Hop Characteristics

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Baz Chaz

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Ahtanum - Alpha 5.0-7.0%
Used for its aromatic properties and moderate bittering. A very distinctive hop from the USA.

Amarillo - Alpha 3 - 7%
Unique very floral/spicy. Powerful aroma with good bittering quality.

Bobeck (Styrian) - Alpha 3-6%
Distinctive perfume pine/lemon/citrus hoppy character. This distinguished variety is well known throughout the world and although identical to Fuggle in many ways it does have its own distinctive characteristics. The perfume-like hoppy character that was again used mainly in European lagers works very well in the less malty flavoured golden coloured beers.

Bramling Cross - Alpha 5-7%
Distinctive strong spicy/blackcurrant flavour and good alpha characteristics. A hop of considerable character. It has a strong spicy / blackcurrant flavour and good alpha characteristics. Bramling Cross has now made something of a comeback in traditional cask conditioned beers because of its very distinctive characteristics and has done very well in all styles of beer.

Brewers Gold - Alpha 7.3%
A well-tried and tested bitter hop. Brewers Gold has a high resin content and gives a well-balanced bitterness which is ideally complimented by a late aroma hop in Lager beers. When used in cask conditioned ales, can give some very interesting fruity and spicy characteristics

Bullion - Alpha 6.5 - 9.0%
One of the earliest high alpha hops in the world, but now largely superseded by bitter types with less characteristic aromas. English hop with moderate bitterness, intense blackberry aroma. Vigorous grower. They have large tight cones with high yields and harvested late season! Classic hop used in Guinness for many years.

Cascade - Alpha 4.0-7.0%
Unique very floral/spicy aroma with good bittering quality. Cascade has a unique floral/spicy aroma both in the cone form and in the beer, mainly due to abnormal levels of some of the essential oils. It is very popular with some brewers due to the unique character imparted to the finished beer, it has a “perfume like” hoppy flavour. Trial brews and tastings also show a superior bitterness quality with Cascade even at high EBU levels (40+) there is little harshness or lingering bitterness.

Centennial - Alpha 6.0-11.0%
An experimental variety which is under evaluation by UK and US brewers. It has quite floral qualities similar to that of Cascade.

Challenger - Alpha 5-9%
Gives a full-bodied rounded bitterness in copper, with crisp fruity straw like later. An excellent all round hop with good alpha and aroma properties. As the main copper hop it provides a refreshing, full bodied, rounded bitterness which provides an excellent platform for a late hop. As the late addition it can give a very crisp, fruity character which has proved very popular in many beers.

Chinook - Alpha 10-15%
A high alpha acid hop with a very unusual aroma profile. Released in 1985 and becoming increasingly more popular, Chinook has a very strong grapefruit character in both the rub of the hop and in the beer. Ideal for one-off and seasonal specials

Columbus - Alpha 14-17%
Very high alpha used mainly in copper but also good aroma if used late. Has been shown to be very aromatic as late hops in cask ales.

Fuggle - Alpha 3-6%
Traditionally used with Golding. The delicate, minty, grassy, slightly floral aroma produces a clean,refreshing, full-bodied flavour present in many traditional ales. Before the advent of dual purpose and high alpha hops Fuggles were used as the main copper hop and were often complimented by an addition of Golding to give a rounded, full-bodied flavour for which English Ales became famous.

Galena - Alpha 12-14%
Galena is generally perceived as an excellent high alpha hop with balanced bittering potential. The very strong tomcat / blackcurrant aroma characteristics are similar to that of the old Bullion variety which for many years was used in Guinness. A very strong fruity character can be achieved with this variety.

Goldings (East Kent ) - Alpha 4-7%
Traditional English aroma variety, smooth almost sweet ,delicate and slightly spicy. Valued for its smooth slightly spicy aroma that produces the classic Golding finish. As with Fuggles it forms the basis of many well-known and respected recipes.

NZ Green Bullet - Alpha 11-15%
A sleek smooth hop which has averaged over 12% alpha over a number of years and its aroma qualities match its excellent bittering power as New Zealand Breweries have proved in their award winning products. Green Bullet has been likened to giving a Styrian style of flavour to the beer as it gives a pine/lemon crispness and an excellent aroma.

