Summit hops and their tangerine and onion character

A dwarf hop with big alpha acids

Summit came out of American breeding for dwarf hop varieties, plants that grow on short trellises and can be picked more cheaply. It was released in the early 2000s and found work as a bittering hop, because its alpha acids are high, often in the mid to high teens.

It is also one of the most argued about hops in brewing. Some lots smell of fresh tangerine, orange peel and grapefruit. Others carry a distinct note of onion, garlic or chive. Brewers who got a bad lot once often refuse to use it again. Brewers who found a good lot use it happily in IPAs.

Where the onion and garlic comes from

The savoury notes come from sulphur compounds. Hops contain a range of sulphur containing molecules, from the fruity thiols that give blackcurrant and grapefruit to heavier compounds that smell of onion and garlic. Summit sits in a group of high alpha American hops, alongside varieties such as Columbus, where the savoury side shows up more often.

Brewers often link it to harvest timing, with later picked hops carrying more onion and garlic. Whatever the cause, the practical lesson is that the lot matters more than the variety name. Two bales of Summit from different farms can taste like different hops.

How brewers use Summit well

Summit has two good jobs:

• Bittering. At high alpha it bitters efficiently. Most of the sulphur aroma is driven off in a 60 minute boil. A 1,000 litre IPA at 40 IBU from the kettle, with Summit at 16% alpha and 28% utilisation, needs about 40 x 1,000 / (0.16 x 0.28 x 1,000) = 890 g.
• Whirlpool and dry hop, in a supporting role. Blended at perhaps 20 to 30% of the late hop bill with a citrus or pine hop, a clean lot of Summit adds tangerine without dominating.

Using it as the only dry hop is where problems surface. A dry hop rate of 4 to 6 g/L of a lot with any savoury tendency will put that note front and centre.

Sensory selection is the real control

The professional answer to Summit's reputation is hop selection: rubbing and smelling samples from different lots before committing. Rub a few pellets between warm palms and smell. You are looking for orange, tangerine and resin. Any onion, garlic or sweat note on the rub will be amplified in a dry hopped beer.

Smaller breweries in India rarely get to choose lots, because they buy from importers in small quantities. Ask for a sample anyway, plus the crop year. A brewery that buys 20 kg should still smell before it brews. Our guide to Idaho 7 covers another hop whose character varies sharply by lot.

Freshness and storage make it worse or better

Old, warm stored hops lose their bright fruity oils first. What remains can taste dull, cheesy or more savoury. A Summit lot that smelled of tangerine at the farm can lose much of that after months at 30 °C in an Indian warehouse.

Oxygen matters too. Dry hopping into a warm, oxygen rich tank strips fruity oils faster. Purge the tank with CO2 before the hops go in and dry hop at around 14 to 18 °C.

Store the hops in the freezer at around -18 °C, vacuum packed. Use opened packs within weeks. If a pack smells of onion or cheese when you open it, use it for bittering only, where the boil will drive most of that off.

Where Summit fits in a hop programme

For a brewpub running a core IPA, Summit is a useful cost tool. It bitters cheaply and, from a good lot, adds citrus that blends well with pine and grapefruit hops. For a head brewer it is also a lesson in why sensory skills matter as much as recipe sheets. Compare it with Superdelic, which sits at the opposite end of the savoury to candy scale.

In a hot taproom, aroma fades faster too. A Summit IPA kept warm for weeks will lose its tangerine first, leaving resin and whatever savoury note was there. Keep kegs cold from filling to pouring.

Your first step: next time a Summit order arrives, rub and smell a sample beside a known clean citrus hop before you plan the dry hop. Write down what you smell. After three or four lots you will know your supplier's Summit better than any spec sheet can tell you.

Common questions

Why do Summit hops smell like onion?

Some lots carry sulphur compounds that smell of onion and garlic. Brewers often link this to later harvest timing. The character varies by lot.

Is Summit good for bittering?

Yes. Its alpha acids are high, often in the mid to high teens. A 60 minute boil drives off most of its sulphur aroma.

How can I avoid onion notes from Summit?

Smell each lot before use, keep it in a supporting role in dry hops, store it frozen and use the boil for any lot with savoury notes.