Home Brewing Advice: Hop Substitution Chart
Hop Substitution Chart:
The guide below shows which hops are used in which beers and provides suitable substitutes.
Hop Name
Hop Alpha
Acid %
Acid %
Common Beer
Styles
Styles
Possible Hop
Substitutions
Substitutions
Hop Characteristics
Admiral (U.K.)
13.5% to 16%
Ale
U.K. Target, U.K. Northdown, U.K. Challenger
Known for its bittering potential.
Ahtanum
4% to 6.3%
American APA, American IPA, Light lagers
Cascade or Amarillo
Floral, citrus, sharp, and piney.
Amarillo
8% to 9%
Ale, IPA
Cascade, Centennial
Citrusy, flowery.
Aurora (Slovenia)
8% to 10%
Ale
U.S. Fuggle, U.K. Fuggle, Willamette
Delicate, slightly spicy.
Bramling Cross (U.K.)
5% to 7%
ESB, bitter, pale ale
U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Progress, Whitbread Golding
Quite mild, fruity currant aroma.
Brewer's Gold
7% to 8.5%
English ale
Bullion
Bittering hop with neutral aroma character.
Brewer's Gold (German)
6% to 7%
Ale, heavier German-style lagers
Northdown, Northern Brewer, Galena, Bullion
Black currant, fruity, spicy.
Bullion
6.5% to 9%
IPA, ESB, stout
Columbus, Northern Brewer, German Brewer's Gold
A rich hop primarily used for bittering. Intense blackcurrant aroma.
Cascade
4.5% to 7%
Pale ale, IPA, porter, barley wine
Centennial, Amarillo, possibly Columbus
Pleasant, flowery, spicy, and citrusy. Can have a grapefruit flavour.
Challenger (U.K.)
6.5% to 8.5%
English-style ales, porter, stout, ESB, bitter
U.S. or German Perle, Northern Brewer
Mild to moderate, quite spicy.
Chinook
10% to 14%
Pale ale, IPA, stout, porter, lager
Nugget, Columbus, Northern Brewer, U.K. Target
Mild to medium-heavy, spicy, piney, and grapefruity.
Cluster
5.5% to 8.5%
Ale and lager (good aroma for ale, good bittering for lager)
Galena
Medium and quite spicy.
Columbus
11% to 16%
IPA, pale ale, stout
Nugget, Chinook, U.K. Target, Northern Brewer
Pleasant, with pungent aroma.
Crystal
2% to 4.5%
Lager, pilsner, ESB
Mt. Hood, Hersbrucker, French Strisslespalt, Liberty, Hallertauer
Mild and pleasant, spicy and flowery.
East Kent Golding (U.K.)
4% to 5.5%
All English-style ales, ESB, bitter
U.S. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress
Gentle, fragrant, and pleasant.
Eroica
9% to 12%
Wheat
Galena, Nugget, Chinook
Strong but pleasant aroma.
First Gold (U.K.)
6.5% to 8.5%
Ale, ESB
U.K. Kent Golding, maybe Crystal
A little like Golding family; spicy.
Fuggles (U.S.)
4% to 5.5%
Any English-style beer or American ale
U.K. Fuggle, Willamette, Styrian Golding, U.S. Tettnanger
Mild and pleasant, earthy and fruity.
Fuggles (U.K.)
4% to 5.5%
All English-style ales, ESB, bitter, lager
U.S. Fuggle, Willamette, Styrian Golding
Mild, pleasant, hoppy, and robust.
Galena
10% to 14%
Ale, porter, stout, ESB, bitter
Nugget, Pride of Ringwood, Chinook
Medium but pleasant hoppiness, citrusy.
Goldings (U.K.)
4% to 6%
Pale ale, ESB, all English-style beer
U.K. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress, and possibly the Fuggle family
Mild, extremely pleasant, and gently hoppy.
Hallertauer (U.S.)
3.5% to 5.5%
Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat
Liberty, Ultra, Hallertauer Tradition
Very mild, pleasant, and slightly flowery, some spicy.
Hallertauer Gold
6% to 6.5%
German and American Lagers
Crystal, Mt. Hood
Known for its aromatic properties similar to Hallertauer.
Hallertauer Mittelfrüh
3% to 5.5%
Lager, bock, wheat, maybe pilsner
Liberty, German Tradition, Ultra
Mild and pleasant.
Hallertauer Tradition (Ger.)
3.5% to 5.5%
Mild-flavored beers
Crystal, Liberty
Known for its aromatic properties. A replacement for Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
Hallertau Hersbrucker (German)
3% to 5.5%
Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat
Mt. Hood, French Strisslespalt
Mild to semi-strong, pleasant, hoppy.
Horizon
11% to 14%
Ale, lager
Magnum or a high-alpha hop
Pleasantly hoppy.
Liberty
3% to 6%
Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat
Hallertauer Tradition, Hallertauer, Mt. Hood
Mild and clean aroma, slightly spicy character.
Magnum
13% to 15%
All beers, particularly lager, pilsner, stout
Northern Brewer
Known for bittering value and quality.
Mt. Hood
3% to 8%
Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat
Crystal, French Strisslespalt, Hersbrucker
Mild, pleasant, and clean, somewhat pungent and resiny.
Northdown (U.K.)
7.5% to 9.5%
All ales, porter
Nugget, Chinook.
