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NormPyle'sHopsFAQ

Compiled/editedbyNormPyle,5/4/95
<hophead@csd.net>
ThisrevisionreviewedbyGlennTinseth
Sendfeedbackto:gtinseth(at)yahoo(dot)com
TableofContents
Forward
WhatAreHops?
BitteringCompounds
AromaandFlavorCompounds
DifferentHopProducts
EstimatingBitterness
HowBitterShouldItBe?
StoringHops
GrowingHops
DryHopping
Whatisa"Hopback"?
Wetvs.DriedHops?
HopVarietiesandHowtoUseThem
Contributors
Forward
Thisisthefifthrevisionofthisdocument.I'veaddedseveralvarietiesofnotsowellknownhopsfromtheUKandNew
Zealand,includingasmuchinformationasIcouldfind.Sinceinformationisinshortsupplyonsomeofthesehops,
you'llseemoreinstancesof"???".Ifyouhaveinformationtofillinsomeoftheblanks,pleasesenditalong.I'vealso
attemptedtoclarifyandsimplify(ifthat'spossible)thebitternesscalculations,whileprovidingseveraldifferent
approaches.
I'vemovedthelistofcontributorstotheend,sincetheintendedaudienceprobablycaresmoreabouttheinformationthan
whoprovidedit.Don'tmisunderstandtheimportanceofthesecontributors,though.Thoselistedhavebeenabsolutely
essentialinbringingthisinformationtogether.Again,ifyou'vecontributedtothisFAQ,don'tseeyournamelisted,and
wouldlikeitlisted,pleasecontactme.Noslightwasintended,butwithsomuchinformationfromsomanysources,itis
easytoloseaname.Also,ifyouremailaddresshaschanged,itwouldbenicetoupdatethat.
Cheers,
Norm
WhatAreHops?
Hopsarecultivatedflowers(humuluslupulus),greenincolorwithyellowlupulinglandsdownbetweenthepetals,used
forpreservativeandflavoringcharacteristicsinbeer.Thebitternessofthehopisusedtobalancethesweetnessofthe
malt,andtheessentialoilsaddaflavor/aromawhichcannotbeachievedbyusinganyotherplant.Thehopplantisa
perennialspiralingvinewhichwillgrowinalmostanyclimategivenenoughwaterandsunlight.Itcanclimbeither
stringorpolesandcanreachheightsof40feet.Theflowers(orconesastheyareoftencalled)areusuallydriedbefore
use.
BitteringCompounds
Oneofthemajorcontributionshopsgivetobeerisacharacteristicbitternessthatprovidesacounterpointtotherich
sweetnessprovidedbythemalt.Thisbitterflavorisextractedfromthehopsduringtheboil.Itisduringthistimethat
virtuallyinsolublealphaacidsareisomerized(rearrangedwithoutchangingtheircomposition)intomoresolubleand
stableisoalphaacids,themainbitteringsubstanceinbeer.Fivedifferentnaturallyoccurringalphaacidshavebeen
isolatedfromhopswhichare:
humulone
cohumulone
adhumulone
prehumulone
posthumulone
Althoughisomerizedalphaacidsarethebiggestcontributers,hopscontainbetaacidswhichalsoaddbitternesstobeer.
Thebetaacidsaresimilartoalphaacidsbothinstructureandabundance.Incontrasttoalphaacids,itisnotisomerized
betaacidsthataddbitterness,itistheoxidationproductsofthebetaacids,whicharebitterandsoluble,thatmaketheir
presencefelt.Itshouldbenotedthatoxidizedbetaacidsarenotasbitterasisomerizedalphaacids,andthuscontribute
muchlesstothefinalbitternessofthebeer.
Boththealphaandbetaacidsareverysusceptibletooxidation,especiallyattemperaturesabovefreezing.Theoretical
lossesofalphaacidsofupto60%havebeencalculatedforhopswhicharepackagedandstoredpoorly.Thisis
importantbecauseoncealphaacidshavebeenoxidizedtheycannolongerbeisomerizedintoisoalphaacid,thus
decreasingthehop'sbitteringpotential.Asstatedabove,oxidationcomponentsofbetaacidscontributetobitterness,thus
thebitteringpotentialofoxidizedhopsmaynotdecreaseasmuchasiscommonlythought.Thisdoesnot,inanyway,
argueagainststoringhopswell,sinceessentialoilsaredramaticallyandnegativelyalteredbyoxidation.
Forthesereasons,the"storageability"ofeachhopvarietyissometimesprovided,alongwiththealphaandbetaacid
levels,bythehopbroker.Thisparameterisusuallygivenasapercentageofthealphaacidspresentafter6monthsat
20C.Somegoodstoragehops(usuallyhighalphaacid)loseonly1520%oftheiralphaacids:ClusterandGalenaare
amongthebest.Mosthighqualityaromahopsloseanywherefrom3565%oftheiralphaacidsunlessanaerobic
conditionsandcoldstorage(<0C)areprovided.Thisiswhyitisimperativeforbrewerstobuythefreshesthops
availableandstoretheminthecoldestenvironmentavailable,usuallythefreezer.Itisalsoimportanttopackagethehops
properly,whichmeansremovingasmuchoxygenaspossibleandcontainingtheminanoxygenbarriermaterial.
AromaandFlavorCompounds
Hopsbringalotmoretobeerthanbitterness.Thevolatileoils,usually0.53.0%(vol/wt)ofthehopcone,arean
importantflavorcomponentofmanytypesofbeer.Brewersseekingtomaximizehopflavorandaromagenerallymake
latekettleadditions(015min.beforecooling)withhighquality"aroma"hops.Dryhopping,i.e.theadditionofhopsto
thesecondaryfermenterorservingtank,isanotherwaytoaddhopcharactertoabeeralthoughthearomacomponents
retainedbythismethoddifferfromthoseobtainedinlatekettleadditions.Themaximumoilutilizationisabout1015%
whichdecreaseswithincreasedboilingtime.
Theessentialoilsarewhatgivehopstheiruniquearomaeachvarietyhasitsowndistinctprofile.Thesmellofhops
freshlycrushedinyourhandisquiteoftendifferentthanthatinafinishedbeer.Thisisduetothefactthatthemajor
componentsinhopoil,betapinene,myrcene,betacaryophyllene,farneseneandalphahumulene,arenotusuallyfound
inbeer.Thisisalsothereasonthatmeasuresof"totalhopoilpercentage"thatsomehopretailersprovideareconsidered
bysometobeuselessinformation.Ontheotherhand,fermentationandoxidationproductsofthesecompounds,
especiallyhumuleneepoxidesanddiepoxidesareconsideredcontributorsto"hoppy"flavorsandaroma.Theexception
hereiswithdryhopping,wheresomeofthehopoilcomponentsdosurviveintothebeerintact.
Researchershavenotbeenabletoduplicatethecomplexitiesofhoppycharacterbyaddingpurechemicalsinany
proportionorcombination.Consensusisthatthereisasynergisticblendofseveralcompounds,someofwhichmayhave
notyetbeendiscovered.
