Super Alpha Hops........any Good?

[SJW]

I am looking to try some new hops. As the price is going up I want to stop using noble hops for bittering and start using high alpha hops for bittering and save the good stuff for late additions.
I have always been a big big fan of N.B. but how would this compare with Super Alpha? For German style Lagers mainly.

Steve

 

[T.D.]

Super Alpha are great for lagers. They are very clean and neutral. In fact I believe Malt Shovel use Super Alpha in the James Squire Pilsner. Its also an underated late hop. In moderate quantities it can be pretty good late. But yeah, very hard to fault it as a bittering hop.

 

[warrenlw63]

Steve

I've never used Super Alpha but dare say T.D. has a lot and have heard they're great.

You can also factor Southern Cross in for similar uses and for some small amounts of late hopping. Really smooth for its given AAUs.

Warren -

 

[Brewer_010]

Super Alpha worked very well in the two beers I brewed with it (a pale ale and a lager). Clean distinctive flavour.

I have also found that Pacific Jade as a bittering hop is hard to fault (much more neutral than Super Alpha IMO) which gives you a blank slate for later additions. I've brewed a porter and an IPA with this, using different late addition hops and I can't pick the PJ in there at all. I think the cohumulone is around 24% in Jade so you can go a bit nuts on the bitterering and its as smooth as.

 

[warrenlw63]

I have also found that Pacific Jade as a bittering hop is hard to fault

Yep, forgot about Pacific Jade +1.

Extremely clean like Southern Cross.

Gotta love Kiwi hops. I guess that's why they're starting to find favour world-wide. Even the humble old Green Bullet is good too.

Warren -

 

[jaytee]

In moderate quantities it can be pretty good late. But yeah, very hard to fault it as a bittering hop.

It's my standard bittering hop - bought a kilo bag from NZ Hops last year and still working my way through it.

Also used it late in the NZ Hops Irish Red recipe http://www.nzhops.co.nz/recipes/irishred.html
You just need to up the IBU's by 50% to get that good hop feeling

 

[T.D.]

That's one small consoling thing about this hop shortage - its coincided with a bunch of pretty good bittering hops coming onto the scene. I have some Warrior in the freezer too which I hear is quite neutral. The Aussie ones are all looking pretty good too - all around the 15%+ level.

 

[PostModern]

That's one small consoling thing about this hop shortage - its coincided with a bunch of pretty good bittering hops coming onto the scene. I have some Warrior in the freezer too which I hear is quite neutral. The Aussie ones are all looking pretty good too - all around the 15%+ level.

Isn't the proliferation of high alpha varieties part of the cause of the shortage of noble and other aroma hops?

 

[T.D.]

Yeah in part, but its also due to other crops being planted in place of hops (eg biofuel crops), among other things. All I'm saying is at least theres *something* to be happy about, at least we get some more bittering hops to choose from. A lot of which are also lifting their game in terms of use as late hops too.

 

[randyrob]

we had a mix up at last years West Coast Brewers "Iron Brewer" competition which resulted in alot of people using what they though was hallertau
but end up being super alpha needless to say there was some interesting beers brewed!

nice recipe link jaytee, b saaz in a porter who would have thought?

Cheers Rob.

 

[jaytee]

nice recipe link jaytee, b saaz in a porter who would have thought?

Cheers Rob.

From memory the Weyermann website has a Porter with Saaz too

 

[Muggus]

Used them for the first time recently. Excellent clean bittering and with such a high AA I didn't need to use much at all.

 

[0M39A]

Ive used super alpha a couple of times, nothing bad to say about, was just used as a bittering hop, and it worked well, very neutral.

Currently been using pacific gem, and loving it. nice high AA%, but oh so smooth. great for hitting higher ibu's with. last few apa's have been using it to bitter to 35-40ibu then going nuts with the late additions.

 

[BoilerBoy]

Ive used Super Alpha as a bittering hop with both Saaz "B" & "D" good clean bittering hop particularly for lagers.

Cheers,
BB