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Single-hop Citra brewing is one of the most revealing experiments in homebrewing, Citra is widely used as part of blends in commercial NEIPAs, but brewing an entire batch with only Citra at every addition stage exposes exactly what this variety contributes without the context of other hops. I’ve brewed Citra single-hop pale ales and IPAs more times than any other single-hop experiment, and the results teach you something about Citra that using it in blends never does: it’s intensely singular, almost aggressively tropical-citrus, and the challenge is managing that intensity rather than achieving it.
Single-hop Citra pale ale recipe (5 gallon / 19L batch)
Target stats: OG 1.054, FG 1.010, ABV ~5.8%, IBU 45, SRM 4–5, pale golden with haze. Grain bill: 9 lbs (4.08 kg) American two-row pale malt. 1 lb (454g) flaked oats, softens body and supports the smooth mouthfeel that lets Citra’s tropical character read cleanly. 0.5 lb (227g) white wheat malt, slight haze, head retention. Hops, all Citra: Bittering (60 min): 0.5 oz Citra, 20 IBU. Flavor (15 min): 0.5 oz Citra. Aroma (5 min): 0.5 oz Citra. Whirlpool at 79°C (174°F), 20 min: 0.75 oz Citra. Dry hop, first addition (day 3–4 of fermentation, biotransformation): 1.0 oz Citra. Dry hop, second addition (post-terminal gravity): 1.25 oz Citra. Total Citra: 4.5 oz. Citra’s alpha acid is approximately 12%, which means the bittering addition at 60 minutes produces clean, moderately smooth bitterness; the higher cohumulone (22–24%) is noticeable at very high IBU levels but acceptable at 45 IBU. The biotransformation first dry hop is essential with Citra, it has moderate geraniol (0.5–0.8%) that biotransforms into additional floral-tropical complexity, making DDH Citra noticeably more interesting than single-addition post-fermentation Citra. Yeast: London Ale III (Wyeast 1318) or Conan/Vermont Ale, high-biotransformation yeast strains that maximize Citra’s geraniol conversion. Ferment at 19°C (66°F). Water: Soft, low-mineral, calcium 60 ppm, sulfate 80 ppm, chloride 120 ppm. Higher chloride supports Citra’s soft tropical character; low sulfate prevents the drying bitterness that competes with the juicy fruit character. Process: Single infusion mash at 67°C (153°F) for 60 minutes. 60-minute boil. Ferment 7 days to terminal. First dry hop at day 3–4. Second dry hop at day 7. Cold crash day 10. Package at 2.5 volumes CO2. Consume within 4–6 weeks.
Common Questions
What does Citra actually taste like in a single-hop beer without other hops masking it?
Citra single-hop beer tastes like distilled tropical citrus, passion fruit, lime, lychee, and sometimes a candy-like sweetness that is more pronounced without the earthiness or pine that Mosaic or Simcoe would contribute to a blend. The first impression is intense: Citra at high dry hop rates in a light-bodied pale ale is one of the most aggressively aromatic hop presentations available. The second impression, as the beer warms slightly, reveals the tropical complexity underneath the initial citrus blast, the biotransformed geraniol compounds add floral depth and the passion fruit character becomes more prominent. The third note, on the finish, is a moderate bitterness that is clean but has a slight edge from Citra’s cohumulone that some tasters notice in single-hop presentations where there’s no other bitterness character to contextualize it. Common tasting notes from people who haven’t tasted Citra single-hop before: “like tropical punch,” “almost too fruity,” “grapefruit and passion fruit candy,” and occasionally “is there actual fruit added?” The candy-sweetness perception is strongest in beers with residual sweetness (higher final gravity) and malt body from oats or wheat. In a drier, more attenuated Citra pale ale without oats, the perception shifts to “sharp citrus” rather than “candy tropical.” Understanding this range is one of the core lessons of single-hop Citra brewing.