Hopresearchers,usingcapillarygaschromatography,havedetectedandidentifiedmorethan250essentialoil
componentsinhops.Twentytwoofthesehavebeenpinpointedasbeinggoodindicatorsofhoppinesspotential.They
aresubdividedinto3groups,humuleneandcaryophylleneoxidativeproducts,floral/esterycompounds,andcitrus/piney
compounds,aslistedbelow:
OxidationProducts:
caryolan1ol
caryophylleneoxide
humulenediepoxidea
humulenediepoxideb
humulenediepoxidec
humuleneepoxideI
humuleneepoxideII
humuleneepoxideIII
humulenolII
humulol
Floral/EsteryCompounds:
geraniol
geranylacetate
geranylisobutyrate
linalool
Citrus/PineyCompounds:
deltacadinene
gammacadinene
citral
limonene
limonene10ol
alphamuurolene
nerol
betaselenene
DifferentHopProducts
Muchhasbeenwrittenaboutwhatformofhopsshouldbeused.Loosehopsarejustthat:looseconeswhichhavebeen
driedafterpicking.Plugsareloosehopswhichhavebeensubsequentlypressedintoabungunderpressure,generallyin
0.5oz.sizes.Pelletsareloosehopswhichhavebeengroundtoafinepowderandthenpressedintorabbitfoodsized
pellets.
LooseHops
Advantages:Theyarethemostnaturalformoftheingredient.Theyfloat,whichisgoodforsiphoningoutfromunder,
andformanaturalfilterbed.Whentheyarefresh,theybeatallotherformsindeliveringtheoriginalhopcompoundsto
thebeer(processinghopsaltersthevolatilehopcompoundsinmanyways).
Disadvantages:Theyfloat,sosomecontactwithastillwort(asindryhopping)isthoughttobelostthisdisadvantageis
certainlyarguablethough,especiallywhenitisconsideredthatbyusingweightedhopbags,itisanonissue.Sincethey
areloose,exposuretoair(oxygen)maybegreaterwhichcouldcausethemtolosequalitymorequicklythantheother
formsofhops(notethatthispointisdebatable).WhenstoredinvacuumsealedorCO2ornitrogenpurgedOxygen
barrierbagsorjars,thispotentialproblemcanbeavoided.Theyarebulkierthanotherforms.
Plugs
Advantages:Arenearlythesameasloosehops,inthat,whenhydrated,theybecomewholehopconesagain.Likeloose
hops,theyfloat.Theymaybebetterprotectedfromair,butthisisunproven.
Disadvantages:Fewhopvarietiescomeinthisform.Currently,anydomesticvarietiesarefirstshippedtoEngland
wheretheyaremadeintoplugsandthenshippedbacktotheU.S.Thisprobablynegatesanypotentialfreshness
advantagetheyhaveoverloosehops(forU.S.varieties).Itisdifficult,butnotimpossibletoseparateintoincrements
smallerthan0.5oz.Thecompressionofthehopsintothisformcausesthelupulinglandstoburst,whichcausesafinite
lossofthevolatilehoparomaticcompoundsandcouldcauseincreasedalphaacidoxidation.
Pellets
Advantages:Convenienttomeasureandmayhavebetterprotectionfromair(anotherunprovenassumption).Theysink,
sotheygetmaximumcontactinastillwort,aswhenusedfordryhopping(mayormaynotbeanadvantage).Iftheyare
subsequentlycoveredwithdeadyeast,wortcontactismostlylost,socarefultimingisrecommendedwhenusingthem
fordryhopping.Theyreportedlycontribute10%morealphaacidstothewortbecauseofmaximizedsurfacearea,soare
amoreefficientuseofthisrelativelyexpensiveingredient.Theyaregenerallyavailableinmorevarieties.
Disadvantages:Theysinkandarepowdered,soitisdifficulttoavoidthemwhensiphoning.Theextraprocessingof
choppingandcompressingnegativelyaffectshopcompounds.
Giventheprosandconslisted,thechoiceofwhichformofhoptouseinacertainapplicationisuptotheindividual
breweranddependentupontheindividualbrewhouse.Withsomekettlearrangements(thoseusingahopback,for
instance)loosehopscanformautilitarianfilterbed.Inothers,themassofloosehopscanbeanuisanceandsoakupa
largequantityofwortwhichislosttothebrewer.Itshouldbenotedthatfresh,wholehopsareavailabletodayfrom
manysources,includingmailordernationwide(US)fromcompaniessuchasJustHops,Freshops,andHopTech,which
maynegatemanyoftheadvantagesofprocessedhops.
EstimatingBeerBitterness
ThesimplestwaytodescribethebitteringpotentialofagivenhopsampleistouseAlphaAcidUnits(AAU)or
HomebrewBitteringUnits(HBU)(they'rethesame).ForthesakeofdiscussionwewillusethetermAAU,whichis
calculatedasfollows:
AAU=AA*W
where:
AA=alphaacid%providedwiththehops
W=weightofthehopsinounces
AAU'sareliterallyhundredthsofanounce,sotheunitswouldbeounces.Thisisabitawkward,andtheyareusually
discussedasiftheyare"unitless".Itisgenerallyassumedthat,whenusingAAUorHBU,thebatchsizeisthestandard
homebrewingunitof5gallons.Ifabeerissaidtohave10AAU'sofbitternessinit,anditisa5gallonbatch,there
wouldprobablybenoconfusion.Ontheotherhand,ifitisa10gallonbatch,thereisactuallyhalftheAAU'spergallon
whencomparedtothe5gallonbatchandthebeerwouldbequitedifferent.AnotherdrawbacktousingAAU'sisthat
theydon'tconsidertheutilizationobtainedfromlong,intermediate,orshortboiltimes.Fudgefactorsaresometimes
addedbutatbesttheyofferaroughapproximation.
Tohelpsolvetheseproblems,theInternationalBitteringUnit(IBU)maybeused.AnIBUisdefinedas1mg/lofiso
alphaacidinasolution.ByestimatingIBUsratherthanHBUs,thebrewercangetamoreaccurate(thoughadmittedly
stillrough)approximationofthebitternessimpartedintothebeerbythehops.Itisindependentofbatchsizesothata5
gallonbatchwith29IBU'shasthesamebitternessasa50barrelbatchwith29IBU's.Theequationsarecommonly
quotedfromJackieRager'sarticleinthe"Zymurgy"HopsandBeerSpecialEditionpublishedin1990.Revised
numbersandformulaehaverecentlybeenpresentedbyGlennTinsethandMarkGaretz,inseparateworks.Ragerhas
beentakentotaskfornotsupplyingenoughbackgroundreferences,andnotfullyexplaininghowhegothisnumbers.In
general,hisutilizationestimatesarebelievedtobeoptimistic.Garetzhasbeenaccusedofextrapolatingscantlaboratory
information,andovergeneralizingbecauseofit.Hisnumbershavebeenlabelledunrealisticonthepessimisticside.
Tinsethhasjustpresentedarevisedmethodandsetoftables,andthoughtheyarethoughttobequiteaccurate,theyhave
notstoodthetestoftime.ThecalculatednumberstendtofallinbetweenRager'sandGaretz's.Notealsothattheseare
allestimates.ActualIBUscanbemeasuredinalaboratory,buttheaveragehomebrewerhasnoaccesstosuch
equipment.TheRager,Garetz,andTinsethestimationmethodsfollow.
RagerMethod
Boiling Time (minutes) %Utilization
-----------------------------------
0 - 5 5.0
6 - 10 6.0
11 - 15 8.0
16 - 20 10.1
21 - 25 12.1
26 - 30 15.3
31 - 35 18.8
36 - 40 22.8
41 - 45 26.9
Thisutilizationcanbereducedtoasmoothfunction,asopposedtothetable,whichproducesmanydiscontinuouslines.
