Fuggles and East Kent Goldings in English ales

Both hops come from Kent

Kent in southeast England was the heart of English hop growing for centuries. Goldings is the older of the two, a family of closely related selections that goes back to the late eighteenth century. When grown in East Kent, the hop is sold as East Kent Goldings, often shortened to EKG. Brewers value the East Kent crop for its soft, refined aroma.

Fuggle came later. It was found as a chance seedling in Kent and introduced commercially by Richard Fuggle in 1875. It became the most widely grown English hop for decades before disease and newer varieties reduced its acreage. Our guide to English hops covers the wider family.

Fuggle is earthy while Goldings is floral

The two hops work as a pair because they are so different.

• Fuggle: around 3.5 to 5.5% alpha acid. Earthy, woody and grassy, with a hint of mint. It gives English ales a rustic, solid hop character.
• East Kent Goldings: around 4 to 6.5% alpha acid. Floral, gently spicy and slightly honeyed, sometimes described as smooth or rounded. It gives a finer, more elegant aroma.

Neither is loud. Compared with American or New Zealand hops, both are quiet. English ales use them for balance, not for a fruit bowl in the glass.

Classic English styles use them throughout

Fuggle and Goldings turn up across the English range:

• Bitter and best bitter: around 25 to 40 IBU, with Goldings for aroma.
• Mild: low bitterness, often with Fuggle for a light earthy note.
• Porter and stout: Fuggle bitterness supports roasted malt.
• English pale ale and IPA: Goldings late in the boil or as a dry hop.

A common pattern uses Fuggle for bittering and Goldings for aroma. Plenty of English brewers use Goldings throughout, or Fuggle throughout. There is no single rule.

A 20 litre best bitter to brew

Target original gravity around 1.042, final gravity around 1.010, about 4.2% ABV and 30 to 32 IBU:

• English pale ale malt: 3.4 kg (88%). Our guide to Weyermann pale ale malt covers one option.
• Medium crystal malt: 0.27 kg (7%)
• Torrified wheat: 0.19 kg (5%). Our guide to torrified wheat in English ales explains what it does for head retention.

Hops:

• Fuggle, 45 g at 60 minutes for bitterness.
• East Kent Goldings, 20 g at 15 minutes.
• East Kent Goldings, 20 g at flame-out, steeped for 15 minutes.

Mash at 66 to 67 °C. Adjust the Fuggle weight to the alpha acid on your packet. Ferment with an English ale yeast around 18 to 20 °C. Many English strains leave a little fruity ester and some residual sweetness, which suits the style.

Serve it the English way

English bitter is traditionally served with low carbonation, around 1.2 to 1.8 volumes of CO2. It is poured at cellar temperature, around 11 to 13 °C. At that temperature the earthy and floral hop notes come through clearly. Served ice cold and fizzy, the same beer tastes thin and the hops disappear.

In India, few homebrewers have a beer engine, but you can still get close. Prime bottles lightly and pour gently. Let the glass sit for a few minutes out of the fridge before drinking.

Storage matters more for quiet hops

Both hops are delicate. Old English hops lose their floral notes first and can turn cheesy or musty. For homebrewers in India, these hops are imported and usually sold in small packs. Buy from a supplier who keeps them frozen. Check the harvest year on the pack and store it in your freezer.

Here is the floor detail: crush a pellet of each between your fingers before brewing. Fresh Goldings smells of honey and flowers. Fresh Fuggle smells of earth and wood. If either smells of old cheese, use it for bittering only.

Water shapes the bitterness

English pale ales and bitters from Burton were brewed with very hard, sulphate-rich water, which gives a dry, firm bitterness. London and other cities had softer water better suited to porter and mild. Moderate sulphate suits a best bitter well. Understanding how water, malt and hops interact in these styles is a good start in brewing science.

Smell both hops side by side

Rub a few pellets of Fuggle and East Kent Goldings in separate palms and smell each. Note the earthy against the floral. Then brew the recipe above and see how both show up in the finished pint.

Common questions

What does Fuggle taste like?

Earthy, woody and grassy, with a hint of mint. It gives a rustic, solid hop character.

What does East Kent Goldings taste like?

Floral, gently spicy and slightly honeyed. It gives a smoother, more refined aroma than Fuggle.

Can I use only one of these hops?

Yes. Many English brewers use Goldings or Fuggle on its own. Using Fuggle for bitterness and Goldings for aroma is a common pattern, not a rule.

How should English bitter be served?

With low carbonation, around 1.2 to 1.8 volumes of CO2, at about 11 to 13 °C.