ALL GRAIN BEER

Millennium, as you might expect, was released in 2000. Bred from Nugget and Columbus, it was with the purpose of producing greater disease resistance and storage stability to replace some of the older hops, so popular with U.S. breweries, but which have poor storability. It also has higher alpha acids and higher cone production per acre yield than many other, more popular varieties. It works well for American-style ales.

Warrior hops are becoming a favorite, especially with American craft breweries with its clean, smooth bittering (up to 17% alpha acid content), and inconspicuous citrus and spice aroma arising from high myrcene balanced against moderate humulene. Its pedigree is a secret, but there’s no concealing its obvious qualities. Dogfish Head Brewery employs Warrior in many of its brews, most notably its 60 Minute IPA.

Chinook Hops with its 12-14% alpha acid profile is great for either the beginning of the boil or in the middle. Not only a natural for American-style Pale Ale and IPAs, but it is find its way into seasonal ales, barley wine, and some porters and stouts. This hop has a piney, spicy bouquet such as Juniper might contribute. It is very aromatic with the pine very evident in a fresh batch. Featured alone in Stone’s Arrogant Bastard and along with Cascade and Centennial in Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale, which is famous for its piney, citrusy character.

Galena has edged out California Cluster as the most widely used bittering hops variety in the U.S. and is an excellent dual-use hop. It is thought to have ousted Cluster because brewers tend to like Galena’s fruitier aroma over Cluster’s reputed “cattiness”. Super Galena was created to address these concerns. Galena itself though has very good storage stability and its flavor really kicks with clean and very agreeable notes of citrus. Some brewers have noted that when home brewing, Galena is better when boiled in smaller quantities.