TheRagertableisrepresentedbythefollowingutilizationequation:
%UTILIZATION = 18.11 + 13.86 * hyptan[(MINUTES - 31.32) / 18.27]
AccordingtoRager,ifthegravityoftheboilexceeds1.050,thereisagravityadjustment(GA)tofactorin:
GA = (BOIL_GRAVITY - 1.050)
----------------------
0.2
otherwise,
GA = 0
MetricUnits
IBU = (GRAMS OF HOPS) * %UTILIZATION * %ALPHA * 1000
------------------------------------------------
VOLUME(litres) * (1 + GA)
NonmetricUnits
IBU = (OUNCES OF HOPS) * %UTILIZATION * %ALPHA * 7462
-------------------------------------------------
VOLUME(gallons) * (1 + GA)
JackieRager'snumbershavebeenusedsuccessfullybythousandsofhomebrewersandprovideaconsistentbasewith
whichtowork.Notethatthefiguresexpressedaspercentshouldbeenteredasdecimalvaluesintheformula(9%=
0.09).Itisapparentthathisconstant7462,derivedfrommetrictoUSconversion,isactuallycloserto7490.TheGA
factorcouldbequestionedaswell,asitisintuitivelyobviousthatagravityof1.049doesnotaffectutilizationexactlythe
sameasagravityof1.000(water).Itisassumed(butnotverified)thattheutilizationtableiscorrectedforthis
assumptionand/orthedifferenceissmallenoughthatithaslittleeffectonthefinalbitternessofthebeer.
TheunfortunatepartofRager'sarticleisthatitiscompletelylackinginreferences,soassumptionscomewithitpartand
parcel.NotealsothatRager'snumbersareoftenusedforpellethopsthrownlooseintheboil.AlKorzonassuggests
adding10%morehopsifusedinahopbag,and10%morethanthatifloosehopsorplugsareused.
GaretzMethod
Ithasbeenreportedthatsinceisoalphaacidspossessaslightelectricalcharge,theycanbelostinmanyways.Among
theseareabsorptionintotheyeastcellwalls(andsubsequentremovaloftheyeast),attachmenttocoagulatingproteins
(andsubsequentremovalofthistrub),attachmenttofilters,etc.ItisunclearifMr.Rager'sutilizationnumbershave
assumedtheselosses,butitcanbeassumedthatTinsethandGaretzdidtakethemintoaccount.TheGaretznumbers
belowrepresentaverageyeastflocculationhealsoprovidestableswhichrepresentfastandslowyeastflocculation.
Boiling Time (minutes) %Util (Avg Yeast)
----------------------------------------
0 - 5 0
6 - 10 0
11 - 15 2
16 - 20 5
21 - 25 8
26 - 30 11
31 - 35 14
36 - 40 16
41 - 45 18
46 - 50 19
51 - 60 20
61 - 70 21
71 - 80 22
81 - 90 23
AccordingtoGaretz,thereareseveraladjustmentfactors,thathebringstogetherintheformulawiththeterm"combined
adjustments"(CA):
CA = GF * HF * TF
whereGFistheGravityFactor,HFistheHoppingRateFactor,andTFistheTemperatureFactor.Tocalculateitall,he
startswithsomehecallsCF:
Concentration Factor: CF = Final Volume / Boil Volume,
toaccountforconcentratedboilsofextractbrews.
Next,calculateBoilGravity(BG):
BG = (CF * (Starting Gravity - 1)) + 1
ThencalculateGF:
BG - 1.050
GF = ---------- + 1
.2
HFiscalculatedasfollows:
HF = ((CF * Desired IBUs)/260) + 1
TFisbasedonelevationasfollows:
TF = ((Elevation in feet) / 550) * 0.02) + 1
Theseareallputintothefollowingformula,alongwiththeutilizationfromthetable,andtheIBUsarecalculated.Note
twothings:1)theutilizationandalphaacidsshouldbeexpressedaswholenumbers(7%=7),and2)thisprocessis
iterative,sinceitcontainsaterm(HF)basedonyourgoalIBUs.Youmustguessatthefinalresult,dothemath,and
reruntheprocess,eachtimeadjustingthevaluedownward.Ittakesalittlepractice,butcanbedone.
MetricUnits
IBU = (%Utilization) * (%Alpha) * Hop weight(grams) * 0.1
---------------------------------------------------
Volume(liters) * CA
NonMetricUnits
IBU = (%Utilization) * (%Alpha) * Hop weight(ounces) * 0.749
------------------------------------------------------
Volume(Gallons) * CA
Garetzgoestoallowforayeastfactor(YF),pelletfactor(PF),bagfactor(BF),andfilterfactor(FF),andcomesupwith:
CA = GF * HF * TF * PF * BF * FF
Thisallowsyoutoadjusttheformulabasedonyourownbreweryandpractices.
TinsethMethod
GlennTinseth'smethoddoesn'tinvolveasmanyfactors,butisstillabitmorecomplexthantheoriginalRager
method.Tinsethnotesthathistableisoptimizedforfreshwholeconeslooseintheboil,althougheasilyadjustablefor
otherformsofhops.Hebuildsthegravityadjustmentintotheutilizationtablesandoffersthefollowing:
Decimal Alpha Acid Utilization vs. Boil Time and Wort Original Gravity
Boil Original Gravity
Time 1.030 1.040 1.050 1.060 1.070 1.080 1.090 1.100 1.110 1.120 1.130
(min)
0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
3 0.034 0.031 0.029 0.026 0.024 0.022 0.020 0.018 0.017 0.015 0.014
6 0.065 0.059 0.054 0.049 0.045 0.041 0.038 0.035 0.032 0.029 0.026
9 0.092 0.084 0.077 0.070 0.064 0.059 0.054 0.049 0.045 0.041 0.037
12 0.116 0.106 0.097 0.088 0.081 0.074 0.068 0.062 0.056 0.052 0.047
15 0.137 0.125 0.114 0.105 0.096 0.087 0.080 0.073 0.067 0.061 0.056
18 0.156 0.142 0.130 0.119 0.109 0.099 0.091 0.083 0.076 0.069 0.063
21 0.173 0.158 0.144 0.132 0.120 0.110 0.101 0.092 0.084 0.077 0.070
24 0.187 0.171 0.157 0.143 0.131 0.120 0.109 0.100 0.091 0.083 0.076
27 0.201 0.183 0.168 0.153 0.140 0.128 0.117 0.107 0.098 0.089 0.082
30 0.212 0.194 0.177 0.162 0.148 0.135 0.124 0.113 0.103 0.094 0.086
33 0.223 0.203 0.186 0.170 0.155 0.142 0.130 0.119 0.108 0.099 0.091
36 0.232 0.212 0.194 0.177 0.162 0.148 0.135 0.124 0.113 0.103 0.094
39 0.240 0.219 0.200 0.183 0.167 0.153 0.140 0.128 0.117 0.107 0.098
42 0.247 0.226 0.206 0.189 0.172 0.158 0.144 0.132 0.120 0.110 0.101
45 0.253 0.232 0.212 0.194 0.177 0.162 0.148 0.135 0.123 0.113 0.103
48 0.259 0.237 0.216 0.198 0.181 0.165 0.151 0.138 0.126 0.115 0.105
51 0.264 0.241 0.221 0.202 0.184 0.169 0.154 0.141 0.129 0.118 0.108
54 0.269 0.246 0.224 0.205 0.188 0.171 0.157 0.143 0.131 0.120 0.109
57 0.273 0.249 0.228 0.208 0.190 0.174 0.159 0.145 0.133 0.121 0.111
60 0.276 0.252 0.231 0.211 0.193 0.176 0.161 0.147 0.135 0.123 0.112
70 0.285 0.261 0.238 0.218 0.199 0.182 0.166 0.152 0.139 0.127 0.116
80 0.291 0.266 0.243 0.222 0.203 0.186 0.170 0.155 0.142 0.130 0.119
90 0.295 0.270 0.247 0.226 0.206 0.188 0.172 0.157 0.144 0.132 0.120
120 0.301 0.275 0.252 0.230 0.210 0.192 0.176 0.161 0.147 0.134 0.123
TocalculateIBUs,theformulaissimple:
IBUs = decimal alpha acid utilization * mg/l of added alpha acids
Forthosewhowanttomakeadjustmentsbasedontheirownbrewery,heoffersthefollowing:
MetricUnits
mg/l of added alpha acids = decimal AA rating * grams hops * 1000
-------------------------------------
liters of wort
NonMetricUnits
mg/l of added alpha acids = decimal AA rating * ozs hops * 7490
-------------------------------------
gallons of wort
ThedecimalalphaacidutilizationiscalculatedusingTinseth'stwoempiricalfactors:theBignessfactorandtheBoil
Timefactor.
