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Interpreting hop certificates of analysis

Pixel3 — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 12:37:32 +0000

Understanding hop analysis is key to producing beer of consistent quality. Hops are a natural ingredient produced by a highly specialised horticultural system in temperate regions around the world, which means they are subject to seasonal and lot-by-lot variations. Hop analysis gives brewers the opportunity to optimise their process to achieve consistency and efficiency.

This information is intended to be a high-level practical introduction to interpreting hop analyses, and their relationship with brewing performance and beer quality. It will not explore the hop production process or how these parameters are controlled by the hop suppliers.

Hop requirements in the brewery

The basic attributes of hops should meet the following requirements:

Normal colour, specifications, flavour and aroma
Intact and appropriate packaging and product type
Accurate labelling as to variety, origin, production date and bittering potential
Free from contamination and safe for use in beer production

Product types

Hop suppliers typically provide certificates of analysis (CoAs) for dried whole hop cones or hop pellets, but they can also provide CoAs for alternate product types upon request. For instance, green hops are available during harvest, have a very short-shelf life, and typically make up a minor component of the annual hop requirement for a brewery.

Dried whole hop cones are the most natural, unprocessed product type, and can be used to form a filter bed when straining the boiled wort or dry hopping. They are picked, dried and pressed into bales, which can be broken down into smaller, vacuum sealed quantities.

Hop pellets are dried whole hop cones that have been milled into powder and pressed through a pellet die. Different milling technology allows for the production of various pellet types. The most common are T90 (standard), T45 (lupulin enriched) and pre-isomerised.

Certificates of analysis and specifications

Brewers can use CoAs to anticipate process changes required to achieve consistent brewing results, and to verify compliance with hop specifications.

Most product types will be supplied in sealed, oxygen barrier laminated foils that have been back-flushed with inert gas (carbon dioxide or nitrogen) and packed in cardboard cartons.

As a minimum, each carton should be labelled with variety, producer, crop year, production date, batch identification numbers, product type, net weight and bittering potential (alpha acid contents and analysis method). There is no standardisation of CoA information. In their most basic form a CoA will cover the same information as the carton labels, but some more detailed CoAs may include additional information such as essential oil content, moisture content or agricultural chemical residue reporting.

Typical hop analyses and their significance

Drivers of variability in analytical hop quality outcomes

Accuracy and inter-laboratory error in hop analysis

When assessing compliance with hop specifications, it is important to note many of the methods published by European Brewery Convention (EBC) and American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) for measuring the above analytes have high standard deviations and inter-laboratory error. The ASBC run an international check sample service that is focused on the analysis of bitter acids using titration, spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There are currently no inter-laboratory comparisons made for determination of moisture content, oil content or essential oil profiles.

Food safety issues

Hops that are used in brewing are a food ingredient. This means producers are required to ensure all typical food safety requirements are met. Suppliers should be able to provide allergen and residue statements.

Beyond CoAs

Hop CoAs and label information describe the hops at the time of packaging. Chemical changes that affect performance in beer may occur if the hops are transported, stored and/or handled improperly at any stage of the supply chain.

Hop Central earns FSSC certification

jAmieaDMin27 — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 23:19:12 +0000

At HPA, delivering high-quality products isn’t just about the hops we grow, it’s also about how we process them. We adhere to various quality and food safety certification systems across our sites. These structured frameworks help us consistently deliver on our promise to deliver the highest possible quality hops, giving brewers confidence in every carton we sell.

Hop Central was recently Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 certified. This significant milestone provides a framework for auditing and certifying HPA’s food safety management systems. It is based on the international standard ISO 22000 and incorporates additional requirements specific to businesses that process or manufacture natural ingredients. This certification demonstrates HPA’s ability to manage food safety risks, prevent food fraud, and comply with industry standards.

We chose to pursue FSSC 22000 certification for Hop Central, instead of ISO 22000, because of the additional requirements recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). This adds another layer of trust and assurance for our customers whilst integrating seamlessly with our existing ISO quality management system.

FSSC 22000 certification confirms that Hop Central follows globally recognised best practice to produce the highest quality hop pellets, in a consistent and compliant manner. It also ensures that our processes are not only effective today but are continuously monitored and future proofed.

Our farms, along with our head office, are International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9001 and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) CXC 1-1969 certified. ISO 9001 sets the benchmark for quality management systems, helping us streamline processes and ensure consistent product quality. While HACCP CXC 1-1969 is a globally recognised food safety system that identifies and mitigates potential hazards in production. Together, they form a strong foundation for managing quality and safety throughout our supply chain.

