Bittering hops are an essential ingredient in the brewing process.
Hops are an essential ingredient in all beer and an important part of the homebrewing process. To the beginner, hops are nothing more than small, green pellets with a funny aroma. But as homebrewing expertise moves the intermediate level, a knowledge of hops becomes paramount to the craft of making beer. Hop varieties can be substituted, and a recipe can be altered to include a new type of hop, often resulting in an interesting taste dimension. Increasing one’s hop IQ can make the process of hop selection and substitution much easier.
Hops come in dozens of varieties and are broadly defined into two categories: Bittering Hops and Aromatic Hops. Some hops are used for both purposes, but bittering and aroma are the two major categories. Each hop imparts its own unique character to beer and a specific level of bitterness, as defined by the hops Alpha Acid percentage (AA%), which is a rough indicator of the amount of bitterness that will be added to the beer. Here is a breakdown of some of the more common types of bittering hops with some brief information on each, including AA%:
Varieties of Bittering Hops:
Centennial- These American grown hops are aromatic and they impart a spicy/citrus character to beer. AA%: 9 to 12%
Challenger- Grown in the United Kingdom, this hop variety is known for its spicy aroma and flavor. AA%: 6 to 8%
Chinook- American grown, this type of hop imparts a strong, spiciness to beer and should be used in smaller quantities. AA%: 12 to 14%
Cluster- Native to the United States and Australia, these hops are spicy in aroma and invite a clean, spicy flavor to beer. AA%: 6 to 9%
Columbus- Grown in the United States, this hop offers a balance between bitter spice and interesting herbal. AA%: 13 to 16%
Galena- This American grown variety offers a strong, yet clean bittering flavor to beer. AA%: 12 to 14%
Northern Brewer- Used for general bittering purposes, this hop variety is grown in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. AA%: 7 to 10%
Nugget- This American grown hop variety imparts a strong, spicy, herbal flavor to beer. AA%: 12 to 14%
Perle- Grown in Germany and in the United States, Perle hops are used for general purpose bittering and they impart a spiciness to beer that this less sharp than other hops. AA%: 7 to 10%
Target- This type of hop is grown in the United Kingdom and it imparts a taste that is strong and herbal in nature. AA%: 8 to 10%
Trust me- there will be more. Entire books have been written on this topic. There is plenty more to say about the topic of hops.