Variations in Hop Aroma Depending on Crop Year

As already shown before in previous years, we would like to demonstrate how the contribution of hop oils to beer can vary from one crop year to another.

Linalool is assessed to be the representative substance for late hop aroma as it correlates well with the sensory impression of hop aroma in beer. The concentration of alpha acids and linalool can vary independently from each other. For example, in a year with higher alpha acid concen-trations, linalool concentrations do not necessarily increase proportionally. Consequently, we calculate the ratio of linalool / alpha acids to assess how much aroma is added without changing the bitterness. This is very significant to achieve a consistent late hop aroma in the beer.

For crop 2016, Tradition’s ratio increased slightly (Fig.1). This can result in a little more intense aroma in the beer, if hop dosage remains the same when changing from crop 2015 to 2016. The same can be seen for the variety Saphir, whereas the varieties Select and Perle remained almost unchanged. Read the complete article here!