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CTZ Hop

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Purpose:Dual
Country:United States of America (USA)
International Code:CTZ
ComparisonCompare with other hops

Purchase CTZ Hops

CTZ hops are available to be purchased at multiple suppliers. We've conveniently linked to the most popular hop suppliers as well as Amazon.com. Every supplier may have different prices, harvest years and amounts available for purchase.

Adventures in Homebrewing More Beer! Northwest Hop Farms Hop Alliance Austin Homebrew Northern Brewer Atlantic Brewing Supply Yakima Valley Hops

Origin and Geneology of the CTZ Hop

Although genetically different, Zeus, Columbus and Tomahawk are often referred to as part of CTZ. CTZ however is not a specific hop, but instead a name given to a trio of similar hops. The exact lineage of CTZ is unknown, however it is widely assumed that Brewer’s Gold and several undisclosed American varieties played significant parenting roles. It was developed in the 1980s by Charles Zimmerman who had worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture until 1979 and who subsequently held positions with various private hop-processing and trading companies. CTZ is one of the most produced hops every crop year.

US hops begin to be harvested in mid-to-late August for most aroma varieties.

Flavor & Aroma Profile of CTZ Hops

CTZ is a dual-purpose hop that can be used in all hop additions throughout the brewing process.

CTZ hops have aroma descriptors that include black pepper, licorice, curry and subtle citrus. CTZ stands for (Columbus Tomahawk and Zeus), which are three slightly different varieties. All have virtually identical brewing values and aromas. It can be used in the boil, whirlpool or via dry hopping.

Read More: The Rise and Eventual Fall of the CTZ Hop

Tags: #black_pepper  #licorice  #curry  #citrus  #cannabis  #dank 



Brewing Values for CTZ Hops

These are the common ranges that we've seen with CTZ hops over the years. Each year's crop can yield hops that have slightly different qualities, so these number ranges are based on history.

Alpha Acid % (AA)
Alpha acids are the main source of bitterness in beer. Longer boil times will result in isomerization of more alpha acids leading to increased bitterness. Learn more »
14.5-17%
15.8% avg
Beta Acid %Beta acids are a component of hop resins responsible for contributing volatile aromatic and flavor properties. Beta acids contribute no bitterness.4.5-5.5%
5% avg
Alpha-Beta RatioThe ratio of alpha to beta acids dictates the degree to which bitterness fades during aging. 1:1 ratios are common in aroma varieties.3:1 - 4:1
3:1 avg
Hop Storage Index (HSI)The HSI indicates the percent of alpha and beta acids lost after 6 months of storage at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). The freshest hops will always be the best.25% (Good)
0.249
Co-Humulone as % of AlphaLow cohumulone hops may impart a smoother bitterness when added to the boil as opposed to higher ones that add a sharper bitterness to the final beer. Learn more »28-35%
31.5% avg
Total Oils (mL/100g)These highly volatile, not very soluble oils are easily boiled off, but add flavor and aroma to the finished beer when added very late in the boil or during fermentation. Learn more »2.5-4.5 mL
3.5mL avg
Total Oil Breakdown:
›  MyrceneFlavors: resinous, citrus, fruity (β-myrcene) 45-55%
50% avg
›  HumuleneFlavors: woody, noble, spicy (α-caryophyllene) 9-14%
11.5% avg
›  CaryophylleneFlavors: pepper, woody, herbal (β-caryophyllene) 6-10%
8% avg.
›  FarneseneFlavors: fresh, green, floral (β-farnesene) 0-1%
0.5% avg
›  All OthersIncluding β-pinene, linalool, geranoil & selinene 20-40%

Hop Pairings with CTZ Hops

Some hops just taste better together. We recently analyzed [1] hundreds of the most popular beers to find which hops are commonly paired together. We found that Simcoe, Centennial, Amarillo & Cascade hops are commonly used alongside the CTZ hop. This is not a complete list, but should give you a good idea of what hops are commonly used together.

Here is the relative frequency of the top 4 hops that are used with CTZ:



Beer Styles using CTZ Hops

Some popular beer styles that make use of the CTZ hop include IPA, American Pale Ale, Stout, Barleywine, Lager & Imperial Stout.

CTZ Hop Substitutions

If the CTZ hop is hard to find or if you are simply out of it on brew day, you can try to substitute it with a similar hop. The old way of choosing replacement hops was done by experience and "feel". There is nothing wrong with that way. However, we wanted to build a data-driven tool to find your CTZ substitutions.

Experienced brewers have chosen the following hop varieties as substitutions of CTZ:

  • Columbus
  • Tomahawk
  • Zeus

Is CTZ available in lupulin powder?

Unfortunately, there is no lupulin powder version of the CTZ hop. Neither Yakima Chief Hops (Cryo/LupuLN2), Haas (Lupomax) or Hopsteiner have created versions of this hop variety in lupulin powder form yet. Too bad too - it is pure hop lupulin powder, which leads to huge, concentrated flavor when used in the whirlpool or dry hop additions.

Embed This Information

You can embed the information we have on the CTZ hop on your own website. Just copy the code below and paste it anywhere on your site.

<div class="bmhop" data-hop="178"></div>
<script src="https://beermaverick.com/embed.js?v1"></script>

If you see an error in our data, please let us know!

We are not affiliated with any hop manufacturer. All copyrights and data are provided by their respective owners.

References:
  1. https://beermaverick.com/the-most-common-hops-used-in-ipas/
  2. https://beermaverick.com/analyzing-the-usa-hop-production-statistics-of-2019/

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