Huge difference between Saaz crop year

[Alan Reginato]

I bought these hop package recently

The 1st (left to right) is 2021, AA 4,3%. The 2nd, 2022, AA 2,6%. And 3rd, the same, but from a different brand.

And, WTF!?! I could tell them apart. Visual, 1st was dark green, 2nd light green and 3rd looks drier, brownish comparing to the others.

About flavour, 1st had a more herbal, intense hoppy. The 2 others had a more floral, citric accent. With the last package being less prominent.

It's the first time a bought hops from different years or brand at same time, so I could compare them, side by side.

It's normal such a big difference? How the hell brewers could achieve repeatability in this way?

 

[hotbeer]

I'd assume that when such changes in the hops and other things are noted prior to making a batch of beer, the brewer's will have people that sample a smaller batch with that ingredient that has changed and then make what ever adjustments to the recipe that brings the beer back to the taste, aroma and other experiences that they care about.

Being a taster is a career for some people and a high paying one for some things. But for beer, I think it's more just the head brewer and closely trusted/respected assistants.

 

[Bobby_M]

It's not just Saaz. It's basically the entire European crop. Hallertau and Tettnang has traditionally hung around 5%AA and this year they are closer to 1.8 to 2.2.

 

[dmtaylor]

When I have tasted commercial beers with Saaz, they have this lovely unique floral character.

When I taste my own beers with Czech Saaz hops, they taste to me like lemon citrus & pepper. Totally wrong IMO.

When I taste fellow homebrewer's beers with Saaz hops, they often taste like nothing, or a super mild version of one type or the other.

This varietal of hop really seems to be too widely inconsistent for me. I won't be buying it anymore, too unpredictable.

 

[hottpeper13]

I've been using Sterling as a Sazz replacement for the last 8 years and will never go back. One year i ordered a pound with other hops on the order and received a free pound of Sterling ,so 2 pounds in total. One was 6% and the other 12%,I couldn't tell any flavor differences.

 

[scrap iron]

I agree with Saaz having a lemon citrus flavor in my beers. I bought some Saaz from a popular hop grower online soon after the 2022 harvest. They did not taste right to me. They might have got the order mixed up with some other hop. I bought some more from another supplier and they were more of what I expected.
I like the idea of using Sterling as a sub, I've got a couple of plants that I planted two years ago. They didn't do that well, but I read Sterling needs more fertilizer and nutrients. I bought some of that Alaskan fish fertilizer and will use that with some compost this spring.

 

[jdauria]

I am sure like with growing grapes for wine, weather is the biggest factor as to whether it's going to be a good or bad year. I know in Germany, in 2022 there was a drought, so production was down some and the Saaz crops in 2022 in Czech growing region suffered through extreme heat and drought. 2023 Czech crops were also slow to mature this year due to an extremely cold and wet April. Saaz '23 production was down 73 hextares, which if my math is right, is 180 less acres this year.