The Hop Chronicles | Motueka (2021) Pale Lager

Author: Will Lovell

Bred by crossing a selection from the New Zealand breeding program with a Saaz-type variety, Motueka takes its name from a hop growing region in New Zealand and is said to impart beer with lime notes when used later in the brewing process. Given its moderate alpha acid level and relatively low cohumulone content, Motueka is also capable of contributing a pleasant bitterness that’s not too sharp.

Alpha: 6.5 – 7.5%
Beta: 5.0 – 5.5%
Cohumulone: 29% of alpha acids
Total Oil: 0.8 mL/100g
Myrcene: 47.7%
Humulene: 3.6%
Caryophyllene: 2%
Farnesene: 12.2%
Linalool: 1.5 – 1.6%
Geraniol: 0%
ß-Pinene: not available
Parentage: New Zealand breeding program selection crossed with a Saazer variety

While I’ve used Motueka a few times over the years, it’s always been in conjunction with other varieties, and often in more hop-forward styles. Given its Saazer lineage, I was excited to see how it worked when used on its own in a pale lager.

| MAKING THE BEER |

This being the first Hop Chronicles where the style was not a hoppy Pale Ale, I worked with the crew to develop a simple pale lager recipe we felt would accentuate the hop character despite the lower dosage rates.

Motueka Pale Lager

The night prior to brewing, I collected the full volume of RO water, which I later adjusted to my desired profile.

Next, I weighed out and milled the grain.

When the water was properly heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to ensure the mash was at my desired temperature.

During the mash rest, I prepared the kettle hop additions.

Once the 60 minute mash was complete, I removed the grains and proceeded to boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times stated in the recipe.

When the boil was complete, I quickly chilled the wort then transferred it to a sanitized Kegmenter.

A refractometer reading showed the wort was at my target OG.

After transferring the wort to a sanitized fermented, I direct pitched a single pouch of Imperial Yeast L13 Global.

The beer was left to ferment at 64°F/17°C for a week before I took a hydrometer measurement confirming FG was reached.

With fermentation complete, I cold-crashed the beer then pressure-transferred it to a CO2 purged keg, which was placed in my kegerator and burst carbonated overnight before the gas was reduced to serving pressure. After a couple weeks of conditioning, it was ready to serve to blind tasters.

| METHOD |

Participants were instructed to focus only on the aromatic qualities of the beer before evaluating the flavor. For each aroma and flavor descriptor, tasters were asked to write-in the perceived strength of that particular characteristic on a 0-9 scale where a rating of 0 meant they did not perceive the character at all and a 9 rating meant the character was extremely strong. Once the data was collected, the average rating of each aroma and flavor descriptor was compiled and analyzed.

| RESULTS |

A total of 23 people participated in the evaluation of this beer, all blind to the hop variety used until after they completed the survey. The average aroma and flavor ratings for each descriptor were plotted on a radar graph.

Average Ratings of Aroma and Flavor Perceptions

The 3 characteristics endorsed as being most prominent by participants:

The 3 characteristics endorsed as being least prominent by participants:

Next, participants were asked to rate the pungency/strength of the hop.

Tasters were then instructed to identify beer styles they thought the hop would work well in.

Finally, participants were asked to rate how much they enjoyed the hop character on a 1 to 10 scale.

My Impressions: Despite the relatively low hopping rate I used in this beer, I perceived a noticeable citrus character, namely lime and lemon, which was nicely balanced by the bready pilsner malt.

| CONCLUSION |

As the progeny of a Saazer-type hop, it’s a fair assumption that Motueka would work well in pale lager, though given the region in which it was developed, one might also presume it packs a more fruity punch. Indeed, this New Zealand variety is said to impart beer with citrus and sweet fruit notes as opposed the floral and spicy characteristics expected of classic noble hops.

The most prominent characteristic noted by tasters of a pale lager hopped solely with Motueka was citrus, followed closely by apple/pear and tropical fruit, while less desirable notes of onion/garlic and dank/catty were the lowest rated descriptors. The majority of tasters rated the hop pungency as mild, which may be a function of the lower hopping rate overall, and most seemed to enjoy the beer. Finally, pale lager and Blonde Ale were the styles tasters thought Motueka would work best in.

Personally, while I felt the hop character in this Motueka Pale Lager was somewhat unidimensional, I still really enjoyed the way the zesty lime and lemon melded with the bready pilsner malt. As someone whose use of Motueka had always been in hoppier styles prior to this batch, I definitely see myself using it in less assertive styles in the future, perhaps alongside other varieties as a way to add a touch of complexity.

Motueka hops are available now at Yakima Valley Hops, get some while you can! If you have any thoughts on this variety, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.

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