Southern Star hops trace their origin back to South Africa, where they were developed as a diploid seedling. They were selected from a cross between the mother Outeniqua and the father varietal OF2/93. Southern Star was explicitly bred to provide excellent resistance to pests and diseases while delivering a unique and versatile flavor profile.
As a dual-purpose variety, Southern Star imparts a delightful combination of slight berry, floral, and citrus notes, with more detailed descriptors including pineapple, blueberries, tangerine, tropical fruit, passion fruit, quince, pear, cassis, rose petals, orange, and coffee. The spicy and tangy aspects of the flavor profile make Southern Star hops suitable for both bittering and aroma additions across many beer styles.
Southern Star hops are especially suited for brewing hop-forward beers like modern pale ales and IPAs. Given the versatility and distinct flavors, this hop variety can also be utilized in stouts and porters, providing an interesting fruity twist.
| Usage: | Bittering |
| Country of Origin: | South Africa |
| Hop Growers Code: | SST |
Where To Buy Southern Star Hops
Southern Star Flavor And Aroma
Southern Star is a bittering hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
tropical
citrus
berry, currant
Southern Star 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% – 18% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4% – 6% |
| 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 – 5:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 25% – 30% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.4mL – 1.7mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 27.5% – 38.9% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 21.9% – 32.8% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 11.2% – 14.6% |
| Farnesene floral | 4.5% – 12% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 9% – 27% |
| 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 60%-70% alpha acid after 6 months storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Fair – Good |
Southern Star 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 Southern Star, 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 Southern Star 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
