Liberty

[Stuster]

By request again, we're back to the US and A for this newer hop variety, Liberty. This is one of the variety that have been bred to reproduce the German hop characteristics but adapted to American conditions.

So what can you tell us about this hop? How do you use them - bittering, flavour, aroma? What styles is it good for? What hop combinations are they good for? Are there any commercial beers available here using this hop? Any other tips for using this hop?

Tell us all you know so we can all make the best beer we can. :chug:

Information from here.

Liberty (United States)

Pedigree: Cross between colchicines-induced tetraploid female hop cultivar Hallertauer Mittlefruh and downy mildew resistant male.
Cone-Structure: Smallish plump, dense cones
Lupulin: Moderate amounts, dark yellow in color
Aroma: Mild with a slightly spicy character
Alpha Acids: 3.0 5.0% w/w
Beta Acids: 3.0 4.0% w/w
Co-Humulone: 24 30% of alpha acids
Storageability: 35 55% alpha acids remaining after 6 months storage at 20 C
Total Oil: 0.6 1.2 mls/100 grams
Myrcene: 20 40% of whole oil
Humulene: 35 40% of whole oil
Caryophyllene: 9 12% of whole oil
Farnesene: <1% of whole oil
General: Trade Perception Aroma variety with close similarities to imported German aroma varieties, especially Hallertau.
Possible Substitutions: US or German Hallertau, German Tradition, Mt Hood, possibly Spalt
Typical Beer Styles: Lager, Pilsner, Bock, US Wheat, Klsch
Additional Information: Released in the US in 1991. Of the four triploid Hallertau varieties released, Liberty most closely resembles the Hallertau cultivar.

Information source: Hopunion CBS, LLC

 

[newguy]

I've used Liberty in pretty much any German style - Alt, German Pilsner, Bock, Weizen, Dortmunder Export, and Helles. It became available about 10 years ago, but recently my regular supplier has stopped carrying it, and I'm not sure why.

From Using Hops The Complete Guide to Hops for the Craft Brewer by Mark Garetz (1994),

"Liberty: Liberty is a relatively new hop on the market, but is already gaining much success with brewers. It is one of three "sister hops" that were bred from Hallertauer Mittelfruh (the other two are Mt. Hood and Crystal). It was the second hop to be released in the US breeding program to duplicate the characteristics of Hallertauer Mittelfruh in a hop that would grow well in the US. In ranking the three hops for closeness to Hallertauer Mittelfruh, Liberty is tied with Crystal, with Mt. Hood coming a very close second.

Alpha Acids (typical): 3-5%
Beta Acids (typical): 3-4%
Alpha/Beta ratio: 1.1
Cohumulone % (typical): 24-30%
Typical Oil % (typical): 0.6-1.2%
Myrcene % (typical): 35-40%
Humulene % (typical): 35-40%
Humulene/Caryophyllene Ratio: 3.7
Aroma: Mild and pleasant with definite noble characteristics, especially after some aging. Some spicy notes.
Storage: Poor. 55% Alpha acids lost after 6 months at 20C.
Country of Origin: USA, grown primarily in Oregon.
Usage: Liberty is appropriate for all lagers, especially those known for their use of "noble" hops. These include both American (megabrewery and microbrewery) and German lagers. Pete's Wicked Lager features Liberty. If the slight extra spiciness bothers you, use one of the recommended substitutes.
Substitutes: Crystal or Mt. Hood, with Crystal being slightly closer. Since Liberty was designed as a substitute for Hallertauer Mittelfruh, you could use it, if you could get it! Hallertauer Hersbrucker or Hallertauer Tradition are also possibilities. Please note that domestic Hallertauer is not a very good substitute."

 

[Stuster]

Do you find it much different to German varieties of Hallertauer, newguy?

 

[newguy]

Do you find it much different to German varieties of Hallertauer, newguy?

I just found some hop tasting notes I made 6 years ago. Our club bought a case of coors light, which is about the most flavour neutral megabeer you can buy around here. We then popped the caps, dropped in one or two pellets of hops, and recapped them. We sampled them 1 week later. We didn't have Liberty at the time, but we did have Crystal. Here are my notes:

Ultra: Very pleasant, flowery, almost smells sweet. Nice flavour, flowery, pleasant, not too much flavour.

