contribute to fruit aromas, so when combined with the lupulin-enriched Cryo hops, it creates a next-level tropical fruit flavor profile.

The fourth iteration aimed to retain the maximum amount of thiols in the finished beer after a larger mash hopping of Nelson Sauvin and Saaz. We tweaked the way we used the same liquid forms of Citra from CL03 and combined it with a dry hop of Mosaic LupoMax and Simcoe to create a layered and complex profile of citrus fruits.

Our third iteration saw the introduction of a brand new flowable dry hop product, Spectrum, into the mix. Mosaic, Motueka and two different liquid forms of Citra are all working together quite nicely here.

For the second iteration, we sought to maximize tropical fruit aromatics through a combination of techniques recently published by Omega Yeast. By combining a healthy mash hop addition of Hallertau Blanc and Omega's Cosmic Punch yeast strain, we were able to drive thiol production through the roof. Combine that and a hop charge of Citra, Nelson Sauvin and Nectaron and you have one of our most tropical beers to date.

For the first iteration in this series we began with a hop base of Citra in the whirlpool, then hit the wort with Ekuanot Incognito after knockout. Incognito is typically reserved for hot-side additions, but our hope was to retain more of the hop volatiles by adding it later in the process. We finished this DIPA off with a 50/50 dry hop of Galaxy and Mosaic.