Minstrel Hop
| Purpose: | Dual |
|---|---|
| Country: | United Kingdom (UK) |
| International Code: | MIN |
| Ownership: | ® Charles Faram & Co Ltd. |
| Comparison | Compare with other hops |
Purchase Minstrel Hops
This hop was discontinued, and it is not available for purchase.
Origin and Geneology of the Minstrel Hop
Minstrel is a seedling of Sovereign, dwarf and was planted in 2006 as part of the Charles Faram Hop Development Program. It was released commercially in 2012. In 2016, breeders started to see some confusing symptoms of Verticillium wilt, and by 2020, the decision was to halt production of this hop due to its poor disease resistance.
English hops begin to be harvested annually in the fall starting at the beginning of September, and often continuing into early October.
Flavor & Aroma Profile of Minstrel Hops
Minstrel is a dual-purpose hop that can be used in all hop additions throughout the brewing process.
The Minstrel hop has herbal, orange, and spiced berry aromas. It also has a mild bitterness, that is not unlike Challenger.
Tags: #herbal #spicy #berry #orange
Brewing Values for Minstrel Hops
These are the common ranges that we've seen with Minstrel 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 » | 5-7%6% avg |
|---|---|
| Beta Acid %Beta acids are a component of hop resins responsible for contributing volatile aromatic and flavor properties. Beta acids contribute no bitterness. | 3-3.5%3.3% 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. | 1:1 - 2:12:1 avg |
| 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 » | 22-26%24% 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 » | 0.5-0.7 mL0.6mL avg |
| Total Oil Breakdown: | |
| › MyrceneFlavors: resinous, citrus, fruity (β-myrcene) | 22-25%23.5% avg |
| › HumuleneFlavors: woody, noble, spicy (α-caryophyllene) | 1-4%2.5% avg |
| › CaryophylleneFlavors: pepper, woody, herbal (β-caryophyllene) | Unknown |
| › FarneseneFlavors: fresh, green, floral (β-farnesene) | 7-9%8% avg |
| › All OthersIncluding β-pinene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 62-70% |
Minstrel Hop Substitutions
If the Minstrel 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 Minstrel substitutions.
Experienced brewers have chosen the following hop varieties as substitutions of Minstrel:
Is Minstrel available in lupulin powder?
Unfortunately, there is no lupulin powder version of the Minstrel 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.
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