Hops Forgotten
Garlick, Canterbury brown, Finess, Farnham pale, Flemish, Grape, and Colgate hops have all died away in England. As have Grape, English Cluster, Pompey, and Red Bine in the US. There are many reasons why brewers would discard a hop variety, such as flavor and perceived quality, price, and disease resistance. There are many diseases that attack hops, such as molds (including mildew), and damage caused by various insects; all these impact quality and especially price (by decreasing yields of the cones). Therefore, there has always been an incentive to breed hop varieties that would be resistant to infections. But also, hop quality and flavor are subjective, and brewer’s opinion has often decided the value of a hop. This, of course, is why Goldings and Fuggles became pre-eminent in Britain, and the so-called noble hops of Germany came to dominate the lager market.
Things changed, however, when in the 20th century the importance of alpha acids was first realized, and the concept of breeding hops specifically for high alpha acid content was born. By the second half of the last century some of the commercial brewers had grown so big that their hop requirements dictated what the growers should produce. And since the big brewers had moved away from using low alpha-acid aroma hops, high alpha-acid hops became the order of the day, so much so that in the 1980s aroma hops formed only a small part of the world crop. They might have even vanished entirely had it not been for the craft brewing revolutions in the US and in Britain.
As craft brewing flourished aroma hops came back into favor, especially when brewers returned to the idea of dry hopping, notably in IPAs. But brewers were not always happy with the “old” hop varieties, whether used for bittering or aroma. One reason for this is that established varieties, such as Goldings and Saaz for example, tended to be low in alpha acids. Many of the new-wave brewers had systems that relied on whirlpools to separate the trub from the wort, which often meant they were limited in the sheer amount of hops they could use. For example, at BrüRm@BAR in New Haven, Connecticut, where I brew, we have a whirlpool with a baffle just in front of the outlet, which holds back the trub. If we were to brew with a hop variety low in alpha acids for bittering and aroma in many of our beers we would have so much trub that it would overflow the baffle and either run into the fermenter, or severely limit the amount of clean wort we could run off. Therefore, we, like many other craft brewers, use high alpha-acid hops for bittering to limit how much trub we have to deal with.
Brewers still want and need aroma hops, however. Along with the growing popularity of IPAs with more intense hop aromas and character there has been a clear need for growers to continue to develop high alpha-acid hops — preferably varieties with both high alpha-acid and good aroma properties. Cascade is not really an old (and certainly not a forgotten) variety since the first test plots were not harvested until 1969. However, Cascade became favored by craft and homebrewers following its release, and was the lead in to the development of high alpha-acid hops with pronounced citrus character. The most famous of these are of course Chinook, Centennial, Columbus, Citra®, and Simcoe®. These and other new varieties with lots of citrus character now seem to be the first choice of craft and homebrewers, and have certainly ousted older varieties, especially in pale ales and IPAs.
Isn’t that a good thing? Haven’t the hop research groups and growers done such a good job in developing interesting new varieties? Well, yes, up to a point. I certainly use many of those hop varieties in my brewing and will continue to do so. However, I can’t help wondering whether sometimes we have gone too far in seeing citrus type hops as being the only ones of any consequence in brewing a good IPA. To find inspiration for brewing more balanced beers that will stand out among the hop bombs of today, I say look backwards at some of the older hop varieties that have too often been forgotten. When I say “older” and “forgotten” I do not mean hop varieties that are no longer grown, but rather those that are available but that are not the first to come to mind when choosing or formulating a recipe.
Less is More
Perhaps the keyword to the hop varieties I am discussing in this article is subtlety, because the hops that fit my loose definition of “forgotten” are indeed much more subtle in aroma characteristics than the popular citrus or tropical fruit varieties. But the more traditional hops may contribute to a more drinkable beer. That means that these are varieties more suited to brewing session beers than aggressively flavored IPAs. And by session beers I am referring to those around or below 5% ABV (there is much debate about what constitutes a “session” beer, but that’s for another article).
