Ekuanot hops and the green pepper edge they can leave
Ekuanot is a high alpha American hop with a big, fruity aroma. It also carries a savoury note that some brewers love and others find harsh. Here is how to steer it.
A hop with two faces
Ekuanot was bred by the Hop Breeding Company in the Yakima Valley and sold earlier as Equinox before it was renamed. Alpha acid is high, usually 13 to 15.5%. The aroma is citrus and tropical: lime, papaya, melon and a hint of tangerine.
It also has a savoury side. Brewers report notes of green pepper, onion or herbs, especially at high doses or with long contact time. These notes can be a pleasant depth in a hoppy beer or a fault if they take over. The same hop does both, depending on how you use it.
Why the edge appears
A hop's oil is a mixture of many compounds. Some give fruit and others give green, herbal or savoury notes. How much of each reaches your glass depends on timing, temperature, dose and the beer itself. Heavy dry hopping extracts more of everything, including the green notes. Long contact after fermentation ends does the same. Old hops and oxidation can make savoury notes louder. A thin beer with little malt to balance it does the same.
Do not expect to remove the edge completely. The aim is to push it below the point where you notice it. Our guide on Polaris and the cooling mint note deals with a similar problem in another hop.
Dose and contact time
The simplest control is to use less hop for less time. In a pale ale, try 1.5 g per litre of Ekuanot as a dry hop rather than 5 g. Cap contact at two or three days at fermentation temperature, then cold crash and remove the hops. Pellets left in a fermenter for two weeks will give more green, more bitterness and a harsher beer.
A late whirlpool at 75 to 80 °C is gentler than a big dry hop, so some brewers move part of the aroma load there. Test each change on its own so you know which one worked.
Blend it with a fruit-led hop
Ekuanot works well as a supporting hop. Using it for a third to half of the aroma charge keeps the melon and lime while diluting the savoury edge. Pair it with a hop that is fruity and clean, such as Sabro for coconut and tropical notes, or a citrus hop of your choice. Match the malt bill to the aim: a pale, dry base lets the fruit show.
A split batch test
Brew 20 litres of a simple pale ale and split it into two 10 litre fermenters. Add 15 g of Ekuanot to each. Remove the hops from one after two days and from the other after six. Keep everything else the same. Taste both after two weeks of cold conditioning, side by side, with water between samples.
You will probably find the long contact beer greener and more bitter. Write down what you taste. That page of notes tells you more about Ekuanot in your system than any description.
Keep it fresh and cold
Hop oils fade with heat and oxygen. A savoury note stays while the fruit fades, so an old packet of Ekuanot tastes greener than a fresh one. Store pellets sealed in the freezer. In India, ask the supplier how the hops travelled. A parcel left in a hot van for two days in summer has lost the fruit you are paying for. Our guide on growing hops in India explains why local supply is thin and why imports have to be treated carefully.
Where it fits
Ekuanot suits hazy and West Coast pale ales and IPAs. It is less convincing in delicate lagers and light wheat beers, where its strength overwhelms the base. Start with a modest dose in a beer you know well so you can tell what the hop is doing.
Rub a few pellets between your fingers before every brew and smell them. Fresh Ekuanot gives lime and melon first. If the first thing you smell is onion or something flat, the hop has aged. Use less of it or save it for a stronger beer where the savoury note sits behind malt and bitterness. Keep a log of the dose, the contact time and your tasting notes for each batch. After four or five brews you will know exactly where your own line falls between depth and harshness.
Common questions
Is Ekuanot the same as Equinox?
It is the same hop. It was sold as Equinox before being renamed Ekuanot.
Why does my Ekuanot beer taste of green pepper?
Usually a heavy dose, long dry hop contact or old hops. Cut the dose, limit contact to two or three days and use fresh pellets.
How much Ekuanot should I dry hop with?
Start at about 1.5 g per litre as part of a blend and adjust by taste. Higher doses raise the savoury edge.
Can I use Ekuanot in a lager?
Yes, in small doses, but it can overpower a delicate base. Use it as a supporting hop.
