Chapter 5
Hops
Hop Types
Bittering Hop Varieties
Name: | Brewer's Gold |
Grown: | UK, US |
Profile: | Poor aroma; Sharp bittering hop. |
Usage: | Bittering for ales |
AA Range: | 8 - 9% |
Substitute: | Bullion, Northern Brewer, Galena |
Name: | Bullion |
Grown: | UK (maybe discontinued), US |
Profile: | Poor aroma; Sharp bittering and black currant-like flavor when used in the boil. |
Usage: | Bittering hop for British style ales, perhaps some finishing |
AA Range: | 8 - 11% |
Substitute: | Brewer's Gold, Northern Brewer |
Name: | Centennial |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Spicy, floral, citrus aroma, often referred to as Super Cascade because of the similarity; A clean bittering hop. |
Usage: | General purpose bittering, aroma, some dry hopping |
Example: | Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale |
AA Range: | 9 - 11.5% |
Substitute: | Cascade, Columbus |
Name: | Challenger |
Grown: | UK |
Profile: | Strong, fine spicy aroma widely used for English Bitters; A clean bittering hop. |
Usage: | Excellent bittering hop, also used for flavoring and aroma. |
Example: | Full Sail IPA, Butterknowle Bitter |
AA Range: | 6 - 8% |
Substitute: | Progress |
Name: | Chinook |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Heavy spicy aroma; Strong versatile bittering hop, cloying in large quantities |
Usage: | Bittering |
Example: | Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Sierra Nevada Stout |
AA Range: | 12 - 14% |
Substitute: | Galena, Eroica, Brewer's Gold, Nugget, Bullion |
Name: | Cluster |
Grown: | US, Australia |
Profile: | Small, spicy aroma; Sharp, clean bittering hop |
Usage: | General purpose bittering (Aussie version has a better aroma and is used as finishing hop) |
Example: | Winterhook Christmas Ale |
AA Range: | 5.5 - 8.5% |
Substitute: | Galena, Eroica, Cascade |
Name: | Columbus |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Strong fine herbal flavor and aroma; Solid, clean bittering hop |
Usage: | Excellent general purpose bittering, flavoring and aroma hop. |
Example: | Anderson Valley IPA, Full Sail Old Boardhead Barleywine |
AA Range: | 13-16% |
Substitute: | Centennial, Chinook, Galena, Nugget |
Name: | Eroica |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Good bittering hop; |
Usage: | Good 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 |
Usage: | General purpose bittering |
Example: | The most widely used commercial bittering hop in the US. |
AA Range: | 12 - 14% |
Substitute: | Cluster, Northern Brewer, Nugget |
Name: | |
Grown: | UK, US, Germany (called Hallertauer NB), and other areas (growing region affects profile greatly) |
Profile: | Hallertauer NB has a fine, fragrant aroma; Dry, clean bittering hop |
Usage: | Bittering and finishing for a wide variety of beers |
Example: | Old Peculiar (bittering), Anchor Liberty (bittering), Anchor Steam (bittering, flavoring, aroma) |
AA Range: | 7 - 10% |
Substitute: | Perle |
Name: | Northdown |
Grown: | UK |
Profile: | Similar to Northern Brewer, but with a better flavor and aroma than domestic NB; A clean bittering hop. |
Usage: | General purpose bittering, flavor and aroma for heavier ales. |
Example: | Fuller's ESB |
AA Range: | 7 - 8% |
Substitute: | Northern Brewer, Target |
Name: | Nugget |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Heavy, spicy, herbal aroma; Strong bittering hop |
Usage: | Strong bittering, some aroma uses |
Example: | Sierra Nevada Porter & Bigfoot Ale, Anderson Valley ESB |
AA Range: | 12 - 14% |
Substitute: | Galena, Chinook, Cluster |
Name: | Perle |
Grown: | Germany, US |
Profile: | Pleasant aroma; Slightly spicy, almost minty, bittering hop |
Usage: | General purpose bittering for all lagers |
Example: | Sierra Nevada Summerfest |
AA Range: | 7 - 9.5% |
Substitute: | Northern Brewer, Cluster, Tettnanger |
Name: | Pride Of Ringwood |
Grown: | Australia |
Profile: | Poor, citric aroma; Clean bittering hop |
Usage: | general purpose bittering |
Example: | Most Australian beers. |
AA Range: | 9 - 11% |
Substitute: | Cluster |
Name: | Target |
Grown: | UK |
Profile: | Strong herbal aroma can be too strong for lagers; A clean bittering hop. |
Usage: | Widely used bittering and flavoring hop for strong ales. |
Example: | Fuller's Hock, Morrells Strong Country Bitter |
AA Range: | 8 - 10% |
Substitute: | Northdown |
Figure 29: Cascade Hops on the vine.
The next group are common examples of Aroma hops. Aroma hops can be used for bittering also, and many homebrewers swear by this, claiming a finer, cleaner overall hop profile. I like to use Galena for bittering and save the good stuff for finishing. But making these decisions for yourself is what homebrewing is all about.
There is a category of aroma hops, called the Noble Hops, that is considered to have the best aroma. These hops are principally four varieties grown in central Europe: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger Tettnang, Spalter Spalt, and Czech Saaz. The location a hop is grown has a definite impact on the variety's character, so only a Tettnanger/Spalter hop grown in Tettnang/Spalt is truly noble. There are other varieties that are considered to be Noble-Type, such as Perle, Crystal, Mt. Hood, Liberty, and Ultra. These hops were bred from the noble types and have very similar aroma profiles. Noble hops are considered to be most appropriate for lager styles because the beer and the hops grew up together. This is purely tradition and as a homebrewer you can use whichever hop you like for whatever beer style you want. We are doing this for the fun of it, after all.