There are quite a number of “older” hop varieties still around, but for this article I intend to concentrate on some very traditional varieties, namely: English Fuggles and Goldings, Whitbread Golding Variety (WGV), German Hallertau and Tettnanger, Czech Saaz, Slovakian Styrian Goldings, US Cluster, and Brewer’s Gold. Yes, I know all but the last two are Old World hops that have been around for a long time (over 200 years in the case of Goldings — and perhaps Hallertau goes back a few hundred years more), but the very fact that these varieties had such staying power shows that they work well in many beer styles. And, interestingly, I consider Fuggles to be the most important of these, both in its own right and because WGV and Styrian Goldings are Fuggle derivatives, as is US Willamette, and no less a hop than Cascade. Note that some of the European varieties are cultivated in the US, and can be substituted for English or Continental varieties, but will show some differences in character.
Fuggles: It is believed that Fuggles were discovered in 1861. They were found in George Stace Moore’s flower garden in Kent and introduced to brewers in 1875 by Richard Fuggle. Martyn Cornell has recently shown, however, that although the variety was discovered in Moore’s garden it was probably cultivated before 1875, Also, the role of Richard Fuggle in its development has not been clearly established, and interestingly that around that time the variety was sometimes referred to as “Fuggle’s Goldings.” Be that as it may, Fuggles became a popular hop and is still around today despite its high susceptibility to disease. Note that it is also grown in the UK’s southwest Midland counties of Hereford and Worcester, as well as in Kent.
UK Fuggles are generally low to medium in alpha-acid (3.0-6.0%), but do provide a clean bitterness, and give the beer a mild, spicy, some say woody or earthy aroma and character. Once used as a bittering hop it is now mainly only used for its aroma, partly because of its scarcity. Also, many brewers find it more economical to use a high alpha-acid hop (your choice) for bittering and to reserve the Fuggles for late boil addition or dry-hopping. I have used it with good results as the only hop in brewing an English-style pale ale (see the recipe for this on page 82). It is ideal as an aroma hop for most English ales, pale ale, bitter and especially mild ale where its character does not overwhelm the light maltiness of the beer.
UK Goldings: UK Goldings, sometimes called East Kent Goldings, is believed to have been discovered as far back as 1785. This variety is normally around 4–7% in alpha acid, with an aroma variously described as smooth, resiny, lightly spicy, and even peppery. It provides a very smooth bitterness when used for bittering, but it is mostly used these days as an aroma hop. It is often held to be the pre-eminent aroma hop for English pale ales and bitters, especially when used for dry hopping. In fact, I have often used it for bittering, and it is reasonably economical to use in low gravity beers where you only want an IBU level of, say, 20–35, so that the beer remains balanced and not overly bitter. Goldings also works very well in brown and mild ales where its smooth bitterness does not override the sweetness of those beers.
Whitbread Golding Variety (WGV): WGV is similar to Fuggles (to which it is related), though perhaps somewhat fruitier in aroma than the latter, and can be regarded as a halfway point between Fuggles and Goldings. It comes in slightly higher than those two at 5-8% alpha-acid so can be used for bittering as well as aroma. But like them it works well in most types of English ales, porters and even stouts except those where hop character is not usually present such as barleywines and milk stouts. WGV can be difficult to find these days, so if you do come across some it is probably best to use solely as an aroma hop rather than for bittering.
Styrian Goldings: Like WGV, is not a Golding at all, but a member of the Fuggle “family,” and appears to have first been cultivated in the 1930s in Slovenia. Tending to be low in alpha-acid (3-6%), this variety enjoys wide use as an aroma hop, giving a spicy, resiny aroma much favored by brewers. It is a very versatile hop and is used in both ales and lagers. Some very good Pilsners use Styrian Goldings, as do many English pale ales, and especially bitters. In fact one of my favorite English low gravity beers (at 3.8% ABV) is Woodforde’s Wherry out of the eastern UK county of Norfolk, which uses a generous amount of this hop in the late stages of the boil.
Hallertau: Hallertau may precede several other hop variety names, but the one I am talking about is Hallertau Mittelfrüh. This is a very traditional German hop, which some would say is the second original “noble hop” (after Saaz). It offers only about 3–5.5% alpha-acid so is not often used as a bittering hop, but it is prized for its characteristic fragrant and spicy aroma. It is, of course, primarily used in lagers, and you would do well to consider using it in a pale lager and bock beers. However, it also works well in English and US pale beers, and I have used it to dry hop a bitter ale. Hallertau Mittelfrüh may be very hard to find, but I have found it in one or two homebrewing supply catalogs.
