Wai-Iti hops are a hop variety developed by the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research and released in 2011. It is a triploid hop, with one-third of its lineage from the German landrace Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
Wai-iti hops are low in alpha acids and cohumulone but comparatively high in oil content, which makes them excellent for aroma in late kettle hops, hop back, or as a dry or cask hop. They are best known for delivering fruity, aroma-driven results, with dominant notes of stone fruit (notably peach and apricot) and intense citric tones of lime and mandarin.
Wai-iti hops are used in hop-driven craft styles, wheat beers, and dry-hopped sours.
| Usage: | Aroma |
| Country of Origin: | New Zealand |
| Hop Growers Code: | WTI HORT7709 |
Where To Buy Wai-iti Hops
Wai-iti Flavor And Aroma
Wai-iti is an aroma hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
citrus
tropical
floral
Wai-iti 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. | 2.5% – 3.5% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4.5% – 5.5% |
| 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. | 0:1 – 1:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 22% – 24% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.6mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 30% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 28% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 9% |
| Farnesene floral | 13% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 43% – 51% |
| 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 |
Wai-iti 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 Wai-iti, 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 Wai-iti 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
