U.S. Saaz : comparable to Czech Saaz???

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Boerderij_Kabouter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2007
Messages
7,763
Reaction score
178
Location
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
from hopsdirect.com:

Czech Saaz Pellet Hops
a/a 2.5 - 3.3%

Aroma Hop
Aroma - very mild with plesant hoppy notes
Typical brewing use - Pilsner, Lagers, Blegian-Style Ales, Lambic
Imported Hop from Czechoslovakia

$18.50

US SAAZ Pellet Hops
a/a 6.3 - 7.0%

Very mild, spicy, and earthy.
Typical brewing use - Pilsner, Lager, US Wheat, Belgian-Style Ales, Bitter

$18.50

If these have a similar flavor and aroma I would go with the US... but I want to hear from the peanut gallery.
 
I'm interested in this too. Never used the US, but would like to. It's probably not as smooth as the czech, just judging by the specs. The different %AA alone is a huge difference and probably indicates a difference in flavor profile.

I do know this, however - You probably will never REALLY know the difference until you try it yourself! Also, I bet a side by side smelling would tell a lot about the differences.
 
I do a Saaz and Saaz with it.

Since bittering hops have less effect on final taste, I use the stronger, US Saaz for bittering and the Czech Saaz for flavor/aroma.

Going to brew a very light pils ale like that next, I have gotten really good results before.
 
Several books I've read mention that there are noticeable differences and that the US Saaz is harsher. All seem to indicate that you should only buy authentic noble hops from the region they are historically grown, if you want authentic flavor.
 
Several books I've read mention that there are noticeable differences and that the US Saaz is harsher. All seem to indicate that you should only buy authentic noble hops from the region they are historically grown, if you want authentic flavor.

What about for bittering only?
 
What about for bittering only?

I'd have to look it up, but Randy Mosher (Radical Brewing) promotes using true nobel hops for styles that call for them, due to harshness. I'm assuming he means both bittering and flavor, although if I had to sub one, it would be bittering.

He may have more flavor sensitivity than I though. I kind of like the harsh American Hops! :D
 
I use the stronger, US Saaz for bittering and the Czech Saaz for flavor/aroma.

I did the exact same thing for my Pils and it turned out great. I FWH'd the US Saaz and any additional harshness just never came through. <3 me some Saaz!
 
difference_Czechsaaz.jpg
 
After buying a pound of US saaz from hops direct I can report good results!

I did 2 batches of ordinary bitter, tripel, and belgian session beer with US saaz all the way through. turned out a nice set of beers, slightly sharper but very good.
 
I tasted a light lager made with canadian lager yeast, six row, and only us saaz. 5 pounds for bittering and 5 at flameout for 30 barrels and it was delicious. I would consider this hop delicate not harsh at all. This was 2008 crop from hop union.
 
I think the bittering properties are very similar, the US may be slightly more aggressive. The differences would probably stand out more in flavoring and aroma additions with the Czech variety being rounder and maybe a bit more defined that the American version.
 
Back
Top