Decimal Alpha Acid Utilization = Bigness Factor * Boil Time Factor
TheBignessFactoraccountsforreducedutilizationduetohigherwortgravities.
Bigness factor = 1.65 * 0.000125^(wort gravity - 1)
TheBoilTimeFactorgivesthevaryingutilizationbasedonboiltime:
Boil Time factor = 1 - e^(-0.04 * time in mins)
--------------------------
4.15
SomecommentsfromTinseth:
"Thenumbers1.65and0.000125areempiricallyderivedtofitmydata.Thenumber0.04controlstheshapeoftheutil
vs.timecurve.Thefactor4.15controlsthemaxutilvaluemakeitsmallerifyourutilishigherthanmine.
I'dsuggestfiddlingwith4.15ifnecessarytomatchyoursystem,onlyplaywiththeotherthreeifyouliketomuck
around.Imakenoguaranteesifyoudo.
YoumightnoticethattheshapeoftheutilcurvesisverysimilartothatofRandyMosher's.HeandIseemtohave
independentlyarrivedatthesameconclusion.
Thereallycoolthingaboutthesenewequationsisthattheyareeasilycustomizable.Ibelievethebasicformiscorrect
byplayingwiththedifferentfactors,differentbrewersshouldbeabletomakethemfittheirbreweriesperfectly.Theroot
oftheequationsisthebasicfirstorderchemicalreaction,i.e.theAAisomerizationseemsbefirstorder(orpseudofirst
order)."
BitternessSummary
Itshouldbeobviousthatthealphaacidutilizationisawidelydebatedtopic,andthatitisnotanexactscience.
HomebrewingsystemsvarysowidelythatitisimpossibletobeveryaccuratewiththeIBUestimates.Thehomebrewer
whostrivestobeaccuratewithin10%ofactualcanprobablyachieveit,andverifyitwithknowncommercialexamples.
Thehumantongueisaccurateenoughforthisdelightfulexperiment.PrecisionwithIBUsiscertainlyachievable,with
carefulrecordkeeping,includingpersonalsensorydescriptions,andtheuseofaconsistentsetofformulaeand
utilizationtables.Thesestepswillgoalongwaytowardconsistentqualitybeer.
Onequestionthatappearsonoccasioniswhetheryoulosebitternessifyouboilthehopsfortoolong,e.g.longerthan
twohours.AccordingtoGlennTinseth,multiplestudieshaveshownthatalphaacidutilizationalwaysincreaseswith
boiltime,evenoutto3hoursofboiling.Thereasonthetablesquitaround60minutesofboiling,isthatlittleutilizationis
gainedbeyondthat.Infact,afterabout45minutesthecurvebecomesquiteflat.Inotherwords,beyondthatthe
utilizationincreaseissmallcomparedtotheaddedtimeinvolved.Itisspeculatedthatcommercialbrewersfoundthat
beyond4560minutesorso,thebenefitoftheaddedutilizationwasmorethanoffsetbythecostoftheenergyto
continuetheboilaswellasthecostoftheaddedtimeintheprocess.
Afinalnoteaboutbitterness:IBUsarenotthefinalwordwhenitcomestotheperceivedbitternessofbeer.Sulfates,
darkgrains,tannins,andothercompoundsfoundinbeercontributetothebitternesssensation.Forthisreason,
comparisonofbitternessbetweenstyles(andsometimesevendifferentbeerswithinastyle)isdifficult.
HowBitterShouldItBe?
TheAHAandprobablyotherorganizationspublish(large)chartswhichdefinetherangeofIBUsexpectedinagiven
style.ItisoutsidethescopeofthisFAQtogointothatmuchdetailonbeerstyles,buthoppingratesfrom10IBUto60
IBUormorehavebeennotedincommercialbeers.Thefollowingtablefromanarticletitled"MatchingHopswithBeer
Styles"byQuentinB.Smithinthe1990"Zymurgy"HopsandBeerSpecialIssuemayhelp.Otherfactorsarejustas
importantasOG,suchasFG,sulfatecontentofthewater,andthestyleofbeer,butthiswillgetyoustarted:
BalancedBeerHopChart
Wort OG IBU
------- ---
1.010 4
1.020 8
1.030 12
1.040 16
1.050 24
1.060 32
1.070 40
1.080 48
1.090 56
1.100 64
StoringHops
Storehopsataslowatemperatureaspossible,hopefullyinyourfreezer.Also,attempttoremoveasmuchairaspossible
fromthepackageanduseairtight,preferablyoxygenbarrierpackages.
GrowingHops
Hopsforbeermakinggrowfromtherhizomesoffemalehopplants.Rhizomeslooklikerootcuttingsbuthavebuds
growingfromthemthatwillbecomenewvines.Rhizomesalsocontainstorednutrientstosupportinitialgrowth.
Hopsgrowverticallyasoneormorevinesthatspiralupatwineorothersupport.Dependingonlatitude,location,and
variety,theysproutfromMarchorAprilandgrowthroughthesummerandearlyfall.Asingleplantcaneasilygrow40
feettallwhenitismaturebutgrowthinthefirstyearisusuallymuchless.Inmostinstancesbythesecondorthirdyear
theplantswillexhibitfullgrowth.Heightisverycloselylinkedtotheamountofsunshinetheplantgets.
Hopsgrowbestinfullsunandyoushouldpickaspotwiththebestpossiblesouthernexposure.Hopsgrowbestin
loose,welldrainedsoil.Blendedpeatmossandsandmakeagoodgrowingenvironment.Incasesofpoorsoildrainage,
itcanbehelpfultocreateamoundofsoilafootorsotallwhichwillaiddrainage.
Hopsneedlotsofwater.Astheygrowbesuretogivethemaverygoodsoakingatleastonceaweek.Therearereports
thatonceadaywaterings(upto6.5gallonspermound)givegreatergrowthandyield.Mulchinthesummerhelpswith
weedcontrolandalsoholdswater.Hopsalsohavebigappetitescompostedcowmanureisanexcellentwellbalanced
fertilizerforthem.
Onceabedhasbeenpreparedtherhizomesareplantedabout4inchesbelowthesoilsurfacewithanyobviousbuds
comingfromtherhizomeorientedtopointupward.
