Are you looking to brew the perfect Hazy IPA at home? It’s all about selecting the right hops.
Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops are some of the best choices for achieving those juicy, fruity flavours and delightful aroma in your brew. These hops not only enhance the tropical and citrusy notes but also contribute to the characteristic haziness that makes Hazy IPAs so popular.
Using a combination like Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy helps create a well-rounded flavour profile. These hops cover everything from sweet fruit and berries to citrus, ensuring your Hazy IPA has big flavours. This unique blend offers a good balance that is sure to impress.
Let’s take a closer look at these hop choices and why they should be at the top of your list.
Top Hop Varieties for Hazy IPAs
Choosing the right hops is essential for brewing a great Hazy IPA at home. These hops are known for their unique aromas and flavours, which play a crucial role in creating juicy and aromatic beers.
Citra
Citra hops are incredibly popular in brewing Hazy IPAs. Known for their intense citrus aroma with notes of lime, grapefruit, and orange peel, they also contribute hints of tropical fruits like mango and pineapple.
Whether you use them in the boil or as a dry hop, Citra adds a refreshing and vibrant flavour to your beer. They are often considered a must-have for achieving that juicy, fruity character.
Mosaic
Mosaic hops offer a complex aroma and flavour profile perfect for Hazy IPAs. They contribute a mix of tropical fruit, citrus, and berry notes, with earthy undertones.
Mosaic is also known for aromas of mango, blueberry, and tangerine. These hops are versatile, working well both as bittering and aroma hops. Their unique blend of flavours helps create the layered complexity that you seek in a Hazy IPA.
Galaxy
Galaxy hops are a favourite among homebrewers. This variety boasts a powerful bouquet of passionfruit, peach, and citrus. When used in higher quantities, Galaxy imparts a pungent, tropical fruit profile that dominates the beer’s aroma and flavour.
It’s particularly effective when used in late boil additions or for dry hopping, ensuring your Hazy IPA is bursting with juiciness.
El Dorado
El Dorado hops go amazingly well in Hazy IPAs due to their sweet, fruity character.
El Dorado has flavours like pear, watermelon, and stone fruits, accompanied by citrus elements such as lemon and lime. They hold up well in both the boil and dry hopping stages, offering a balanced mix of sweetness and bitterness.
These hops are fantastic for layering flavour and enhancing the overall fruitiness of your brew.
Nectaron
Nectaron hops are relatively new but have quickly gained popularity. They bring a bold, tropical punch to Hazy IPAs with notes of passionfruit, peach, pineapple, and grapefruit.
Nectaron is especially useful for late boil additions and dry hopping, providing a complex and aromatic profile. These hops are excellent for achieving a juicy and refreshing beer that is very enjoyable.
Nelson Sauvin
Nelson Sauvin hops have a distinctive aroma and flavour profile that sets them apart. Known for their white wine and gooseberry characteristics, they blend well with other hops to create a unique, complex beer.
There are also hints of tropical fruits and a subtle spiciness. Nelson Sauvin hops are versatile, whether you use them for bittering, flavour, or aroma, and excel in dry hopping for more intense hop aromas.
Popular Hop Combinations for Hazy IPAs
Knowing the individual hops that go well in a Hazy IPA is great, but choosing the right hop combination is crucial for achieving the perfect balance of flavours and aromas.
Here are three popular hop combinations that will help you create deliciously juicy and aromatic hazy IPAs.
Citra + Mosaic + Galaxy
Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy are a powerhouse trio known for their vibrant and fruity profiles.
This combination delivers intense notes of citrus, sweet fruit, and berries. Using these hops in a 1:1:1 ratio ensures a balanced mix, where no single flavour overpowers the others.
- Citra: Adds citrus and tropical fruit notes.
- Mosaic: Contributes berry and stone fruit flavours.
- Galaxy: Brings in a punch of passionfruit and citrus.
This combo covers all the bases for both flavour and aroma, making your hazy IPA exceptionally juicy and well-rounded.
Citra + El Dorado + Nectaron
Pairing Citra, El Dorado, and Nectaron enhances the tropical fruit profile of your hazy IPA. Citra provides a solid base of citrus flavours, while El Dorado contributes candy-like fruit notes. Nectaron shines with intense passionfruit, peach, and grapefruit.
- Citra: Offers citrus and tropical fruit notes.
- El Dorado: Adds pear, watermelon, and stone fruit.
- Nectaron: Delivers passionfruit, peach, and grapefruit.
By balancing these hops carefully, typically in a ratio that emphasizes the tastes you are after, you can create a beer that bursts with a complex blend of tropical flavours.
Chinook + Columbus + Nugget
While Chinook, Columbus, and Nugget are traditionally used in IPAs, they can be effectively adapted for hazy IPAs too. This combination stands out with its solid mix of citrus and pine, providing a robust and earthy backbone.
- Chinook: Offers a piney, spicy flavour with a hint of grapefruit.
- Columbus: Adds a dank, resinous, and citrusy profile.
- Nugget: Contributes herbal and pine notes.
Blending these hops, often in ratios that favour a balanced mix, gives you a rich, aromatic hazy IPA with a unique twist on the traditional hop character.
Tips For Brewing a Hazy IPA at Home
Hazy IPAs are known for their murky appearance and juicy flavours. This style combines a few key elements that set it apart from other types of craft beer.
Hops Additions
Timing is important in the brewing process. Add hops during the late boil, whirlpool, and dry hopping stages.
Dry hopping during active fermentation enhances fruity aromas through biotransformation.
When brewing a hazy IPA, you often add hops during active fermentation rather than after it has completed. This technique captures more of the volatile compounds that contribute to the beer’s aroma and flavour.
Malt Bill
Use high-protein grains like oats and wheat to achieve the desired hazy look and creamy mouthfeel. These grains help create a thicker body for your beer. These grains create the haze and contribute to the beer’s smooth and creamy mouthfeel.
Adding a touch of crystal malt can give more colour and complexity to the beer.
Water Chemistry
Water chemistry is another important factor. Adjusting your water’s minerals helps enhance the hop flavours and balance the overall profile of the beer. Higher chloride levels compared to sulphates can make the beer taste smoother and improve its mouthfeel. There is a good guide to water profiles for this style of beer here.
Yeast
Yeast and its role in biotransformation shouldn’t be ignored. Yeast strains used for hazy IPAs transform hop compounds into new flavours during fermentation, creating unique fruity and juicy profiles.
These yeasts tend to leave more proteins and haze, contributing to the beer’s cloudy appearance. My personal favorite choice for a juicy hazy IPA is Lallemand’s Verdant IPA yeast.