Tettnang: Tettnang is also a very traditional German hop, and is what is known as a land race variety (as is Hallertau Mittelfrüh). Land race means that it was native to a region rather than deliberately bred (as are most of our modern hops). Again, it is low in alpha-acid at 3–6%, and is principally prized for its mild, somewhat floral aroma. It is considered to belong to the Saaz “family,” and is therefore very suitable for brewing Pilsners. However, because of its relatively gentle aroma it is quite versatile and can be used in almost any pale beer. In fact, it can even be a pleasant change from aggressive citrus-type hops. In fact, US-grown Tettnang is used in a variety of craft brewed beers.
Saaz: Saaz from the Czech Republic is also a land race variety, and has been used in brewing over several centuries. Like its German counterparts, this variety is low in alpha-acid (2–5%) and therefore is generally not used by for bittering by craft brewers, although it is the prime hop for brewing Pilsners, and especially for the original-style Czech Pilsner. Actually, alpha-acid levels in Saaz hops tend to vary wildly from year to year which makes it even more difficult for commercial brewers to use it for bittering. The mild aroma of this variety is its chief characteristic, and one reference I used to research this article calls it, “The classic noble aroma hop.” It ought to be your first choice when brewing a traditional-style Pilsner (along with soft brewing water and perhaps decoction mashing). But, as with the other varieties, it can work well in almost any beer requiring a subtle but enticing hop aroma.
Brewer’s Gold: Brewer’s Gold seems to have been bred in Britain back in the first half of the 19th century, but is now grown only in the US and Germany. It is a relative of Bullion, and along with that variety Brewer’s Gold was often derided by British brewers as having an “American” character. It has a relatively high alpha acid content at 8–10%, making it one of the early high-alpha hops, and is therefore useful as a bittering hop. It has a distinctive black currant aroma, which is not to everyone’s liking and thus not often used commercially as an aroma hop. However, I know many homebrewers who don’t like the Cascade aroma either. In short, do not discard Brewer’s Gold as an aroma hop, for it may go well in full-flavored beers, especially spiced beers such as Christmas ales. But if you do use it as an aroma hop I recommend using it in combination with something a little more gentle, such as Fuggles.
Cluster: Cluster is the oldest American hop variety. Its origins are unknown, and it has been postulated that it may be a cross between an English variety and North American native male hops. It has not actually been “forgotten” since many craft brewers still use it, but it is no longer as popular as it once was. When big commercial brewers were using it almost exclusively in the last century it made up 80% of the hops grown in the Pacific Northwest. It runs at 5.5–8.5% alpha-acid and has a quite pungent floral aroma, so it works well for both bittering and aroma purposes. It can be used as a bittering hop in lagers and stouts and as an aroma hop in a variety of ales.
Hop Comeback
Few of these hop varieties have actually been entirely forgotten, rather they have faded into the background somewhat as newer, more powerful, varieties have become so popular with both craft and homebrewers. Instead, these varieties are forgotten in the sense that for many of us they are no longer first choices when planning out a beer recipe. I urge you not to remove them from your brewer’s palette, however, because they still have something to offer your palate. Starting on page 81 I have shared some of my own homebrew recipes that show what can be done with some of these “forgotten” varieties. Consider experimenting with these varieties — and other less popular types — and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.
Euro Pale Lager
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.013
IBU = 27 SRM = 5 ABV = 5.9%
Ingredients
12 lbs. (5.4 kg) Pilsner malt
4.4 AAU German Tettnang hop pellets (90 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.4% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU German Tettnang hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.4% alpha acids)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
2 packs Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (GermanLager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash the grains with 14 qts.
