I have lots of surplus hops, so I'm taking what I have and brewing an American Wheat tomorrow. Josh Weikert is always a good resource for his recipes and I have brewed his recipe with good results using Motueka and Sorachi Ace. I've decided I'm not a big fan of Sorachi Ace due to its unpredictability in throwing off dill aroma and flavor. So....I'm changing it up and amping up the late edition and dry-hop additions with NZ varieties. Think American Wheat with a clean US-05 fermentation that is dry-hopped like a hazy IPA. Grist is 50/50 2-row and wheat and I'm throwing in a pound of oats. The purpose of my post is to solicit input on hop suggestions based on your experience either brewing or sampling beers using these hops. What do you like/dislike, and why? The only hop I have never used is Rakau. Right now, I have the following:
1.5 oz each/42 IBUs Motueka, Galaxy, and Rakau at 5 minutes left in the boil
2 oz each Motueka and Nelson Sauvin dry-hop for 3-4 days following primary fermentation
Not a huge hazy fan but this should be delicious as long as it is not also too dank. I enjoy the American wheat style as a canvas for showcasing other ingredients like fruit. This ought to be a good beer for showcasing the flavor and aroma of those New Zealand hops which are supposed to be very fruity - particularly stone fruit.
Of the hops on the list, I'm not a huge fan of Nelson because I'm not a fan of the white grape note it frequently exhibits. Overall though, this should be a tasty beer.
