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A Comparison of the Analytical and Brewing Characteristics of Cascade and Comet Hop Varieties as Grown in Yakima (USA) and Hallertau (Germany) - WINNER OF LUDWIG-NARZISS-AWARD 2015
A. Forster and A. Gahr
Hop varieties were and are transferred from one growing region to another. It is the great success of Cascade, the ?lead variety? for dry hopping, that brought it to Germany. It is therefore of interest to discover whether there are differences between the Cascade hop grown in Yakima and that grown in the Hallertau. To this end, a US Cascade (US-CA) was compared with a Hallertau Cascade (HCA) each from the 2012 and 2013 crops. The 2013 crop also provided a Comet from the USA (US-CM) and from the Hallertau (HCM). The hop samples were closely examined for aroma composition and polyphenols. Systematic differences were found in both varieties with regard total and low-molecular polyphenols (Hallertau 50-78% higher). All three US hops have higher linalool contents. There are clearly higher quantities of the esters isobutyl-isobutyrate and 2-methylbutyl-2-methylpropanoate in the HCA of both crops. The differences in the other aroma components can be considered low. Intensively hopped beers were brewed on a 2hl scale with a late hop addition (2.5 ml oil/hl) and one half dry hopped in addition (1.5 ml oil/hl). The analytical differences in the hop samples could be followed through in the beer. Thus the beers brewed with Hallertau hops had significantly higher polyphenol contents, the American hops on the other hand more linalool. The higher ester content of the HCA is reflected in the beers. No great differences were found in the tastings made by various panels.
Descriptors: hops, late hopping, dry hopping, hop growing region, cascade, comet, provenience
BrewingScience – Monatsschrift für Brauwissenschaft, 67 (November/Decber 2014), pp. 137-148
