Rakau Hop
| Purpose: | Dual |
|---|---|
| Country: | New Zealand (NZ) |
| International Code: | RKU |
| Cultivar/Brand ID: | 70-4-9 |
| Ownership: | ™ NZ Hops, Ltd. |
| Comparison | Compare with other hops |
Purchase Rakau Hops
Rakau 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.
Origin and Geneology of the Rakau Hop
Hort Research released Rakau in 2007.
New Zealand hops begin to be harvested in late February or March and continues through to early April.
Flavor & Aroma Profile of Rakau Hops
Rakau is a dual-purpose hop that can be used in all hop additions throughout the brewing process.
Specific aroma descriptors for the Rakau hop include stone fruit and fig characteristics; fresh orchard fruits, specifically apricot with some resinous pine needle characteristics are noted. Sometimes it is misspelled as Raku.
Tags: #stone_fruit #fig #fruity #apricot #pine #resin
Brewing Values for Rakau Hops
These are the common ranges that we've seen with Rakau 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 » | 9-12%10.5% avg |
|---|---|
| Beta Acid %Beta acids are a component of hop resins responsible for contributing volatile aromatic and flavor properties. Beta acids contribute no bitterness. | 5.0-6.0%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. | 2:1 - 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 » | 23-25%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 » | 1.8-2.2 mL2mL avg |
| Total Oil Breakdown: | |
| › MyrceneFlavors: resinous, citrus, fruity (β-myrcene) | 55-57%56% avg |
| › HumuleneFlavors: woody, noble, spicy (α-caryophyllene) | 16-17%16.5% avg |
| › CaryophylleneFlavors: pepper, woody, herbal (β-caryophyllene) | 5-6%5.5% avg. |
| › FarneseneFlavors: fresh, green, floral (β-farnesene) | 4-5%4.5% avg |
| › All OthersIncluding β-pinene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 15-20% |
Beer Styles using Rakau Hops
Some popular beer styles that make use of the Rakau hop include IPA, Belgian Ale, Pale Ale & Lager.
Rakau Hop Substitutions
If the Rakau 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 Rakau substitutions.
Experienced brewers have chosen the following hop varieties as substitutions of Rakau:
Is Rakau available in lupulin powder?
Unfortunately, there is no lupulin powder version of the Rakau 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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