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Zeus Hops

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Zeus hops were developed in the Yakima Valley as part of the Hopsteiner breeding program. Sharing the same female parent as Nugget, it is closely related to other Super High Alpha varieties like Columbus and Tomahawk. The exact lineage of Zeus is still unknown. Still, it is believed that Brewer’s Gold and several undisclosed American varieties played a significant role in its development.

Zeus hops have a complex and unique aroma profile. Aromatic characteristics include sweet fruit, floral, citrus, spicy aniseed, and fennel notes. The predominant aroma is citrus with cool floral traits, but these hops also possess spicy black pepper, licorice, and curry undertones.

As a versatile and high alpha acid hop, Zeus is perfect for beer styles like American IPAs, Imperial IPAs, Barleywines, Stouts, and American Pale Ales. Other suitable styles include American Amber Ales, American Brown Ales, and even Belgian Ales to showcase this intriguing hop variety’s distinct flavor and aroma profile.

Usage:Bittering
Country of Origin:United States
Hop Growers Code:ZEU

Where To Buy Zeus Hops

Zeus Hops
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Zeus Flavor And Aroma

Zeus is a bittering hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:

citrus

citrus

herbal

herbal

spices

black pepper, licorice, curry

Zeus 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% – 17.5%
Beta Acid %
Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds.
4.5% – 6.5%
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 – 4:1
Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha
Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness.
30% – 40%
Total Oils (mL/100g)
With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds.
2.4mL – 4.5mL
Myrcene
green, resinous
45% – 55%
Humulene
woody, piney
9% – 14%
Caryophyllene
woody
5% – 10%
Farnesene
floral
0% – 1%
Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene10% – 40%
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 52% of its alpha acid after 6 months of storage at 20ºC (68ºF).
Hop Storage Index (HSI) RatingPoor

Zeus 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 Zeus, 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 Zeus 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