Simcoe

MFTIC

Active Member
Trial Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
80
Reaction score
142
Points
33
Location
PNW
So I'm brewing a pale ale with 4 oz of Simcoe. While doing this I look down at this HORRIBLE beer I'm drinking and it says "healthy doses of Simcoe and cryo hops". It's truly bad. Never used Simcoe....am I screwed? Lol. I'm hoping it's the cryo I don't like. Gotta go to beepper going off
 
So I'm brewing a pale ale with 4 oz of Simcoe. While doing this I look down at this HORRIBLE beer I'm drinking and it says "healthy doses of Simcoe and cryo hops". It's truly bad. Never used Simcoe....am I screwed? Lol. I'm hoping it's the cryo I don't like. Gotta go to beepper going off
Na Simcoe is a truly splendid hop I find it gives some great dank piney notes to a beer and balances out them fruit hops just nicely. I've not brewed a Simcoe only hopped beer but in combination with Mosaic and or Galaxy it's just num nums
 
Simcoe is a killer hop. I pretty much wouldn't brew an IPA without it.
"Horrible" isn't a descriptor, just a subjective judgment. If you think the beer is terrible, it would pay to figure out what you don't like about it. One man's yuck is another man's yummy.
 
Haha...totally subjective. I may very well be in the minority, that's ok. I feel like a lot of the huge PNW breweries are going to the dogs. Even the go- to beers I've always liked have changed for the worse.
Anyway, the Simcoe smells great. Expecting good things. This is my first "not a kit" batch.
 
I'd be interested to know what your favorite beers are and what breweries you think are declining. I really enjoy sampling beers when we visit the Puget Sound area every summer and it's good to have some local perspective. Can't wait to get back to some Block 15 Sticky Hands. :) Which beer is it that you have on hand that you're not enjoying?
I find that Simcoe for bittering may be harsh and piney/"catty" but late in the boil it comes in with lush mango and a nice smooth dank-pot flavor and aroma. I like to bitter with Magnum or Warrior, depending on the brew and use a relatively small addition of Simcoe at about 20 and then hit the flameout and whirlpool with plenty of it in combination with Citra/Mosaic if I'm accentuating the fruit or Centennial/Columbus if I want to double down on the pot notes.
 
I'd be interested to know what your favorite beers are and what breweries you think are declining. I really enjoy sampling beers when we visit the Puget Sound area every summer and it's good to have some local perspective. Can't wait to get back to some Block 15 Sticky Hands. :) Which beer is it that you have on hand that you're not enjoying?
I find that Simcoe for bittering may be harsh and piney/"catty" but late in the boil it comes in with lush mango and a nice smooth dank-pot flavor and aroma. I like to bitter with Magnum or Warrior, depending on the brew and use a relatively small addition of Simcoe at about 20 and then hit the flameout and whirlpool with plenty of it in combination with Citra/Mosaic if I'm accentuating the fruit or Centennial/Columbus if I want to double down on the pot notes.
Not to derail, but this question is on subject. I like Simcoe and was going to do an DIPA SMaSH with Simcoe. I was planning on 54 IBUs @ 60, 23 IBUs @ 10, 13 IBUs @ 5, wp & dh. I wanted piney and fruit from the hops. Now I’m a little concerned.

Any thoughts JA or others?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: J A
No worries on derailing. All good
I only did a 15min boil. Wanted this batch to be mellow with just the hints. Actually looking for repeatability now since I was all over the board.
Deschutes was a favorite..maybe just outgrew it. Elysian, especially space dust. The brewing has not been consistent or the storing/handling hasn't. Either way the batches taste different. Really enjoying Bale Breaker lately. HoppValley was the bad one yesterday. Sweet and bitter with some tangy all at once. 8.5% abv though.
I enjoy brewing even though my consumption has declined. Enjoying my whiskey club
 
No worries on derailing. All good
I only did a 15min boil. Wanted this batch to be mellow with just the hints. Actually looking for repeatability now since I was all over the board.
Deschutes was a favorite..maybe just outgrew it. Elysian, especially space dust. The brewing has not been consistent or the storing/handling hasn't. Either way the batches taste different. Really enjoying Bale Breaker lately. HoppValley was the bad one yesterday. Sweet and bitter with some tangy all at once. 8.5% abv though.
I enjoy brewing even though my consumption has declined. Enjoying my whiskey club
Are you in or near Bend? COHO member? You can PM me.
 
Not to derail, but this question is on subject. I like Simcoe and was going to do an DIPA SMaSH with Simcoe. I was planning on 54 IBUs @ 60, 23 IBUs @ 10, 13 IBUs @ 5, wp & dh. I wanted piney and fruit from the hops. Now I’m a little concerned.

