Amarillo hops for orange and floral notes in pale ales

Where Amarillo comes from

Amarillo is an American hop grown mainly in Washington State. It came out of a private breeding programme and reached brewers around the year 2000. The variety is proprietary, which is one reason supply can tighten after a poor crop and prices can move.

It is usually classed as a dual purpose hop with moderate alpha acid, commonly quoted in the range of 8 to 11%. Those figures change with each harvest, so read the packet. Brewers use it far more for aroma than for bitterness.

In the glass it sits between the pine and resin of the older American hops and the tropical fruit of the newer ones. Think orange peel, a little grapefruit, apricot and a floral edge like honeysuckle. It is rounder and gentler than most of its neighbours on the shelf.

What the orange and floral notes need

The aroma of any hop lives in its oils. Those oils are fragile. Boil Amarillo for an hour and most of the orange goes into the air. What you keep is a clean, moderate bitterness.

To keep the fruit, add it late:

• In the last 5 to 10 minutes of the boil.
• In a whirlpool or hop stand at about 75 to 80 °C for 15 to 20 minutes, which adds aroma without much extra bitterness.
• As a dry hop, at roughly 2 to 4 g per litre, once the main fermentation has slowed.

The floral side tends to show most in the whirlpool. The fresher orange peel character comes with the dry hop. If you want both, split the hop across the two.

A pale ale to try, 20 litres

A pale malt base lets Amarillo speak. This recipe targets an original gravity near 1.052 and about 30 IBU. Efficiencies vary by system, so treat the numbers as a start.

• Pale ale malt 4.2 kg (84%).
• Wheat malt 0.5 kg (10%).
• Light crystal malt around 40 EBC 0.3 kg (6%).
• A neutral bittering hop such as Magnum, about 20 g at 60 minutes, for around 30 IBU.
• Amarillo 40 g in the whirlpool at 80 °C for 20 minutes.
• Amarillo 60 g as a dry hop for three to four days.

Mash at 66 to 67 °C for 60 minutes for a medium body. Ferment with a clean American ale yeast at 18 to 19 °C. The wheat malt helps head retention and softens the finish, which suits the round hop.

Keep the orange from turning grassy

Dry hop contact is the usual mistake. A few days at fermentation temperature gets you most of the aroma. A long soak, especially with a large hop charge, can add a green, grassy note that hides the orange.

The detail that matters most in India is temperature. A fermenter sitting at 28 °C in summer will push the hop towards harsh vegetal flavours and may add fruity esters from the yeast that muddy the picture. A fridge with a simple temperature controller, or a wet towel and a fan in the cool season, is better than nothing. Keep dry hopping short if you cannot keep the beer cool.

Oxygen is the other enemy. Add the dry hop gently and avoid splashing when you transfer. Oxidised hop aroma smells of stale juice, not orange.

Buying and storing it in India

Amarillo is easy to find as pellets from homebrew suppliers, but stock moves around and old packs are common. Check the harvest year on the foil. Buy sealed packs and store them in the freezer. Hop aroma fades faster than bitterness, so an old packet may still bitter well and give you no orange at all.

If Amarillo is out of stock, there is no exact swap. Cascade or Centennial in a blend gives citrus and floral notes, though each is different. Our guides to Loral and Palisade cover two other gentle hops worth knowing.

Saffron, orange and other ideas

Amarillo's soft fruit works well with gentle spice. A small amount of orange peel in the whirlpool reinforces the effect. Some brewers go further. Our note on saffron in beer looks at a flavouring that pairs with floral hops, though it needs a very light hand.

Whatever you add, change one thing at a time. If you add orange peel and increase the hops and change the yeast, you will not know what did what.

When you want to design the hop schedule yourself

A recipe gives you a result once. Understanding why the whirlpool temperature changes the aroma, how oils partition between wort and hop debris and why dry hop timing shifts the flavour lets you design a schedule for a particular aroma on purpose.

Common questions

What does Amarillo taste like?

Orange peel, grapefruit, apricot and a floral note. It is rounder and softer than most American hops.

Is Amarillo a bittering or aroma hop?

It is usually called dual purpose, but most brewers use it late for aroma. Its alpha acid is moderate, so it is not the cheapest way to bitter.

How much Amarillo should I dry hop with?

Roughly 2 to 4 g per litre for a pale ale, left on for three to four days at fermentation temperature. Adjust to taste next time.

Can I replace Amarillo with another hop?

Not exactly. Cascade or Centennial gives citrus and floral notes, but each has its own character. Taste and adjust.