Aroma Hop Varieties
Name: | British Columbia (BC) Goldings |
Grown: | Canada |
Profile: | Earthy, rounded, mild aroma; Spicy flavor |
Usage: | Bittering, finishing, dry hopping for British style ales. Used as a domestic substitute for East Kent Goldings. Not quite as good as EK. |
AA Range: | 4.5 - 7% |
Substitute: | EK Goldings |
Name: | Cascade |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Strong spicy, floral, citrus (i.e. grapefruit) aroma. |
Usage: | The defining aroma for American style Pale ales. Used for bittering, finishing, and especially dry hopping. |
Example: | Anchor Liberty Ale & Old Foghorn Barleywine, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale |
AA Range: | 4.5 - 8% |
Substitute: | Centennial |
Name: | Crystal a.k.a. CJF-Hallertau. |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Mild, pleasant, slightly spicy. One of three hops bred as domestic replacements for Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
Usage: | Aroma/finishing/flavoring |
AA Range: | 2 - 5% |
Substitute: | Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mount Hood, Liberty, Ultra |
Name: | East Kent Goldings (EKG) |
Grown: | UK |
Profile: | Spicy/floral, earthy, rounded, mild aroma; |
spicy flavor | |
Usage: | Bittering, finishing, dry hopping for British style ales |
Example: | Young's Special London Ale, Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Fuller's ESB |
AA Range: | 4.5 - 7% |
Substitute: | BC Goldings, Whitbread Goldings Variety |
Name: | Fuggles |
Grown: | UK, US, and other areas |
Profile: | Mild, soft, grassy, floral aroma |
Usage: | Finishing / dry hopping for all ales, dark lagers |
Example: | Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Old Peculiar, Thomas Hardy's Ale |
AA Range: | 3.5 - 5.5% |
Substitute: | East Kent Goldings, Willamette, Styrian Goldings |
Name: | Hallertauer Hersbrucker |
Grown: | Germany |
Profile: | Pleasant, spicy/mild, noble, earthy aroma |
Usage: | Finishing for German style lagers |
Example: | Wheathook Wheaten Ale |
AA Range: | 2.5 - 5% |
Substitute: | Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal, Ultra |
Name: | Hallertauer Mittelfrüh |
Grown: | Germany |
Profile: | Pleasant, spicy, noble, mild herbal aroma |
Usage: | Finishing for German style lagers |
Example: | Sam Adam's Boston Lager, Sam Adam's Boston Lightship |
AA Range: | 3 - 5% |
Substitute: | Hallertauer Hersbruck, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal, Ultra |
Name: | Liberty |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Fine, very mild aroma. One of three hops bred as domestic replacements for Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
Usage: | Finishing for German style lagers |
Example: | Pete's Wicked Lager |
AA Range: | 2.5 - 5% |
Substitute: | Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Hallertauer Hersbruck, Mt. Hood, |
Crystal, Ultra | |
Name: | Mt. Hood |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Mild, clean aroma. One of three hops bred as domestic replacements for Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
Usage: | Finishing for German style lagers |
Example: | Anderson Valley High Rollers Wheat Beer |
AA Range: | 3.5 - 8% |
Substitute: | Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Liberty, |
Tettnang, Ultra | |
Name: | Progress |
Grown: | UK |
Profile: | Assertive fruity aroma |
Usage: | Widely used for real cask ales. |
Example: | Hobson's Best Bitter, Mansfield Bitter |
AA Range: | 5 - 6% |
Substitute: | Fuggles, Whitbread Goldings Variety |
Name: | Saaz |
Grown: | Czechoslovakia |
Profile: | Delicate, mild, floral aroma |
Usage: | Finishing for Bohemian style lagers |
Example: | Pilsener Urquell |
AA Range: | 2 - 5% |
Substitute: | Tettnang, Spalt, Ultra (some would claim there is no substitute) |
Name: | Spalt |
Grown: | Germany/US |
Profile: | Mild, pleasant, slightly spicy |
Usage: | Aroma/finishing/flavoring, some bittering |
AA Range: | 3 - 6% |
Substitute: | Saaz, Tettnang, Ultra |
Name: | Styrian Goldings |
Grown: | Yugoslavia (seedless Fuggles grown in Yugoslavia), |
also grown in US | |
Profile: | Similar to Fuggles |
Usage: | 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 |
Usage: | Finishing for German style beers |
Example: | Gulpener Pilsener, Sam Adam's Oktoberfest, Anderson Valley ESB, Redhook ESB |
AA Range: | 3 - 6% |
Substitute: | Saaz, Spalt, Ultra |
Name: | Willamette |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Mild, spicy, grassy, floral aroma |
Usage: | Finishing / dry hopping for American / British style ales |
Example: | Sierra Nevada Porter, Ballard Bitter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber, Redhook ESB |
AA Range: | 4 - 7% |
Substitute: | Fuggles |
Name: | Whitbread Goldings Variety (WGV) |
Grown: | UK |
Profile: | Flowery, fruity, a cross between Goldings and a Fuggle. |
Usage: | Often combined with other varieties in Bitters |
Example: | Whitbread Best Bitter |
AA Range: | 4 - 5% |
Substitute: | Progress, Fuggles, EKG |
Name: | Ultra |
Grown: | US |
Profile: | Very fine, mild, spicy with floral notes |
Usage: | Excellent finishing hop for Pilsner and German style lagers. |
Example: | (too new) |
AA Range: | 2-5% |
Substitute: | Any Noble hop, Crystal, Liberty, Mt. Hood |