The Hop Chronicles | Centennial LUPOMAX (2021) Pale Ale

Author: Will Lovell

Released for public use by Washington State University in 1990, Centennial quickly became one of the most popular American hops, which earned it a top spot in the C-hop club. Haas’ LUPOMAX version of this variety promises to pack an even more pungent punch of the characteristics brewers and drinkers have come to love about Centennial.

Alpha: 14%
Beta: 5%
Cohumulone: 23 – 27% of alpha acids
Total Oil: 2.2 mL/100g
Myrcene: 55 – 65%
Humulene: 10 – 20%
Caryophyllene: 5 – 7%
Farnesene: <1.0%
Linalool: 0.6 – 0.9%
Geraniol: 1.2 – 1.8%
ß-Pinene: 0.8  – 1.0%
Parentage: Brewers Gold, Fuggle, Golding, Bavarian, unknown

Like probably anyone who has brewed more than a few batches, I’ve used Centennial hops many times over the years and love what it contributes to styles ranging Blonde Ale to Double IPA. When Haas released their LUPOMAX version, I was excited to get my hands on some for use in The Hop Chronicles!

| MAKING THE BEER |

I went with our standard Hop Chronicles Pale Ale recipe for this batch, making adjustments to the kettle hop additions to keep the bitterness in check.

Centennial LUPOMAX Pale Ale

I started this brew day by collecting the full volume of RO water, which I adjusted to my desired profile before weighing out and milling the grain.

When the water was properly heated, I incorporated the grains in my Delta Brewing AIO System.

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 before quickly chilling the wort with my immersion chiller.

After transferring the wort to a sanitized Kegmenter, I took a refractometer reading showing the wort was a couple points lower than my target OG, but nothing that concerned me.

After transferring the wort to a sanitized fermented, I direct pitched a single pouch of Imperial Yeast A07 Flagship.

The beer was left to ferment at 66°F/19°C for 9 days 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 21 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: To put it simply– I loved this beer! Not only did it have the citrus, pine, and floral characteristics I expect from a Centennial hopped Pale Ale, but I perceived it all as being more pungent, which is awesome. I was not upset to have this single-hop beer on tap!

| CONCLUSION |

Centennial has more than earned itself a seat at the table of classic American hops, which is evidenced by the fact it’s still one of the top 10 most commonly used varieties over 30 years after its release. With Haas’ LUPOMAX version of this classic, brewers can get more of the characteristics they so desire while adding less vegetal matter to their beer, which has the benefits of reducing the risk of certain off-flavors while increasing yield.

The most prominent aroma and flavor characteristics noted by people who evaluated a Pale Ale made solely with Centennial LUPOMAX were citrus, tropical fruit, pine, and floral while onion/garlic, melon, and berry were the least endorsed characteristics. Moreover, a majority of tasters rated the hop pungency of this beer as being strong to extreme, presumably as a function of the concentrated LUPOMAX, which likely explains why IPA/APA was the style most felt it would work well in.

In addition to having brewed with Centennial many times, I’ve consumed many commercial beers made with it, and I absolutely love this variety. When planning out this single-hop Centennial LUPOMAX Pale Ale, I was confident I’d enjoy it, but I didn’t expect it to be as great as it was. As far as the wonky preference ratings, I think it’s important to note that many of tasters who evaluated this beer are big fans of modern Hazy IPA, which this THC Pale Ale was not; rather than soft and juicy, this beer was crisp, clear, bitter, and had a notable pine character that reminded me of the beginning of my craft beer journey.

Centennial LUPOMAX 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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