The difference between aroma hops and bitter hops

The α-acid content of traditional aroma hops is generally not high, and the ratio of α-acid to β-resin is generally <1; the oil content of aroma hops is often lower than that of bitter hops, which shows that the aroma of hops is related to the composition of hop oil. It has nothing to do with its content; aroma hops generally have poorer disease resistance and lower yields.

The α-acid content of bitter hops is high, and the ratio of α-acid to β-resin is generally >1; the hop oil content of bitter hops is generally higher than that of aroma hops, mainly because the content of myrcene is high; Strong disease resistance and high yield per unit area.

If we can breed varieties with excellent aroma and bitterness, it will be of great benefit to improving the quality of beer and improving the utilization rate of hops. The United States, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom are leading, and have cultivated many super-high α-acid content and have a certain aroma. type of fine varieties.

How to Use Aroma Hops and Bitter Hops？

Hops are used in various countries, generally both bitter and fragrant. When the wort is boiling, first add bitter hops to make full use of its α-acid, then add aroma hops to maintain the aroma. As for the number of additions and the amount of addition, it varies according to the type of winemaking and does not stick to one pattern.

At present, due to the rich variety of hops and the availability of various hop products, the choice of using hops is wider, and the method of adding hops is also more flexible. In short, the principle is to maximize the utilization rate of α-acid and fully maintain the aroma of hops.

 Identification and Evaluation of Aroma Hops and Bitter Hops 

The difference of hop varieties lies in the shape of growth, the vitality of growth, the time of maturity, the level of yield per unit area, the content of α-acid, the composition of hop oil, and the ability to resist various diseases and insect pests. As for the identification of fragrant flowers and bitter flowers, in addition to the determination of α-acid, it can still be identified and classified according to the content of certain components.

The difference between traditional bitter and fragrant hops is obvious, and most of the newly cultivated varieties are high α-acid content varieties or varieties between bitter type and aroma type, but the following methods can still be used for identification and classification.

(1) Judging by the content ratio of α-acid to β-resin, those with α-acid/β-resin > 1 are generally bitter hops. α-acid/β-resin<1 are generally aroma hops.

(2) The humulone content of aroma hops generally accounts for less than 25% of the α-acid content, or even lower. Bitter hops generally account for more than 30% of α-acids, or even higher.

(3) The content of polyphenols and sesquiterpene oxides in fragrant flowers is higher than that in bitter flowers, but the content of α-acid is lower than that in bitter flowers. From the ratio of polyphenols/α-acid or sesquiterpene oxides/α - The level of acid ratio can also identify bitter flowers and fragrant flowers.

(4) The epoxide of humulene is one of the main sources of hop aroma, and the content of humulene in fragrant flowers is generally higher than that in bitter flowers. The quality of hops can also be evaluated from the content ratio of humulene and caryophyllene in sesquiterpenes, and the one with the higher ratio is better

(5) Different hop varieties have different chromatographic peak patterns of hop oil. For the same variety, regardless of its origin and climatic conditions, the peak patterns of hop oil are basically similar, which can be used to identify varieties.