Afterseveralinchesthenewvinescanbethinnedsothatjustthemosthealthyandvigorousthreevinesareleftto
continuegrowing.Thiswillbeanongoingprocessasnewshootsmayshowuplater,buttheinitialthinningisthoughtto
beimportantbysomehomehopgrowers.It'sbeenreportedthattheyoungshootsthatareculledmaybesteamedand
eatenlikeasparagus.Ontheotherhand,somegrowersespousecuttingthenewshootsatall,allowingallvinestogrow
tofullheight.
Asthevinesgrowoverafoottalltheyshouldbetrainedtogrowupatwine.Thiscanbedonebytwistingthevine
aroundtheline.Thismayhavetoberepeatedforafewdaysbeforethevinegetstheidea.Hopswillhaveanatural
tendencytowrapclockwiselookingdown.
Themostcommonhopstrellisconsistsofstringsrunningfromtheroofofabuildingdowntostakesdrivenintothesoil
neartheplants.Anotheroption,oftenusedbycommercialgrowers,consistsofalargecentralpole,withstringsrunning
fromthetopofthepoledowntothefootofeachplant,similartothespokesonawheel.Expectthestringortwineto
holdalotofweightasthevinesgrowtall.A25+footplantmayweigh20+pounds.
Hopblossomsstartoutlookinglikelargesandburrs,andthentakeonacharacteristicconeshapeastheygrowinsize.
Thesizeofafullydevelopedconedependsonthevariety,varyingfrom1to2incheslongby1/2to1inchindiameter.
Thehopsarefullymatureandreadyforpickingwhentwochangestakeplace.First,immaturehopshaveadamp,soft
feelandwhensqueezedslightlytendtostaycompressed.Maturehopsfeelmorelikepaper,springbackwhensqueezed,
andfeelnoticeablylighter.Thesecondkeytestistopickanaverageexamplehopandcutitlengthwisedownthecenter
withaknife.Whenreadytopick,theyellowpowder(thelupulinsacscontainingtheessentialoilsandbittercompounds)
willbeadarkshadeofyellow,likethestripesonahighway,anditwillbepungent.Ifalightshadeofyellowthenits
likelythehopsareimmature.
Whenreadytopickitisbesttosnipthestemsoftheconeswithscissorsoraknifetoavoidjarringthehopsand
knockinglupulinpowderoutorworse,pullingthecenteroftheconeoutwiththestem,causingagreatlossoflupulin.
Touchinghopsplantscancauseskinirritationinsomepeopleglovesandlongsleevescanhelpinthismatter.
Justpickedhopsareroughly80percentwaterifleftalonetheyspoilrapidly.Forproperstoragemostofthewateris
removedbydrying.Agooddryingmethodistoliethehopsonacardorscreeninanattic.Justafewhoursduringthe
heatofsummerorafewhoursmoreincoolerweatherisenoughtodrythehops.Useabeforeandafterweighing(and
trialanderror)totrytoachieveabout710percentresidualmoistureafterdrying.
Afterdrying,hopskeepbestatlowtemperaturesandawayfromoxygen.Akitchenfreezereasilytakescareof
temperaturebuttogetthehopsawayfromoxygenisdifficult.Tightlypackinghopsincanningjarswillminimizethe
trappedairbutbecarefulnottousetoomuchforceandbreaktheallimportantlupulinsacssincethisaccelerates
oxidation.Purgingthecanningjarofoxygenbyblowingincarbondioxidefromakeggingsystemwillalsohelpprolong
freshness.
It'scommontoget4or5harvestsperyearbypickingthebiggest,mostmaturehopsevery2weeksorsoastheflowers
ripen.Patienceandjudgementareimportantsinceconesleftonthevinetoolongturnbrownandbegintooxidizeand
spoil,whileimmaturehopshavelittlelupulintogive.
Attheendofthegrowingseasonwhentheleaveshavefallenorturnedbrown,cutthevinesatthesurfaceofthesoiland
ifpossibleremovethetwine.Aftercuttingbackthevinesalayerof3or4inchesofmulchandcompostedmanurecan
beputovertheexposedvinesforinsulationandnutritionduringthewinter.
Japanesebeetlesarethenumberonenuisanceinmanyareas.Acommonremedyistopositiona"BagaBug"type
beetletrapabout30feetdirectlyupwindfromthehopvines.Thereissomeconcernthatthe"BagaBug"trapsmay
actuallyattractmorebeetlesthantheycatch,butthatprobablydependsonthesituation.Certainplantssuchasrose
bushesmayalsoattractthebeetles,soit'sbesttokeepthoseplantsawayfromyourhops.Also,thebeetles'larvaelivein
theground,andincasesofextremeJapaneseBeetleinfestationthesurroundinglawnmayneedtobetreated
accordingly.Anumberofotherpests,suchasaphids,canharmhops,andcanbetreatedwithanynumberofpesticides.
Sinceyouwillbeconsumingthesehops,youshoulduselowtoxicitynaturalpesticides,suchas1%Rotenonedust,for
directpestcontrolontheplants.Aswithanyconsumable,youshouldensurethatanypesticideiswellwashedbefore
usingthehops.
Ladybugsarethebest,mostnaturalwaytogetridofaphidsandalotofotherbugs.However,itcanbedifficulttokeep
themonyourhopplantsonceyourunoutoffoodforthem.Agoodideaistoplantsomecilantro/corianderbetween
yourhophills.Ladybugsareattractedtothisplantanditwillkeeptheirattentionbetweenfeedingsofaphids.Youcan
evenharvestthecilantro(theleaves)forcookingandusethecoriander(theseeds)inWitbier.
Oneotherhazardisanimals.Ashortfenceofrabbitwirewillkeepcats,dogs,rabbits,etc.atbay,butwon'tdomuch
againstdeer.
Rhizomesareavailablefromanincreasingnumberofsources.AmericanBrewmasterinRaleigh,NC,andFreshopsin
Philomath,OR,areallwellknownsuppliers.Costisusuallyafewdollarseach.Theyshouldbekeptinplasticbags,
moistandcoldinyourrefrigeratoruntiltheyareplanted.
Additionalinformationabouthopgrowingcanbefoundin"HomegrownHops"byDavidR.Beach.Also,the1990
ZymurgyHopsandBeerSpecialIssueisdevotedtohopsandcontainsanarticleaboutgrowinghopsbyPierreRajotte.
TheAHAalsohasadditionalhopsorientedpublications.
DryHopping
Dryhoppingcanbedefinedasaddinghopstoacooledwortatsometimeduringthefermentationprocess.Itcanbe
thoughtofas"coldhopping"or"rawhopping",asthesehopsdonot"cook"likethekettlehops.Itaddsafreshhops
aroma/flavortothebeerwhichcannotbematchedwithhopadditionsintohotwort.Itisnottobeconfusedwith
finish/aromahopping,whichisdoneonthehotwortwhilestillinthekettle.Theuseofahopback,wherehotwortis
passedthroughthehops,isanotherformoffinishhoppingitisnotdryhopping.Dryhoppinggivesnoalphaacidsto
thewort,butitmaycontributesomeoxidizedbetaacidsitsbitteringcontributiontothefinalproductisverysmall.Itis
morelikelytoaddaperceivedbitternesswiththeadditionoftheintensearomaratherthananactualbitternessdueto
bitteracids.