(13 L) hot water to achieve 152–154 °F (66.7–67.8 °C) in the tun. Hold 60 minutes, run off wort and sparge to collect 6 gallons (23 L), and bring to a boil. Add first portion of German Tettnang hops and boil the wort for 90 minutes. When the boil is finished, turn off the heat and add the second portion of German Tettnang and the Saaz hops. Let the wort stand for 30 minutes, run wort off trub, cool to 40–45 °F (4.4–7.2 °C) and pitch yeast, preferably as a 2-qt. (2-L) starter. Maintain this temperature for seven days, then bring up to about 65 oF (18 oC) for 3-4 days (diacetyl rest). Rack to secondary and lager at 32–35 °F (0–2 °C) for three to four weeks, then rack and bottle or keg as usual.
Euro Pale Lager
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.057 FG = 1.013
IBU = 27 SRM = 7 ABV = 5.7%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
4.4 AAU German Tettnang hop pellets (90 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.4% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU German Tettnang hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.4% alpha acids)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
2 packs Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (GermanLager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Dissolve the dried malt extract (DME) and about one third of the liquid malt extract (LME) in 2–3 gallons (7–11 L) of warm water, stirring carefully to make sure all the extract is properly dissolved, then top up the volume to 5 gallons (19 L). Bring the wort to a boil and add the first portion of Tettnang hops at the start. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the remainder of the LME 15 minutes before the end of the boil. At the end of the boil, turn off the heat, add the second portion of Tettnang and the Saaz hops, and allow the wort to rest for 30 minutes. Let the wort stand for 30 minutes, run off the trub, cool to 40–45 °F (4.4–7.2 °C) and pitch yeast, preferably as a 2 qt. (2 L) starter. Maintain this temperature for 7 days, then bring up to about 65 °F (18 °C) for three to four days (diacetyl rest). Rack to secondary and lager at 32–35 °F (0–2 °C) for three to four weeks, then rack and bottle or keg as usual.
Tips for Success:
You could do a decoction mash with this if you wish — this recipe is about the hops after all. A decoction mash would be historically accurate, and might produce some subtle differences, but I find a simple infusion works well as long as you choose a good quality Pilsner malt. For more about performing a decoction mash, visit https://byo.com/story537. For extract brewers, be sure to choose high quality malts that you know are fresh.
Be sure to ferment this with a healthy population of yeast. For the yeast strains suggested here, shoot for around 400 billion cells, which is easily achieved by making a simple yeast starter 24 hours before brew day. If you do not want to make a starter, you can also use multiple yeast packs.
For a pale European pale lager recipe using only Saaz hops, plus tips and techniques for brewing European lagers, check out Jamil Zainasheff’s “Style Profile” column on brewing Bohemian Pilsener from the November 2009 issue of Brew Your Own, online at: https://byo.com/story1929.
Fugglemania Pale Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 42 SRM = 13 ABV = 4.9%
I decided I wouldn’t make the all-grain and extract recipe hops identical, because I wanted to “showcase” the different varieties, and I chose Styrian Goldings for the extract version because this variety is really a Fuggle, so I could still call it Fugglemania! If you want, though, you can use the same Fuggle additions as those listed in the all-grain recipe (or use the Styrian Goldings in the all-grain recipe).
Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
1 lb. (454 g) Briess Munich malt (10 °L)
0.5 lb. (227 g) Briess caramel malt (40 °L)
8 AAU UK Fuggle hop pellets (90 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 4% alpha acids)
8 AAU UK Fuggle hop pellets (0 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Fuggle hop pellets (dry hop)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash the grains at 150–152 °F (65.6–66.7 °C) with 13 qts. (12 L) of hot water for 60 minutes. Run off the wort and sparge with hot water to give a final volume of about 6 gallons (23 L) in the brew pot. Bring the wort to a boil and add the first portion of Fuggle hops. Boil for 90 minutes, turn off the heat and add the second portion of Fuggle hops. Let the wort stand 30 minutes, run off from the trub and cool to about 70 °F (21 °C). Pitch the yeast, preferably as a 1-qt. (1-L) starter. Ferment for five days at 65–70 °F (18–21 °C), then rack to a secondary fermenter, adding the last portion of Fuggles in a sanitized, weighted mesh bag. Let the hops sit in the beer for seven to 10 days before racking. Bottle or keg in the usual manner, and drink as soon as the beer is conditioned.
