18 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I have some Columbus (some say CTZ) floating around in my plastic "bittering" bin in my hop freezer and since I'm on a current ale kick I thought I would ask if you guys use Columbus for bittering in certain circumstances. Does it play better with some late hops than others? What kind of character do you get from it when it's used for bittering? Does it work better where the late hops are fruity, woody, dank, etc?

[HVB]

Columbus is dank late and dryhoping. You should be fine using it to bitter, chills does on his lagers.

[Big Nake]

Columbus is dank late and dryhoping. You should be fine using it to bitter, chills does on his lagers.

My guess is that I could use it for bittering and then use some of these late hops like El Dorado, Lemon Drop or Ella and you wouldn't even be able to tell that Columbus was used, right?

[denny]

My Rye IPA recipe uses Columbus for bittering...it's been pretty well received. 

[Bklmt2000]

Columbus is one of my go-to bittering hops.

 

 

My guess is that I could use it for bittering and then use some of these late hops like El Dorado, Lemon Drop or Ella and you wouldn't even be able to tell that Columbus was used, right?

 

Correct.  And if some "Columbus" character did manage to get through, it will play well with the hops you mention above.

[Big Nake]

Columbus is one of my go-to bittering hops.
 
 
 
Correct.  And if some "Columbus" character did manage to get through, it will play well with the hops you mention above.

... and what if I used something more clean as a late hop like Crystal or Willamette, EKG, Styrian Golding, Glacier... I assume that would be no issue, correct?

[Poptop]

Not sure which Brother made a lager and bittered it with Columbus but that was a beautiful light and CRYSTAL clear beer and has my interest in using some Columbus just like that...

[Bklmt2000]

... and what if I used something more clean as a late hop like Crystal or Willamette, EKG, Styrian Golding, Glacier... I assume that would be no issue, correct?

 

Nope, no issues at all.

[Big Nake]

Not sure which Brother made a lager and bittered it with Columbus but that was a beautiful light and CRYSTAL clear beer and has my interest in using some Columbus just like that...

I think that was Chils. When these hops are referred to in different ways (Columbus v. CTZ) it makes it harder to remember but they're the same hop and I seem to remember Chils bittering a pale lager with it.

Nope, no issues at all.

Okay, sweet. Columbus is about to get some love around here.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Columbus was my high alpha homegrown hop variety and I used it for bittering for just about every beer

[BarelyBrews]

Raises hand, i also have used Columbus as my go to bittering hop for years .

[Big Nake]

Okay, this is good news. I have used it but not very much. I did get into a thing where I thought it would be cool to use it early and then again late and I may have messed that up a little bit so I backed off of Columbus for awhile. I'm going to use it on one of these upcoming ales.

[realbeerguy]

I for one do not like a heavy handed Columbus bittering.  For me, no more than 1/2 oz/5gal.  I'm more of a fan of Galena

[Steve Urquell]

Columbus is fine as a bittering hop. I've used it in a 1.036-1.000 light lager as a FWH charge and it had no hop character/flavor at all. That beer was as clean and clear as water.

 

[Big Nake]

I for one do not like a heavy handed Columbus bittering.  For me, no more than 1/2 oz/5gal.  I'm more of a fan of Galena

At around 15%, I would be using ½ ounce or less for bittering in 5 gallons.
 

Columbus is fine as a bittering hop. I've used it in a 1.036-1.000 light lager as a FWH charge and it had no hop character/flavor at all. That beer was as clean and clear as water.
 

I remember that one. With such a small hop charge (I assume the AMOUNT of hops you used was small with such a small beer and such a strong hop) I would assume it would be very clean-tasting. Nice work.

[Steve Urquell]

 
I remember that one. With such a small hop charge (I assume the AMOUNT of hops you used was small with such a small beer and such a strong hop) I would assume it would be very clean-tasting. Nice work.

It was a small amount at 12IBUs but I have bittered german pils and Czech pils at 30-40 IBUs with CTZ with no hop character other than the nobles added late. With the light beer above, it had CTZ aroma coming out of the fermenter to the keg due to the hop oil in munge ring in primary but it aged out in the keg after lagering.

[Big Nake]

Well, I plan to use it for amber ales, pale ales and maybe a red ale so my guess is that it will work beautifully. Thanks kids. I will update as I use them.

[Poptop]

THAT IS THE BEER I WAS TALKING ABOUT

[SchwanzBrewer]

Columbus has a very distinct flavor that is dank like marijuana with some cantelope and lemon when used for flavoring and aroma. Like any true long boil bittering addition, it shouldn't have a huge impact on flavor other than bitterness at 60.

 

I've made DCRIPA so many times that I can pick columbus out in a heartbeat now on IPA's. Swamp Head in Gainesville has a pale ale and an IPA, stump knocker and big nose respectively, that I got to try last weekend. First thing I said was 
this has columbus in it." Sure enough it was columbus, amarillo, and centennial. The hop profile was A LOT like DCRIPA on the pale ale. The IPA was pinier and a little more grapefruity I guessed columbus and cascade... yup and cents. Again, the columbus was very distinct.