Thereareseveralwaystodryhop,ifoneconsidersthevariationsofmakinghopteas,etc.Thebesttimetodryhopis
afterprimaryfermentationhasslowedandlittleCO2isbeingdrivenoffthewort.Dryhoppingearlierthanthispointis
inefficientasthevolatilehopoilsarescrubbedawaybytheexitingCO2.Also,dryhoppingearlyinthefermentation
phasemayresultinhopsonthebottomofthefermenterbeingcoveredwithyeast,whichresultsininefficientextraction
ofaroma.Anotherconsiderationoftimingdryhoppingiswithinfectionrisk.Hopsincontactwithboilingwortare
effectivelysanitized.Additionofdryhopsafterprimaryfermentationallowsthemtocontactawort/beerwithsome
alcoholandlesssugar,whichpreventsinfectionsfromgettingafoothold.
Theproperlengthoftimefordryhoppingisdependentonthetemperature.Ataletemperatures,714daysofcontact
timeiswidelyused.Atlagertemperatures,althoughlittledataisavailableasfewlagersaredryhopped,itseemsobvious
thatlongercontacttimes,ontheorderof1421days,arecalledfor.Itiscommontouse0.52.0oz.ormoreina5
gallonbatch,butasalwaysitisuptotheindividual'spreferencesandthehopvariety.AnounceormoreofEastKent
Goldingsinthesecondarywilladdanicearoma,butprobablynotoverpoweringtomostbrewers.Asimilaramountof
Cascades,ontheotherhand,arenotforthefaintofheart!Therarecommercialbrewerthatdryhopsgenerallyleavesthe
hopsonthebeerforalongertimethantheaverage,impatienthomebrewer.Thisisundoubtedlytoextractmorearoma
fromthisrelativelyexpensiveingredient.
EKGs,Fuggles,NorthernBrewer,Saaz,Cascade,allHallertauervariants,andmanyotherhopshavebeenused
successfully.Itshouldbenotedthatthearomaofthebeergreatlyinfluencestheprofile,andthatthe"correct"aromahop
shouldbeusedtomatchthestyle(i.e.EnglishhopsforEnglishales).Americanbrewershavetraditionallyusedhops
fromallovertheglobesoEuropeanhops,forexample,canbeusedwithoutfearofabrewingfauxpas.Notealsothat
traditionally,Germanbeersarenotdryhopped,butthatAmericanversionsofGermanstylesaresometimesdryhopped.
Thefirstandforemostwaytodryhopistosimplyputthehopsintothefermenter.Themostcommonworrywiththis
methodisaboutinfectingabeerwhichisnearlyreadytobottle/keg.Hopsarenaturalpreservatives,andinfectionsfrom
thismethodareveryrare.Ofcourse,aninfectionsourceinahomebreweryisimpossibletoprove,butthisriskis
certainlyminimal.Ifloosehopsorplugsareused,theywillfloat,andsomebrewersuseasanitizedhopbagandmarbles
tosinkthehopsformaximumcontact.Ifpelletsareusedtheywillsink,butmaybedifficulttoavoidwhenbottlingor
kegging.Also,thepellethopscanbeeasilycoveredbyyeastfallingoutofsuspension,sotheyshouldbeaddedafter
virtuallyallfermentationactivityhasceased,andagoodamountoftheyeasthasfallen.Finally,itisworthmentioning
that,formany,pelletsarenotwellregardedfordryhoppingbecausethepelletizationprocessisknowntobeveryrough
onthevolatilearomaticcompoundswhichthebrewerisattemptingtocapture.Othersswearbythem,claimingthepre
burstlupulinglandsprovidemorearomatothebeer.
Anothermethodusedtodryhopistosteepthehopsinawhitealcohol(grain,vodka,etc.)andsometimeswatersolution
forhoursordays,thenpourthissolutionintothefermenter.Thisisacommonpracticeamongthosewhowanttoprotect
againsttheremotepossibilityofinfectionwithnormaldryhopping.Itshouldbenotedthatasthetemperatureofthe
alcohol/water/hopsmixtureisraised,theeffectapproachesthatoffinishhopping,asthemostvolatilehopoilsaredriven
off.
Addinghopoil,aproductrecentlyintroducedtothehomebrewingmarket,isanotherwayof"dryhopping".Itshouldbe
doneafterprimaryfermentationhasslowedformanyofthesamereasons.
Thesedryhoppingmethods,andothers,willproducedifferentresults,mainlybecausethedesiredcompoundsareso
volatile.Thevarietyofreactionstakingplaceduringprocessingandfermentationwillaffecttheresults.Somehavenoted
grassyandotherwiseunpleasantaromasfromthepracticeofdryhopping,soitisnotforallbeers,norforallpeople.The
"best"methodistheonewhichgivesthedesiredresulttotheindividualhomebrewer.
Afinalnoteaboutdryhopping:thevolatilehopcompoundswillreactquicklywithoxygen.Forthisreason,extra
measuresshouldbetakentoavoidmixingwithairduringbottlingorkegging,inordertoretainthehoparomafor
extendedperiodsoftime.TheseextrameasuresmayincludepurgingthebottlingvesselandkegwithCO2,veryquiet
siphoning,oxygenscavengingcaps,andpossiblydelayedcappingafterbottling.ThismethodallowsanyCO2coming
outofsolutionduringthebottlingprocesstopushtheoxygenoutofthebottlebeforethecapsaresecured.Thismethod
isusedbymanyhomebrewersbut,asalways,theresultsareinconclusive.Thesimplestmethodistousetheoxygen
scavengingcaps,whichrequiresnoextraeffortandlittleextracost.Forfurtherreference,theSummer1993"Zymurgy"
containsanarticlebyMarkGaretzonthissubject.
Whatisa"Hopback"?
Ahomebrewer'shopbackisareservoirconnectedinlinebetweenthekettleandcounterflowchiller.Itisfilledwith
freshhopsbeforetheflowisstarted.Thehotwortflowsthroughthefreshhopsandisquicklychilledbythecounter
flowbeforeenteringthefermenter.Manyofthevolatilehoparomacompoundsareextractedandbroughtintothe
fermenterwiththisprocess.Itisgenerallythoughttoproduceaflavor/aromaprofilesomewherebetweenlatekettle
additionsanddryhopping.AgoodarticlebyKinneyBaughmanonbuildingahopbackisinthe"Zymurgy"Gadgets
andEquipmentSpecialIssue,andanother,writtenbyCharlieStackhouse,isintheFall1994"Zymurgy"edition.
Wetvs.DriedHops?
Yes,youcanbutatbestitisaroughguessastohowmuch.Theruleofthumbistouse6timesasmuch(byweight)as
youwoulddryhops.Asaferrulewouldbetodothisandtoonlyusethemforfinish/dryhopping.Sincethesehopshave
notbeentested,theAA%isunknown,andlateradditionsarelesssensitivetoAA%.Itshouldbenotedthatsome
homebrewershavehadmixedresultswhenusingfreshhops(poorAAapproximationforbittering,sometimesgrassy
aromaforfinishing).
