Pacific Gem, introduced in 1987 by New Zealand’s HortResearch Institute, is a triploid high-alpha hop known for its unique blend of aromas and tastes. With its pedigree crosses of Smoothcone, Cluster, and Fuggle, this hop variety has recently gained popularity among microbreweries and homebrewers.
The rich aroma of Pacific Gem encompasses a delightful mix of blackberry, dry wood, and forest fruit, with undertones of black pepper and oak. It can also exhibit hints of pine and citrus when used in late additions. This solid bittering hop balances its alpha acids, providing a spicy black pepper and berry fruit character.
Pacific Gem is a versatile hop well-suited for international lagers, hop-forward lagers, farmhouse ales, and numerous English and American ale styles, including IPAs.
| Usage: | Dual-Purpose |
| Country of Origin: | New Zealand |
| Hop Growers Code: | PGE |
Where To Buy Pacific Gem Hops
Pacific Gem Flavor And Aroma
Pacific Gem is a dual-purpose hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
berry, currant
woody
citrus
Pacific Gem 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. | 13.0% – 15.0% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 7.0% – 9.0% |
| 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. | 1:1 – 2:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 37% – 40% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.2mL – 1.4mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 32% – 34% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 29% – 31% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 10% – 12% |
| Farnesene floral | 0% – 1% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 23% – 28% |
| 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). | Retains 78% alpha acid after 6 months storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Good |
Pacific Gem 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 Pacific Gem, 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 Pacific Gem 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
