Got Hops? Part II

As I said earlier, particular hops are associated with specific beers. American Pale Ales for instance are normally brewed using Cascade hops, while traditional lagers utilize Saaz, Tettnanger, Spalt or Hallertau hops which are also known as Noble hops.

Noble hops refer to the varieties of Saaz, Tettnanger, Spalt and Hallertau hops which are known for their mild bitterness and high aroma.  They are most often found in lagers, Marzens, Pilsners and Dunkels. These hops are named after the towns and regions in Bavaria and Germany where they are grown. Examples include Pilsner Urquell and Sam Adams Noble Pils.

Hops can further be grouped into whether you want to use them for bitterness, aroma or a combination of both. Hops containing high alpha acid are normally used for bittering and are incorporated into the wort at the beginning of the boil process and usually have an alpha acid of 9% and higher. Examples of these hops are Galena (11%-15% alpha), and Nugget (11%-13% alpha).

Hops containing lower alpha acids are traditionally used for aroma and are incorporated into the wort toward the end of the boil process (usually the last 10 minutes) or are added as dry hops directly into the fermentor. These hops have an average alpha acid of anywhere from less than 2% to 8%. Examples of these hops are Cascade, (5%-7% alpha), Goldings, (5%-6.8% alpha), Fuggle, (4%-5% alpha), Willamette, (4%-5% alpha) and the Noble hops which range from less than 4% to 5% alpha.

Hops containing moderately high alpha acid can be used as dual purpose hops and will produce both bitterness and aroma depending on the amount used and the length of time allowed in the boil process.  Examples of these hops are Brewer's Gold (6%-7.5% alpha), Chinook (11%-13% alpha), Northern Brewer (6%-7.5% alpha), and Perle (6.5%-9% alpha).

Depending on how adventurous you are, the options for creating beers that are unique to your own taste are endless and just as simple as varying the types of hops used.