Fugglemania Pale Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.012
IBU = 40 SRM = 14 ABV = 4.6%
I decided I wouldn’t make the all-grain and extract recipe hops identical, because I wanted to “showcase” the different varieties, and I chose Styrian Goldings for the extract version because this variety is really a Fuggle, so I could still call it Fugglemania! If you want, though, you can use the same Fuggle additions as those listed in the all-grain recipe.
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Briess caramel malt (40 °L)
8 AAU UK Fuggle hop pellets (90 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 4% alpha acids)
7 AAU Styrian Golding hop pellets (0 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Styrian Golding hop pellets (dry hop)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Steep the grains with 3 qts. (3 L) of hot water at 140–150 °F (60–65.6 °C) for 30 minutes. Pull the grains out of the brewpot and drain the liquid into a brewpot, rinsing with an additional 3–4 qts. (3–4 L) of hot water. Add about half the liquid malt extract, stirring carefully to make sure it is properly dissolved, then top up the brewpot volume with water to 5 gallons (19 L).
Bring the water to a boil, add the Fuggle hops, and boil for 60 minutes. Add the remainder of the liquid malt extract 15 minutes before the end of the boil. Turn off the heat, add the first portion of Styrian Goldings, and allow the wort to rest for 30 minutes. Run the wort off from the trub, cool to about 70 °F (21 °C) and pitch the yeast, preferably as a 1-qt. (1-L) starter. Ferment for five days at 65–70 °F (18–21 °C), then rack to a secondary fermenter, adding the second portion of Styrian Goldings in a weighted, sanitized mesh bag. After seven to 10 days, bottle or keg in the usual manner, and drink as soon as the beer is conditioned.
Golden Age Stout
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.064 FG = 1.016
IBU = 62 SRM = 26 ABV = 6.3%
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) 2-row pale malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich malt (10 ºL)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) caramel malt (80 ºL)
0.5 lb. (227 g) black malt
10.5 AAU Cluster hop pellets (90 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 7% alpha acids)
7 AAU Cluster hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acids)
9 AAU Brewer’s Gold hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 9% alpha acids)
2 packs Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) or White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash the grains at 150–152 °F (65.6–66.7 °C) with 16 qts. (15 L) of hot water for 60 minutes. Run off the wort and sparge with hot water to reach a final volume of about 6 gallons (23 L) in the brewpot. Bring the wort to a boil and add the first portion of Cluster hops. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, turn off the heat, and add the second portion of Cluster and Brewer’s Gold hops. Let the wort stand for 30 minutes, run off from the trub, and cool to about 70 °F (21 °C). Pitch the yeast, preferably as a 2-qt. (2-L) starter. Ferment for five days at 65–70 °F (18–21 °C), then rack to the secondary for seven to 10 days. Bottle or keg in the usual manner, allowing two to three weeks before drinking.
Golden Age Stout
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.063 FG = 1.015
IBU = 62 SRM = 30 ABV = 6.3%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) amber liquid malt extract
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) caramel malt (80 ºL)
0.5 lb. (227 g) black malt
10.5 AAU Cluster hop pellets (90 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 7% alpha acids)
7 AAU Cluster hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acids)
9 AAU Brewer’s Gold hop pellets (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 9% alpha acids)
2 packs Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) or White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Steep the grains with 3 qts. (3 L) of hot water at 140–150 °F (60–65.6 °C) for 30 mins. Pull the grains out of the brewpot and drain the liquid into a brewpot, rinsing with an additional 3–4 qt. (3–4 L) of hot water. Add the dried malt extract and about a third of the liquid malt extract, stirring carefully to make sure it is properly dissolved, then top up the brewpot volume to 5 gallons (19 L). Bring the wort to a boil, add the first portion of Cluster hops, and boil for 60 minutes, adding the remainder of the liquid malt ex-tract 15 minutes before the end of the boil. Turn off the heat, add the second portion of Cluster hops along with the Brewer’s Gold hops, and allow the wort to rest for 30 minutes. Run off the wort from the trub, cool it to about 70 °F (21 °C), and pitch the yeast, preferably as a 2-qt. (2-L) starter. Ferment for five days at 65–70 °F (18–21 °C), then rack to secondary. After seven to 10 days, bottle or keg in the usual manner, and allow two to three weeks before drinking.
