For many, hops are the most exciting ingredient in beer. When talking to anyone about hops the first thing you will probably hear as the fun fact of the day, they’re closely related to marijuana. Don’t get too excited though, hops contain no THC.
Hops provide a lot of the aromatic character and majority of the bittering character within beer. Traditional hop varieties were quite low in Alpha acids and require a larger quantity for to reach a higher level of bitterness. Today there are many new varieties of hops grown in regions all around the world which people have come to know and love. They’re higher in alpha acids and have incredibly punchy aromas of citrus, berries, pine, and stone fruits. Alpha acids are found in three different types and depending on the hop variety will depend on what exact acid compound is found. The compounds are Humulone, Adhumulone and Cohumulone. Hops with a higher concentration of Cohumulone tend to