HighAlphavs.LowAlpha
Willhighalphaacidhopscontributethesametypeofbitternessaslowalphaacidhops?Theshortansweris:probably
not.Thelongeranswerhastodowiththeoilsandresinsinthehops.Aspreviouslystated,hopsbringmuchmoreto
beerthanbittering.Therearedifferentqualitiesofbitteringandmanyrespectedbrewersagreethatacleaner,smoother
bittercanbeattainedbyusinganequalnumberofIBUsfromalowalphahop.ToquoteGeorgeFix:"Ihavealways
hadastrongpreferenceforlowalphaaromahops,evenforearlyadditionsforbittering.Ifindthattheygive(iffresh!)a
cleanandmellowbitter,whichcontrastswiththecrudeeffectsIpickupfromhighalphas."AccordingtoFix,Narzisset
alcitedtheratioofthehopoilsalphahumulene/myrceneasprovidingarefinedflavor,withhigherratios(>1.5)
providingapositiveeffect.Fixfollowedthisupwithresearchonthehopresins,andshowedthathopswith<30%
cohumulone(asapercentofalphaacids)werepreferred.Thecorrelationbetweenthetwo(oilsvs.resins)hasnotbeen
shown,butasinallareaswherehumanperceptionisinvolved,proofisdifficult.Thebottomline:bitternessisnotallthe
same.
HopVarietiesandHowtoUseThem
DISCLAIMER:Hopsubstitutesshouldgenerallybethoughtofas"lastresort"options.Someofthemworkbetterthan
others,andofcourse,theindividualbrewermustdecidewhichsubstitutesarebest.Noattemptwasmadeheretolabel
"good"and"notsogood"substitutes,becausetheopinionsvarywildly.
AromaHops
Thefollowinghopsaregenerallyconsideredaromahopsalthoughinrecentyearstheyhavestartedtogainafollowing
inthehomebrewcommunityforbitteringaswell:
Name: CASCADE
Grown: US
Profile: strong spicy, floral, citrus (especially grapefruit) aroma
Typical use: bittering, finishing, dry hopping for American style ales
Example: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale & Old Foghorn
AA Range: 4.5 - 8%
Substitute: Centennial
Name: CHALLENGER
Grown: UK (Northern Brewer heritage)
Profile: spicy aroma, fruity flavor
Typical use: dual purpose, aroma and bittering, blends well with other hops
Example: ???
AA Range: 6.5 - 8.5%
Substitute: ???
Name: CRYSTAL (CFJ-HALLERTAU)
Grown: US
Profile: mild, pleasant, slightly spicy
Typical use: aroma/finishing/flavoring
Example: ???
AA Range: 2 - 5%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mount Hood,
Liberty.
Name: EAST KENT GOLDINGS
Grown: UK
Profile: spicy/floral, earthy, rounded, very mild aroma;
spicy (candy-like?) flavor
Typical use: bittering, finishing, dry hopping for British ales
Example: Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Fuller's ESB
AA Range: 4.5 - 7%
Substitute: BC Goldings, Target
Name: ULTRA (was EXPERIMENTAL 21484)
Grown: US
Profile: fine aroma hop
Typical use: finishing for German style lagers
Example: None
AA Range: 3 - 6%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
Name: FUGGLES
Grown: UK, US, and other areas
Profile: mild, soft, grassy, floral aroma
Typical use: finishing / dry hopping for all ales, dark lagers
Example: Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Old Peculier, Thomas Hardy's Ale
AA Range: 3.5 - 5.5%
Substitute: East Kent Goldings, Willamette
Name: HALLERTAUER HERSBRUCKER
Grown: Germany
Profile: pleasant, spicy/mild, noble, earthy aroma
Typical use: finishing for German style lagers
Example: Wheathook Wheaten Ale
AA Range: 2.5 - 5%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal,
NZ Hallertau Aroma
Name: HALLERTAUER MITTELFRUEH
Grown: Germany
Profile: pleasant, spicy, noble, mild herbal aroma
Typical use: finishing for German style lagers
Example: Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sam Adams Boston Lightship
AA Range: 3 - 5%
Substitute: Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal,
NZ Hallertau Aroma
Name: LIBERTY
Grown: US
Profile: fine, very mild aroma
Typical use: finishing for German style lagers
Example: Pete's Wicked Lager
AA Range: 2.5 - 5%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mt. Hood,
Crystal
Name: LUBLIN
Grown: Poland
Profile: Reported to be a substitute for noble varieties, in fact is
said to be Saaz grown in Poland.
Typical use: aroma/finishing
Example: ???
AA Range: 2 - 4%
Substitute: Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker,
Tettnang, Mount Hood, Liberty, Crystal.
Name: MT. HOOD
Grown: US
Profile: mild, clean aroma
Typical use: finishing for German style lagers
Example: Anderson Valley High Rollers Wheat Beer, Portland Ale
AA Range: 3.5 - 8%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Liberty,
Tettnang
Name: NZ HALLERTAU AROMA (an organic version also exists)
Grown: New Zealand
Profile: Said to be a replica of German Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
Typical use: fine aroma hopping
Example: Coors, Coors Light
AA Range: 6 - 8%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Tettnang,
Crystal
Name: PROGRESS
Grown: UK (Whitbred Goldings heritage)
Profile: similar to Fuggles, but slightly sweeter
Typical use: bittering and aroma for British ales
Example: ???
AA Range: 5.0 - 7.5%
Substitute: Fuggles
Name: SAAZ
Grown: Czechoslovakia
Profile: delicate, mild, floral aroma
Typical use: finishing for Bohemian style lagers
Example: Pilsener Urquell
AA Range: 2 - 5%
Substitute: Tettnang (many would claim there is NO substitute)
Name: SPALT
Grown: Germany/US
Profile: mild, pleasant, slightly spicy
Typical use: aroma/finishing/flavoring, some bittering
Example: Common in Dusseldorf Altbiers
AA Range: 3 - 6%
Substitute: Saaz, Tettnang
Name: STRISSELSPALT
Grown: France -- Alsace area
Profile: medium intensity, pleasant, similar to Hersbrucker
Typical use: aroma/finishing
Example: ???
AA Range: 3 - 5%
Substitute: Hersbrucker, German Spalt
Name: STYRIAN GOLDINGS
Grown: Yugoslavia (seedless Fuggles grown in Yugoslavia),
also grown in US
Profile: similar to Fuggles
Typical use: bittering/finishing/dry hopping for a wide variety of beers,
popular in Europe, especially UK
Example: Ind Coope's Burton Ale, Timothy Taylor's Landlord
AA Range: 4.5 - 7
Substitute: Fuggles, Willamette
Name: TETTNANG
Grown: Germany, US
Profile: fine, spicy aroma
Typical use: finishing for German style beers
Example: Gulpener Pilsener, Sam Adams Octoberfest, Anderson Valley ESB
AA Range: 3 - 6%
Substitute: Saaz, Spalt
Name: WILLAMETTE
Grown: US
Profile: mild, spicy, grassy, floral aroma
Typical use: finishing and dry hopping for American / British ales
Example: Sierra Nevada Porter, Ballard Bitter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber
AA Range: 4 - 7%
Substitute: Fuggles
BitteringHops
Thefollowinghopsaregenerallyconsideredbitteringhops,butsomearomaapplicationshavebeennoted(notethatthe
examplesgivenmaynotenlightenthetasterasmuchasthearomahopsintheprevioussection):
Name: BREWER'S GOLD
Grown: UK, US
Profile: poor aroma;
sharp bittering hop
Typical use: bittering for ales
Example: Pete's Wicked Ale
AA Range: 8 - 9%
Substitute: Bullion
Name: BULLION
Grown: UK (maybe discontinued), US
Profile: poor aroma;
sharp bittering and blackcurrant flavor when used in the boil
Typical use: bittering hop for British ales, perhaps some finishing
Example: ??? (Guinness Extra Stout and SSWW - not confirmed)
AA Range: 8 - 11%
Substitute: Brewer's Gold, Pacific Gem
Name: CENTENNIAL
Grown: US
Profile: spicy, floral, citrus aroma;
clean bittering hop (Super Cascade?)
