What are hops and how are they used in brewing ale?

Hops are in many ways the equivalent to real ale that grapes are to wine. They are grown on vines in many areas of the world and can reach up to 20ft in height. They were originally cultivated in China and are part of the Humulus lupulus hop species. Although originating in China, hops were not used in the brewing process until approximately AD 900 and oddly the first written account of brewing using hops was reportedly made by a German nun called Abbess Hildegard Bingen who was also apparently the first person to write about the female orgasm. Did you hear the one about the nun, the bottle of beer…? ahem.

In terms of how hops are used in the brewing process it is the female part of the plant which contains the flowers, also known as cones that are used by brewers to stabilise and flavour ale. Hops are a mainstay of pretty much any ale. There are some modern craft brewers that are pushing the boundaries using plants such as juniper, pomegranate and chilli as a substitute and wheat beer has been a long established tradition, but if you pick up a pint or a bottle of ale nine times out of ten there will be a variety or multiple varieties of hops in there.

Hops are incredibly important to beer as they not only provide the flavour and aroma, but they also help to stave off bacteria, preserve the beer, help to clear the beer and they also provide and maintain the welcome frothy head on good beer.

Different types of hops are used in different ways by brewers. For example, brewers will add in bittering hops (hops that are very high in International Bittering Units) early on in the brewing process so the batch has an abundance of bitterness, whilst finishing hops are added at a later stage in the brewing process. The “finishing hops” are the type of hops that are rich in hop oil and by adding these at a late stage it will give the brew a strong hop aroma. Brewers will often add these types of hops to the cask which is known as “late hopping” that further goes to emphasise the aromatic quality of the ale produced.

International Bittering Units (IBU’s)

IBU’s are a measure by which ale bitterness is determined. The formula to generate the IBU level takes into account the weight of the hops, the alpha acids, alcohol and wort. You will find IPAs (particularly from the US) to be very high in IBU’s sometimes over 100 IBU’s, whereas maltier brews tend to have a lower range such as in the 30-40 range. Do bear in mind though a heavy malty brew with an IBU rating of say 40 may taste less bitter than standard ale with less malt which rates at say 20 IBU’s. The reason for this is that more bitterness needs to be introduced to the malty brew to balance the flavours better, but in doing so it increased the IBU count.

Types of the most common US and UK hop varieties

There are not far off one hundred different types of hops that are used in commercial brewing today so to save my sanity I will only focus on the more common varieties of US and UK hops that you will likely encounter and the types of beer they are usually found in.

Admiral (UK)

Admiral hops were first developed by the Horticulture Research International (HRI) at Wye College and were created by the breeding of Challenger and Northdown varieties. This created the Admiral hop that was release into the public domain in 1998 and is characterised by a high alpha acid content which is between the 11% – 16% range. There isn’t a great deal of aroma in the Admiral hops, but the high bitterness levels provide a very pleasant woody, herbal, hoppy characteristic which can often see them used as a substitute for the slightly more bitter Target hops.

The high alpha acid content in Admiral hops means you will most likely find them in English style ales and IPAs.

Amarillo (US)

Amarillo hops were first produced in the US by Virgil Gamache Farms in the late 20th Century. It is a flowery hop with a citrus aroma offering undertones of grapefruit, tangerine and lime and provides medium bitterness levels at between the 8% – 11% alpha acid range. It is a hardy type of hop with similar characteristics to Cascade, Chinook and Centennial varieties.

Amarillo hops will usually be found in US style ales and IPAs.

Bramling Cross (UK)

Bramling Cross is another hop originating from Wye College. It was created by Professor Salmon in 1965 and is a cross between the Bramling Goldings variety of hop and a wild Canadian Manitoban hop. It has a low to medium level alpha acid level at between 5% – 7% but it contains characteristics of its stronger big brothers from across the pond. It is decidedly fruity with a sweet vanilla and blackberry aroma.

The Bramling Cross can be found in ale types such as Porters and Stouts. A famous (or infamous) brew that contains the Bramling Cross hop is the Tactical Nuclear Penguin by Brewdog.

Cascade (US)

Cascade is one of the most popular hops used in the US craft beer movement, particularly in the West coast. It began being used extensively in Oregon in the 1970’s and spread throughout the US and beyond. It has a moderate alpha acid level at between 4% – 7% and has a unique floral, citrus aroma which is due to the high levels of essential oils in the hop cone.

US IPAs commonly use the Cascade hop. Popular examples include Anchor Liberty, and many of the popular ales from the Sierra Nevada brewery.

Centennial (US)

Centennial is another of the heavyweight US hops. Sometimes known as one of the three C’s which makes up Centennial, Cascade and Chinook. It was first bred in 1974 and is composed from the following hops – 3/4 Brewers Gold, 3/32 Fuggle, 1/6 East kent Golding, 1/32 Bavarian and 1/16 is Unknown. Centennial is very similar to Cascade apart from the fact that it is stronger at the 9.5% – 11.5% alpha acid range.

You can find Centennial hops in pale ales and IPAs such as New River Pale Ale, the Arrogant Bastard Ale and Ruination IPA both by Stone Brewing Company.

Challenger (UK)

Challenger is an English hop that was developed in the early 1970’s and can be used for both bittering and finishing. It is a very strong all-rounder that blends well with other hops and offers spicy and fruity aromas. The alpha acid level for Challenger is between 6% – 9% with East Kent Goldings a particularly good substitute.

