Choosing Your Hop Variety

The type of hop you decide to grow can depend on many factors, including the hardiness zone you are located in.
Now that you have a general idea of what hops are, it’s time to decide what varieties you are interested in planting. Of course some hops Different hops grow better depending on your location, altitude and a few other factors, but with the proper care, you should see great growth from just about any variety if you are between the 30th and 50th parallels, thriving especially in hardiness zones 4 to 8.
Although most varieties will thrive if you are in a temporate region, there are a few variables you should consider when deciding on a variety of hops. If you are planting your hops simply for their aesthetic value, then you are really free to choose any variety you please. I would suggest deciding on a variety that will produce large yields and flourish well in your zone. If you are in an area that sees a shorter growing period, you may want to plant a vine that will develop more quickly, allowing you to enjoy your plants for the longest possible period. Check the variety profiles at the bottom of this post to find the fastest growing varieties.
If you are like me, and are a homebrewing activist who plans on using hops in a homebrew, what you grow will be associated with what kind of beer you plan to brew, and what flavoring roles these hops will play in that brew. Different varieties will produce cones with very different flavor profiles, as well as alpha and beta acid contents.
Your recipe may call for a specific variety, but you can substitute hops for those with similar AA percentages, so don’t feel entirely restricted to only use the hops specified in your recipe. There are times when specific rhizomes will be unavailable, so you may have to reach a compromise in terms of the variety you plant. Just remember that although using a different variety of hop with similar acid contents will create a slightly different flavor profile, you will maintain the overall structure of your beer. Below is a chart that lists the average AA content of the most common hop varieties. This should be used as a general guide in deciding what varieties to utilize, should your decision be dependent upon AA content:
Hops | Average Alpha Acids | |
Amarillo | 9.5 | |
Aquila | 7 | |
B. C. Goldings | 5 | |
Banner | 10 | |
Bramling Cross | 6.5 | |
Brewer’s Gold | 9 | |
Bullion | 7.5 | |
Cascade | 6 | |
Centennial | 10.5 | |
Challenger | 8.5 | |
Chinook | 13 | |
Cluster | 6.5 | |
Columbus | 15 | |
Comet | 10 | |
Crystal | 3 | |
Domesic Hallertau | 3.9 | |
East Kent Goldings | 5 | |
Eroica | 12 | |
First Gold | 7.5 | |
Fuggles | 4.8 | |
Galena | 13 | |
Glacier | 5.5 | |
Goldings | 5 | |
Hallertau Mittelfruh | 3.75 | |
Hallertau Hersbrucker | 4 | |
Herald | 12 | |
Hersbrucker | 4 | |
Horizon | 12.5 | |
Huller Bitterer | 5.75 | |
Kent Goldings | 5 | |
Liberty | 4 | |
Lublin | 4.5 | |
Magnum | 14 | |
Millenium | 15.5 | |
Mount Hood | 5 | |
Newport | 15.5 | |
Northdown | 8.6 | |
Northern Brewer | 8.5 | |
Nugget | 13 | |
Olympic | 12 | |
Omega | 10 | |
Orion | 7 | |
Pacific Gem | 15 | |
Perle | 9 | |
Phoenix | 10 | |
Pioneer | 9 | |
Pride of Ringwood | 10 | |
Progress | 6.25 | |
Record | 6.5 | |
Saaz | 3.8 | |
Santiam | 6.5 | |
Satus | 13 | |
Simcoe | 13 | |
Spalt* | 4.5 | |
Sterling | 5.5 | |
Sticklebract | 11.5 | |
Strisselspalt | 3.5 | |
Styrian Goldings | 5.5 | |
Super Alpha | 13 | |
Super Styrians | 9 | |
Talisman | 8 | |
Target | 11.5 | |
Tettnanger | 4.5 | |
Tomahawk | 15 | |
Ultra | 4.5 | |
Vanguard | 5 | |
Warrior | 16 | |
Whitbread Golding | 6 | |
Willamette | 5.5 | |
Wye Target | 10 | |
Yamhill Goldings | 4 | |
Yakima Cluster | 7 | |
Yeoman | 7.25 | |
Zenith | 9 | |
Zeus | 15 |
Source: http://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/14/hops-alpha-acid-table/
I have also found a great hop comparison chart that can give you an idea of how to substitute hops for one another. That chart can be found here.
Because there isn’t a whole lot of information regarding the success of some varieties in my area (Zone 5), I’m going to conduct a bit of an experiment and see what varieties favor this climate. I purchased 8 varieties, some of which I know should grow very well, and a few others whose success is somewhat unpredictable. I decided on: Fuggle, Williamette, Zeus, Cascade, Centennial, Nugget, Mt. Hood, and Newport. I picked up these varieties for $4.50 each from Freshops.com.
Freshops.com has provided a wealth of information regarding the known varieties of hops, as classified by the USDA. Click on a variety for a hop profile that can help you decide on which hops are best for your needs.
Source: Oregon State University High Alpha Acid Breeding Program