Any thoughts JA or others?
I've sort of stumbled on the formula I like and it's 1/4 to 1/3 of the IBUs at 60 with something smooth and then Simcoe at 20 and maybe some other stuff at 15 to give me another big chunk of the IBUs and then start loading up at 10 and 5, whirlpool, etc to round out the IBU count.
I find that it's the piney flavor that lends the harshness and it comes through in the long boil. If I want piney, I'll use Warrior for bittering. The fruit will come through in the whirlpool and dry hop along with the deep pot notes. I find that's where the flavor really gets support.
 
Deschutes was a favorite..maybe just outgrew it. Elysian, especially space dust. The brewing has not been consistent or the storing/handling hasn't. Either way the batches taste different. Really enjoying Bale Breaker lately. HoppValley was the bad one yesterday. Sweet and bitter with some tangy all at once. 8.5% abv though.
I'll go for Deschutes when there's nothing else interesting and I find it to be adequate but generic for the most part. Never tried Elysian. Ran across Bale Breaker last summer. Leona Pale is the one I had, I think - totally loved that!
As for the Hop Valley, tangy doesn't seem to fit...I wonder if there's a light infection. A little lactobacillus goes a long way in a beer that has a bitter edge to begin with. I've definitely never gotten any tangy notes from Simcoe hops.
 
I've sort of stumbled on the formula I like and it's 1/4 to 1/3 of the IBUs at 60 with something smooth and then Simcoe at 20 and maybe some other stuff at 15 to give me another big chunk of the IBUs and then start loading up at 10 and 5, whirlpool, etc to round out the IBU count.
I find that it's the piney flavor that lends the harshness and it comes through in the long boil. If I want piney, I'll use Warrior for bittering. The fruit will come through in the whirlpool and dry hop along with the deep pot notes. I find that's where the flavor really gets support.
Thanks JA! I do 5.5 gal batches and typically use Warrior for bittering. Since this is a smash, what you think of this 87 IBU Simcoe schedule?
27 IBU @ 60 (1 oz)
18 IBU @ 15 (1 oz)
23 IBU @ 10 (1.5 oz)
19 IBU @ 5 (1.5 oz)
wp & dh (2.5 oz)
 
  • Like
Reactions: J A
Thanks JA! I do 5.5 gal batches and typically use Warrior for bittering. Since this is a smash, what you think of this 87 IBU Simcoe schedule?
27 IBU @ 60 (1 oz)
18 IBU @ 15 (1 oz)
23 IBU @ 10 (1.5 oz)
19 IBU @ 5 (1.5 oz)
wp & dh (2.5 oz)
Seems like it ought to work. You'll get IBU contribution and an impression of bitterness from the whirlpool, too. It's traditional but pretty arbitrary to put hops in at the start of the boil and a lot of brewers skip the 60 minute addition altogether. Don't be afraid to push the 60 minute addition down more if you have enough hops to get what you need later in the boil.
 
Haha. I think I learn more from these "thread derails" more than anything. Thanks!
 
This is one of the rare ones. It's actually pertinent and helpful to the subject in question. :)
 
New Belgium contract brews Elysian Space Dust here in this side of the Rockies. I still find it very delicious and buy it once every couple of months or so.
I really like simcoe and think it makes a fantastic compliment hop. It goes well with and can really balance out the C hops. When I've used it alone in a SMaSH beer, I haven't been as fond of it. I pick up some garlic/oniony flavors. I'm kind of the same way with mosaic. Mixed with other hops I find it very pleasant, but alone I get like diesel fuel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: J A
Always tough hop choice makeing a smash. I was thinking Simcoe and MGTIC opened the door.
 
Bottled yesterday. Took a sip from the test jar after checking FG. Ok...to be completely honest, I drank the whole thing throughout the bottling process. Very intriguing. If it mellows out in the next 2 weeks i'm going to be happy.

*I'll update this post in 2+ weeks so i don't keep bumping an old one.
 
Most examples of Simcoe beers around me are burnt rubber.
 
Well popped one open the other day. I like it. Not enough to brew again without additions. Maybe some citra, 4-5 oz in the dry hop?
Wouldn't have thought "dank" but since you said it, yes, totally. Was surprised at the bitterness for only 4 oz. in a 15 min. boil. Since I'm doing extract i really like this quick boil, LOL.
Not enough carbonation but almost there.
The only other thing i didn't do was cold crash so it's very hazy. My last brew of the season until i find a freezer :(

Sorry, not picture worthy though.
 

Back
Top