Yakima Gold hops originated at Washington State University, where they were developed and released in 2013. This hop variety is a cross between Early Cluster and a native Slovenian male, combining their best traits for a versatile dual-purpose hop.
The aroma profile of Yakima Gold includes citrus, herbal, and woody notes, giving it a pleasant and balanced character. As a dual-purpose hop, it can be used in all stages of the brewing process, offering a smooth bitterness and appealing aroma.
Yakima Gold hops are great in American Pale Ales, India Pale Ale (IPA), Pilsner, Saison, and Amber Ale.
Usage: | Dual-Purpose |
Country of Origin: | United States |
Hop Growers Code: | YKG |
Where To Buy Yakima Gold Hops
An excellent general-purpose variety with smooth bitterness and pleasant aroma characteristics.
Yakima Gold Flavor And Aroma
Yakima Gold is a dual-purpose hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
lemon, grapefruit
herbal
Woody
Yakima Gold 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. | 8.8% – 10.5% |
Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4.3% – 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. | 2:1 |
Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 21% – 23% |
Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.9mL – 2.3mL |
Myrcene green, resinous | 45% – 50% |
Humulene woody, piney | 21% – 25% |
Caryophyllene woody | 6% – 8% |
Farnesene floral | 9% – 10% |
Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 10% – 34% |
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 68% of its alpha acid after 6 months of storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Fair |
Yakima Gold 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 Yakima Gold, 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 Yakima Gold 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