Fuggle: Vegetal, piney. Flavour a bit piney, quite bitter, some spice, peppery.

Crystal: Flowery, citrusy. Citrusy, subdued bitterness, delicate, lingers.

Challenger: Vegetal. Not a pleasant taste, resiny, cloying bitterness.

Hallertauer Hersbrucker: Perfumy, delicate. Pleasant, delicate taste.

Cascade: Typically Citrus. Nicely bitter, quite citrusy.

Spalt: Fruity, subdued floweriness. Delicate, very good taste.

Styrian Goldings: Woody, piney, flowery, resiny. Bitterness very good - not too much, not too little. Subdued fruitiness.

 

[Stuster]

Bump.

Nobody else used these hops? :unsure:

 

[sluggerdog]

I'll be giving a 100% liberty hopped german pilsner on friday. Haven't used it in the past though.

Am using 1.25 grams / litre for flavour and bittering to 26.7 IBU. Simple grain bill of 95% german pilsner and 5% Melanoidin.

Hopefully this will be a nice beer to drink jan next year.


Anyone done anything similar (flavour wise) and have some good/bad results to share?

 

[DJR]

Haven't tried any of the stuff from the leftovers of the bulk buy yet Stuster, that was the first i had got.

To be honest i smelt more citrus, almost a lemony sort of flavour, than the overwhelming spicy/herbal flavour i get from Hallertauer/Tettnanger/Saphir. But i haven't tried it in any beer yet. Maybe when i finally get around to doing that bland summer megalager style i will use it along with some Mt Hood and Magnum.

 

[Stuster]

Me neither, DJR. I'm just trying to help out tangent who suggested this topic. I'll be using some of this sometime in the next few months as well and will post results on it then.

I'm sure you can make that lager not so boring. Come on, convert them to beer with flavour (for a change).

For more info, the brewboard folks seem to like Liberty and some agree with DJR that it's a bit citrusy. Thread here.

 

[DJR]

Pfft, beer with flavour who'd have thunk it

Could be good in a hefeweizen or Vienna (i'm leaning towards that more than a bland megalager which i'm happy to say will probably NEVER happen)

The only euro style beers i can think of that can be heavily hopped are Oktoberfest/Marzen, Bock, Altbier or Pilsner, maybe one of them might be a better choice (i'm getting some more Dusseldorf Alt yeast too)

Hmm this is going a bit tangential now, talking about what beers it might be nice in rather than what has actually been tried before...

Looking at the discussion on Brewboard a couple of people say that it's a bit of a delicate/strange hop to use in combinations, it's better by itself than with something over the top (well they are american brewers after all!)

 

[winkle]

Do you find it much different to German varieties of Hallertauer, newguy?

I just found some hop tasting notes I made 6 years ago. Our club bought a case of coors light, which is about the most flavour neutral megabeer you can buy around here. We then popped the caps, dropped in one or two pellets of hops, and recapped them. We sampled them 1 week later. We didn't have Liberty at the time, but we did have Crystal. Here are my notes:

LOL, I didn't think it possible but someboby finally found a good use for coors light (drinking not being a good option) :lol:

 

[tangent]

I'm just trying to help out tangent who suggested this topic.

eh?
i've never even owned or tasted Liberty to my knowledge.

Love your beer and hop topics though Stu. Always fascinating :beer:

edit - damn typos!

 

[sluggerdog]

I'm just trying to help out tangent who suggested this topic.

eh?
i've never even owned or tasted Liberty to my knowledge.

Love your beer and hop topics thought Stu. Always fascinating :beer:

Cough Cough :excl:

It was me :beer:

 

[Stuster]

Oops. Sorry tangent and sluggerdog. h34r:

Anyway, great topic, sluggerdog, especially given I have 220g in my freezer.

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

How does anyone think this hop would stand up in a Belgian Pale Ale?

I guess I should just brew it and report back

C&B
TDA

 

[KillerRx4]

I used this hop for the 1st time on the weekend in a german pils.

It went something like:
30g 60min
25g 50 min
20g 15 min
20g 0 min


They smelled great in the boil anyway.

I doubt i'll remember to post back in 5 weeks on results though :lol:

 

[Kai]

Never used it before, I think I have some of this hop in my collection but I'm not entirely sure. If I do then it will go into a pils-based summer ale sometime before winter rolls around.