Herkules hops are a high alpha, bittering hop variety bred by the Hop Research Institute in Hüll, Germany, and released for commercial cultivation in 2006. It was created by breeding a mother Hallertau Taurus variety with solid genetics, resulting in a high-yielding hop variety that has become Germany’s most widely grown variety.
Herkules has good resistance to the main hop diseases, such as verticillium wilt, downy and powdery mildew, and has a respectable yield. It imparts a crisp, clean bitterness with a pepper and spice character in later additions, and its aroma is floral and fruity with a slight tang.
Herkules hops are used in various beer styles, including many ales, lagers, and saisons.
| Usage: | Dual-Purpose |
| Country of Origin: | Germany |
| Hop Growers Code: | HKS 95/94/816 |
Where To Buy Herkules Hops
Herkules Flavor And Aroma
Herkules is a dual-purpose hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
citrus
pine
spicy, black pepper
Herkules Hop Oil Breakdown
Hop oils can vary from year to year and farm to farm but based on our research, here are the typical values we have seen reported. This information comes from various hop farms, The Hop Aroma Compendium, and For The Love Of Hops.
| Alpha Acid % (AA) Alpha acids are what is isomerized when boiling to create bitterness in beer. | 12.0% – 17.0% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4.0% – 6.0% |
| Alpha-Beta Ratio This ratio of alpha acids to beta acids determines how quickly bitterness fades during aging. Lower ratios are common for aromatic varieties. | 2:1 – 4:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 32% – 38% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.4mL – 2.4mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 30% – 50% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 28% – 45% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 7% – 12% |
| Farnesene floral | 1% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 0% – 33% |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) The HSI indicates the percent of alpha and beta acids lost after 6 months of storage at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). | Data Not Available |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Data Not Available |
Herkules Hop Substitutions
Replacing one hop for another is seldom straightforward but sometimes you don’t have the right hop or the right quantity of hops for the beer you want to make. For those situations, we have made a comprehensive list of hops to substitute on brew day.
These substitutions aren’t perfect as hop chemistry is pretty complex.
We wanted to make this list of substitutions with varietals that are easy to find when possible. For Herkules, we recommend substituting with the following hops:
Beer Styles
For the most part, any hop could have a place in just about any beer style. Based on popular beers, historical usage, and our own preferences, we would recommend using Herkules for IPA, New England IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, Golden Ale. That being said, experiment and see what works best for you.
References
https://www.hopslist.com/
https://www.ars.usda.gov/
https://www.brewersassociation.org/
https://www.barthhaasx.com/
https://www.yakimachief.com/
Hieronymus, Stan. For The Love of Hops. Brewers Publications, 2012
The Hop Aroma Compendium. 2012