Hallertauer (Mittlefruh) - Alpha 4-6%
A delicate aroma hop used mainly over the years in Lager type beers. However, it has also been successful in the production of some of the lighter English cask conditioned ales.

Liberty - Alpha 3.0-6.0%
Liberty has many similarities to the Hallertauer Mittlefruh. The cones contain a moderate amount of lupulin that is a light yellow colour. The aroma is mild and clean. Liberty has shown many similarities to a Golding hop but has just a hint of lemon/citrus flavour that gives it an extra edge on the smooth Golding flavour.

Magnum - Alpha 14.5%
Very clean bittering hop

Northdown - Alpha 6-10%
Dual purpose with Challenger type aroma but richer flavour. An excellent all round hop in the dual-purpose bracket with good alpha and aroma properties. Very popular used either on its own or in conjunction with an aroma variety. A slightly richer flavour than Challenger although quite similar in many other ways.

Northern Brewer - Alpha 6-10%
Dual purpose similar to Northdown which was bred from it, pleasant aroma. The English variety Northdown is a direct descendant of Northern Brewer and has very similar brewing characteristics. Used as a Dual-Purpose variety it gives excellent bittering properties and a pleasant aroma.

NZ Pacifica - Alpha 6.1%
Pacifica displays classic Hallertau citrus and floral aroma character which selectors mark as a real standout. The aroma is supported by a generous oils profile making selection possible for several beer styles from this stylish hop. Pacifica brings something of a blend of new and old-world taste descriptors to the brewers' forum. Orange marmalade aptly describes the citrus aroma notes achieved through late addition. Bittering quality is such that early kettle additions net a soft yet solid finish even in highly bittered beers.

Perle - Alpha 9.6%
Perle is generally perceived as an excellent aroma hop, with characteristics as good as those of Hallertau Mittlefruh but with a higher Alpha Acid content and better yield.

Progress - Alpha 4 - 7%
Progress was originally introduced as a replacement for Fuggle and has very similar characteristics. Slightly sweeter and with a slightly softer bitterness it is has excellent potential at both the start and end of the boil.

Saaz - Alpha 2 – 5%
Traditional European aroma variety for lager, earthy hop flavour. Saaz hops have long been established as a high quality European aroma variety. Traditionally used for European lager type beers, they have now been used successfully in the UK imparting that earthy lager hop flavour found in the Czech version of Budweiser.

Simcoe - Alpha 12-14%
Extremely low co-humulone. High oil content. Very unique, pine-like aroma. Known as a bittering hop but with good aroma characteristics

Summit - Alpha 14.3%
Brewers are quite excited about the strong aroma profile that Summit adds to their beer. It has been described as a citrus, grape-fruit flavor. It has been used for bittering and dry hopping.

Target - Alpha 8 - 13%
An excellent high alpha variety which gives good bitterness. Tends to be too harsh for aroma purposes late in the boil but has produced very good results when used as a dry hop in the cask.

Tettnang - Alpha 3 - 6%
Tettnang variety is a very fine traditional aroma hop, well established in the European Lager type beers. They have been used successfully in traditional lighter English cask ales.

Williamette - Alpha 3-6%
Delicate estery/blackcurrant/herbal aroma, some use to replace Fuggle Willamette is generally perceived as a new, yet good quality aroma hop. The rub of the hops gives an estery/blackcurrant/herbal aroma that is very pleasant but can be quite strong. Some brewers have found it to be a suitable replacement for Fuggle and it also stands up admirably as an aroma variety on its own merits.
 
This is also a very good source of information regarding hop varieties:
http://www.hopunion.com/assets/file/Variety Book (2).pdf

I like the fact that they note that Styrian Golding is not a Golding at all but Fuggle.

They don't come quite as clean in details with respect to U.S. Tettnang though. Fuggle is listed as a possible subsitute but they fall short of saying that like Styrian Golding, U.S. Tettnang is actually Fuggle. Mass spectrometer plots of essential oils derived from Fuggle, U.S. Tettnang and Styrian Golding are virtually the same. Of course, to use a wine term there may be some degree of terrior due to climate etc. but....

- Scott
 
I would just like to take this opportunity to say i love my wife,i really do.
Nothing to do with this

DSC_1147.jpg
 

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