Fruity with some spiciness.
Northern Brewer (U.K.)
6% to 10%
ESB, bitter, English pale ale, porter, California (steam) beer
Nugget, Chinook.
Medium-strong with some wild tones.
Northern Brewer (German)
7% to 10%
ESB, bitter, English pale ale, porter
Chinook, U.S. Northern Brewer
Medium-strong with some wild tones.
Northwest Golding
4% to 5%
Ale, porter, stout, ESB, bitter
U.S. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress
Known for aromatic properties.
Nugget
11% to 14.5%
Light lager
Columbus, Chinook, U.K. Target, Galena
Quite heavy and herbal.
Olympic
11% to 13%
Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat
Chinook
Mild to medium, citrusy aroma, spicy.
Perle (U.S.)
6% to 9.5%
Pale ale, porter, German styles
Northern Brewer, Cluster, Galena, Chinook
Known for its aromatic and bittering properties, pleasant and slightly spicy.
Perle (German)
6% to 8.5%
Pale ale, porter, lager
U.S. Perle, Northern Brewer
Moderately intense, good and hoppy, fruity and a little spicy.
Phoenix (U.K.)
4.2% to 5.5%
All ales
U.K. Northdown, U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Challenger
Similar to U.K. Challenger.
Pioneer (U.K.)
8% to 10%
Ale, ESB
U.K. Kent Golding
A mild, typical English aroma.
Polish Lublin
3% to 4.5%
Pilsner
U.S. Saaz, Czech Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger
Mild and typical of noble aroma types, spicy, herbal.
Pride of Ringwood (Australia)
7% to 10%
Australian lager
Galena, Cluster
Quite pronounced, woody, earthy, herbal.
Progress (U.K.)
5% to 7.5%
Ale, bitter, ESB, porter
U.K. Kent Golding, Fuggle
Moderately strong, good aroma.
Saaz (Czech)
3% to 4.5%
Pilsner
U.S. Saaz, Polish Lublin
Very mild with pleasant hoppy notes, earthy, spicy, and herbal.
Saaz (U.S.)
3% to 5%
Pilsner, lager, wheat
Czech Saaz, Polish Lublin
Mild and pleasant, earthy and spicy.
Santiam
5% to 7.9%
Lager, American ale, pilsner
German Tettnanger, German Spalt, German Spalt Select
Noble characteristics.
Satus
12.5% to 14%
German lagers
Galena
Known for its bittering and aromatic properties.
Simcoe
12% to 14%
Pale Ales and American Ales
Amarillo and Chinook
A bittering and aromatic hop.
Spalt (German)
4% to 5.5%
Lager
U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt Select
Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy.
Spalt Select (German)
4% to 6%
Lager, and any beer where noble aroma is wanted
U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt
Very fine Spalter-type aroma.
Spalt Select (U.S.)
3% to 5%
German lagers
Tettnanger, Saaz
Medium intensity and pleasant hoppy qualities. Medium-strong aroma with wild American tones.
Sterling
6% to 9%
Lager, ale, pilsner
Saaz, Polish Lublin
Herbal, spicy, pleasant aroma, hint of floral and citrus.
Strisslespalt (France)
3% to 5%
Pilsner, lager, wheat
Mt. Hood, Crystal, Hersbrucker
Medium intensity, pleasant, hoppy.
Styrian Golding (Slovenia)
4.5% to 6%
All English-style ales, ESB, bitter, lager
U.S. Fuggle, U.K. Fuggle, Willamette
Delicate, slightly spicy.
Summit
17.5% to 19.5%
IPAs, Imperial IPAs
Simcoe
Orange, tangerine, citrus notes.
Target (U.K.)
9.5% to 12.5%
All ale and lager
Fuggle, Willamette
Pleasant English hop aroma, quite intense.
Tettnanger (U.S.)
3.4% to 5.2%
German ales and lagers, American lagers, wheat
German Spalt, Czech Saaz Santiam
An aromatic hop, mild and slightly spicy.
Tettnanger (German)
3.5% to 5.5%
Lager, ale
German Spalt, German Spalt Select, U.S. Tettnanger, Saaz
Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, herbal.
Tomahawk
15% to 17%
Ale
Columbus
Primarily a bittering hop.
Tradition (German)
5% to 7%
Lager, pilsner
Hersbrucker, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh
Very fine and similar to Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
Ultra
2% to 4.1%
Lager, pilsner, wheat, finish hop in ales
Liberty, Hallertauer Tradition, Saaz
Very good to outstanding, some Saaz-like qualities. Aromatic properties similar to Hallertauer.
Vanguard
4% to 5.67%
German style beer and Wheat
Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh
Aroma similar to continental European types.
Warrior
15% to 17%
Ale, stout
Nugget
A bittering and aromatic hop.
WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety) (U.K.)
5% to 7%
Ale
U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Progress
Quite pleasant and hoppy, moderately intense.
Willamette
3.5% to 6%
Pale ale, ESB, bitter, English-style ale, porter, stout
U.S. Fuggle, U.S. Tettnanger, Styrian Golding
Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, fruity, floral, a little earthy.
Yakima Cluster
6% to 8.5%
American barley Wines and Ales
Chinook
Used as a kettle hop for bittering.
Zeus
13% to 17%
Pale Ales and American IPA
Columbus
Aromatic and pleasant.