Challenger hops can be found in fairly traditional English bitters, with particularly good examples being Fullers ESB and London Pride.

Chinook (US)

Chinook is a classic US high alpha acid hop (10% – 12%). It is a relatively new hop (released in 1985) and has a very distinctive strong grapefruit/pineapple/pine character. It is a particularly popular hop when used in strong US IPAs and seasonal one-off brews. Due to its strong characteristics it is also excellent when combined with other hops.

Chinook hops have been known to be used in pale ales, porters, stouts and even barley wines. The Levitation Ale by Stone Brewing Company is a good example of an ale using Chinook hops.

Columbus/Tomahawk (US)

Columbus (sometimes also known as Tomahawk) hops are high on the alpha acid score at between 14% – 18% and has a pungent almost perfumey aroma. It is most effective when dry hopped.

Columbus/Tomahawk hops can be found in IPAs, brown ales and barley wines.

Crystal (US)

Crystal is part of the Hallertau family and produces a fairly mild fruity and floral aroma with a low alpha acidic range of between 3% – 6%). It can be used effectively as a bittering and a finishing hop and it is particularly attractive to the craft brewing scene due to its aromatic qualities.

It can be found in Blonde beers, IPAs and standard bitters.

First Gold (UK)

First Gold is a dwarf hop which was released in 1995 by the Wye College in the UK as part of a cross between a Whitbred Golding hop and a dwarf male. It takes on characteristics of the Goldings and also the Challenger hops. It has a spicy and fruity aroma with a medium to high alpha acid rating of 6% – 9%.

A good example of an ale using First Gold hops is the “First Gold” brew by Badger.

Fuggles (UK)

Fuggles are an extremely popular and well established English hop. They have been used since the 1900’s and were named after Richard Fuggle who introduced them after they were initially found growing wild some ten years earlier. Fuggles were the dominant hop in English for some 70 years and were often mixed with Goldings to produce the classic English ale, until higher alpha acid hops were produced and became more popular. The hop aroma is mild with a slightly floral finish. The alpha acid rating is between 4% – 5% and the hop is commonly used in both bittering and finishing.

Fuggles hops can be found in English porters, milds and bitters.

Galena (US)

Galena hops are known for their high alpha acid range of between 12% – 14% and were originally developed from in 1968 from Brewer’s Gold. Although they have a high alpha acid rating they are known to be one of the mellowest of the high alpha hops. It is a popular hop in the US and has a distinctive blackcurrant fruit character.

These types of hops can be found in virtually any type of beer that needs that extra oomph.

Goldings (UK)

The Goldings variety of hops can be traced back in the UK to as far back as the 1800’s and were known as East Kent Goldings if gown in East Kent, Kent Goldings if grown in mid-Kent and they were given the plain on Goldings moniker if grown elsewhere. Goldings varieties have increased over time and have slight regional differences. They are a mainstay of traditional English brewing and the hops are known for a delicate, smooth and slightly sweet/spicy finish. Their alpha acid rating is between 4% – 6%.

Varieties of Golding hops can be found in a full range of English ales ranging from pale ales, blondes, bitters, through to stouts and porters.

Northdown (UK)

Northdown is an excellent all-rounder English hop that fits the all-purpose niche perfectly. It has good alpha ratings at between 8% – 10% and is equally as popular to be used on its own or complemented with another hop. It is quite similar to the Challenger hop if a little richer in flavour.

Northdown hops can be found in Fullers London Pride and ESB ales.

Northern Brewer (UK)

Northern Brewer was developed in England in 1934 by crossing Brewers Gold with Canterbury Golding. The English version of Northdown is actually a descendent of Northern Brewer and as such it has fairly similar characteristics. It can be used for bittering and finishing and has an alpha acid rating of 8% – 10%.

You can find the Northern Brewer hops in Theakstons Old Peculiar.

Nugget (US)

The Nugget hop has an extremely high alpha acidic rating at between 12% – 16% as is predominantly used for bittering. It has a very strong herbal aroma with spicy overtones.

You can find Nugget hops in the Anderson Valley Brewing Company ESB.

Progress (UK)

Progress was a hop that was created as a replacement for Fuggles but with a higher alpha rating at between 5% – 7%. The hop is often mixed with Goldings and has a slightly sweeter, fruitier characteristic than Fuggles hops.

An example of an ale that uses Progress hops is Black Sheep Best Bitter.

Simcoe (US)

Simcoe is a high alpha hop at 12% – 14% which developed by Yakima Chief Ranches as recently as 2000. It can often be used for bittering and occasionally for finishing. It has quite a clean, pine characteristic with elements of citrus. It is somewhat similar to the Cascade hop but with a higher bitterness.

Simcoe hops can be found in various different types of ale such as pale ales, porters, and wheat beers.

Target (UK)

Target hops have a mid to high end alpha acid rating at between 8% – 10% and are descendants of the Kent Goldings. It has strong, spicy characteristics with some herbal notes and it is used predominantly for bittering.

St. Peter’s Organic Ale is a very popular example of an ale that uses Target hops.

Willamette (US)

Willamette is a US seedling of a Fuggle hop. It is named due after the Willamette Valley, which is an important hop growing area in the US. As it is a relative of the Fuggle it has some common characteristics with a fragrant spice and wood aroma, but it has a slightly stronger alpha rating than the traditional Fuggle at between 4% – 6%.

It is a very popular and widely used hop in the US with extensive use from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Redhook Ale Brewery to name but two.

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