Typical use: general purpose bittering, aroma, some dry hopping
Example: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale
AA Range: 9 - 11.5%
Substitute: Cascade
Name: CHINOOK
Grown: US
Profile: heavy spicy aroma;
strong versatile bittering hop
Typical use: bittering
Example: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Sierra Nevada Stout
AA Range: 12 - 14%
Substitute: Galena, Eroica, Nugget, Bullion
Name: CLUSTER
Grown: US, Australia
Profile: poor, sharp aroma;
sharp bittering hop
Typical use: general purpose bittering (Aussie version used as finishing hop)
Example: Winterhook Christmas Ale
AA Range: 5.5 - 8.5%
Substitute: Galena, Cascade, Eroica
Name: EROICA
Grown: US
Profile: clean bittering hop
Typical use: general purpose bittering
Example: Ballard Bitter, Blackhook Porter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber
AA Range: 12 - 14%
Substitute: Northern Brewer, Galena
Name: GALENA
Grown: US
Profile: strong, clean bittering hop
Typical use: general purpose bittering
Example: Catamount Porter, Devil's Mountain Railroad Ale
AA Range: 12 - 14%
Substitute: Northern Brewer, Eroica, Cluster
Name: NORTHERN BREWER
Grown: UK, US, Germany (called Hallertauer NB), and other areas
(growing region affects profile greatly)
Profile: fine, fragrant aroma;
dry, clean bittering hop
Typical use: bittering and finishing for a wide variety of beers
Example: Old Peculier(bittering), Anchor Liberty(bittering),
Anchor Steam(bittering, flavoring, aroma)
AA Range: 7 - 10%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker
Name: NUGGET
Grown: US
Profile: heavy, spicy, herbal aroma;
strong bittering hop
Typical use: strong bittering, some aroma uses
Example: Sierra Nevada Porter & Bigfoot Ale, Anderson Valley ESB
AA Range: 12 - 14%
Substitute: Chinook
Name: PERLE
Grown: Germany, US
Profile: pleasant aroma;
slightly spicy, almost minty bittering hop
Typical use: general purpose bittering for all lagers except pilsener
Example: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Summerfest, and Pale Bock
AA Range: 7 - 9.5%
Substitute: Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, NZ Hallertau Aroma
Name: PRIDE OF RINGWOOD
Grown: Australia
Profile: citric aroma;
clean bittering hop
Typical use: general purpose bittering
Example: Foster's Lager, Victoria Bitter, Coopers Sparkling Ale
AA Range: 9 - 11%
Substitute: ???
HardtoFindHops
Thefollowinghopsarerelativelyrare.Infact,theyarerareenoughthatIhaven'tfoundmuchusefulinformationon
them,buttheyareincludedhereforcompleteness.
Name: GREEN BULLET
Grown: New Zealand
Profile: ???
Typical use: Bittering and aroma in lagers, even pilseners
Example: ???
AA Range: 8 - 12%
Substitute: Styrian Goldings
Name: NORTHDOWN
Grown: Ireland
Profile: good flavor and aroma, blends well with other UK types
Typical use: all purpose ale hop
Example: Guinness
AA Range: 7.2 - 9%
Substitute: Target, Northern Brewer
Name: PACIFIC GEM
Grown: New Zealand
Profile: delicate black currant/floral nose
Typical use: Strong Bittering, but also some aroma applications
Example: ???
AA Range: 14%+
Substitute: Bullion?
Name: SOUTHERN CROSS
Grown: New Zealand
Profile: ???
Typical use: Strong Bittering and fine aroma qualities
Example: ???
AA Range: 11-12%
Substitute: ???
Name: STICKLEBRACT
Grown: New Zealand
Profile: Said to be comparable to European Northern Brewer
Typical use: Strong Bittering as well as aroma uses
Example: ???
AA Range: 11 - 13%
Substitute: Northern Brewer
Name: SUPER ALPHA
Grown: New Zealand
Profile: ???
Typical use: bittering and aroma applications
Example: Steinlager, Hahn Premium
AA Range: 10 - 13%
Substitute: ???
Name: TARGET
Grown: UK
Profile: accounts for 40% of UK hop production
Typical use: mostly used for bittering, some aroma potential
Example: Young's Special London Ale
AA Range: 10.5 - 12.5%
Substitute: Northdown, Progress
Contributors
GlennAnderson(gande@slims.attmail.com)
ScottBarrett(adiron!partech.com!scott@uunet.UU.NET)
JeremyBergsman(jeremybb@leland.Stanford.EDU)
JimBusch(busch@daacdev1.stx.com)
NickCuccia(Nick_Cuccia@talamasca.berkeley.ca.us)
JohnDeCarlo(jdecarlo@mitre.org)
DavidDraper(David.Draper@mq.edu.au)
AlanEdwards(rush@xanadu.llnl.gov)
GeorgeFix(gjfix@utamat.uta.edu)
BillFlowers(waflowers@qnx.com)
JeffFrane(gummitch@teleport.com)
MarkGaretz(mgaretz@hoptech.com)
RussGelinas(russell.gelinas@unh.edu)
MarkKellums(kellums1@aol.com)
AlKorzonas(korz@iepubj.att.com)
RickLarson(rick@adc.com)
DonLeonard(don@tellabs.com)
JohnPalmer(palmer#d#john@ssdgwy.mdc.com)
BobRegent(b_regent@holonet.net)
PeterSoper(notonline?)
SpencerThomas(spencer.w.thomas@umich.edu)
GlennTinseth(gtinseth(at)yahoo(dot)com)
RichWebb(rbw1271@appenine.ca.boeing.com)
PatrickWeix(weix@netcom.com)
CarlWest(eisen@kopf.HQ.Ileaf.COM)
EdWestemeier(westemeier@delphi.com)
DaveWiley(wiley@wiley.b11.ingr.com)
GeneZimmerman(EZIMMERM@UWYO.EDU)
Businesscatalogsreferenced
JustHopsMountZionIL
HopTechDanville,CA
HopunionUSAYakima,WA
FurtherReading
KinneyBaughman
"Zymurgy"GadgetsandEquipmentSpecialIssue,1992
DavidR.Beach
HomegrownHops
GeorgeFix
"ScienceintheServiceoftheBrewer'sArt",NationalHomebrewer'sConferenceTranscripts,1994.
MarkGaretz
"Zymurgy"Summer1993,
"BrewingTechniques"Jan/Feb1994,
UsingHops,TheCompleteGuidetoHopsfortheCraftBrewer,1994
"AllAboutBittering",NationalHomebrewer'sConferenceTranscripts,1994.
AlfredHaunold&GailNickerson
"BrewingTechniques"May/June1993
CharliePapazian
TheNewCompleteJoyofHomebrewing
DaveMiller
TheCompleteHandbookofHomebrewing
JackieRager
"Zymurgy"HopsandBeerSpecialIssue,1990
PierreRajotte
"Zymurgy"HopsandBeerSpecialIssue,1990
QuentinB.Smith
"Zymurgy"HopsandBeerSpecialIssue,1990
CharlieStackhouse
"Zymurgy"Fall1994
GlennTinseth
"BrewingTechniques"Jan/Feb1994
Sendfeedbackto:gtinseth(at)yahoo(dot)com

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