Structured certifications like FSSC, ISO and HACCP aren’t just boxes for HPA to tick, they reflect our deep commitment to regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement of our practices. They support a culture of accountability and excellence, ensuring that each part of our process, from propagation to pellet, meets internationally recognised standards.

At HPA, we’re proud to be part of a global brewing community that values quality and consistency. Our certifications reflect the seriousness with which we take our role in that ecosystem, ensuring that the hops you rely on are grown, handled, and processed with the same care that you have for your beers.

The BarthHaas Group Commits to Science Based Targets Initiative

jAmieaDMin27 — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:54:34 +0000

The BarthHaas Group joins global movement for climate action by committing to set a near-term emissions reduction target with the Science Based Targets initiative.

Thursday 12 February 2026. The BarthHaas Group has reaffirmed their commitment to a sustainable future of high-quality beer and beyond. The world’s leading supplier of hops, innovative hop products and hop-related services has joined a global community of more than 11,000 companies that are taking meaningful action on climate change. They have committed to set a near-term science-based targets aligned with the 1.5°C pathway, the most ambitious level defined by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to keep global warming below catastrophic levels.

“This reflects our long-standing commitment to sustainable innovation and our responsibility to reduce emissions in line with the latest climate science,” said Laxmi Pandit, Sustainability Manager at John I. Haas. As part of its commitment, BarthHaas will follow the SBTi rule that Scope 1 and 2 targets must cover at least 95% of corporate emissions under operational control. Also, since value-chain emissions often dominate agricultural and processing industries, BarthHaas will also establish a Scope 3 target in line with SBTi requirements.

BarthHaas’ Global Sustainability Group is creating greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and calculating their minimum decarbonization requirements. “We see global group-wide collaboration as an opportunity to advance our sustainability efforts through shared knowledge and complementary resources” said Christian Kammerer, Global Sustainability Coordinator for the BarthHaas group. The next step will be preparing a draft emission reduction roadmap with a 5–10 year target timeframe from the base year that will be submitted to the SBTi for approval later this year.

Different measures will take precedence across the BarthHaas group’s different sites. Some sites are focused on using production waste as biological fuel for heat generation and on expanding photovoltaic systems to generate green electricity. Other sites are considering merging production facilities to leverage synergies and recover process gases. “Horticultural productivity both impacts and is impacted by the changing climate. This makes mitigation
and adaptation key to the continued supply of high-quality hops. Our SBTi commitment will enable us to define decarbonization strategies that are appropriate for our sector. We see great potential for emissions reduction, particularly in the use of renewable energy sources.” said George Webster, Sustainability Manager at Hop Products Australia. Intensified cooperation with suppliers is also on the agenda to align with SBTi targets. Customers and stakeholders will be able to track progress through annual climate reporting via CDP, meeting SBTi’s requirements for transparent annual disclosure.

The SBTi is a collaboration between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that enables companies worldwide to play their part in combating the climate crisis. They have developed standards, tools and guidance that allow companies to set emission reduction targets in line with climate science.

“By aligning with the SBTi, the BarthHaas group intends to set an ambitious emission reduction target, and we encourage others in our industry to make a similar commitment. Together, we can help reduce global emissions and build a better future for our planet, our communities, and our customers” said Tamanda Whittle, Quality and Sustainability Liaison Coordinator for BarthHaas UK.

No luck about it

HPaadMin37 — Tue, 26 May 2026 00:44:38 +0000

The 2026 Perth Royal Food Awards – Beer attracted more than 482 entries from 46 breweries. Competing across 5 special trophy, 17 trophy, and 79 different medal categories.

Lucky Bay Brewing took home 2 trophies including Best Hybrid/Specialty Packaged for their Barley Chardonay and the special trophy for Champion Small Brewery, proudly sponsored by HPA. If that wasn’t enough, they also took home 19 medals, including 7 golds in multiple categories. After giving them some time to celebrate their awards, we got in touch with owners Nigel Metz and Robyn Cail to congratulate them and ask a few questions about their beers.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2026 Perth Royal Food Awards – Beer. You went home with the trophy for Best Hybrid/Specialty Packaged and a special trophy for Champion Small Brewery. What does this recognition mean to you?

A: (Nigel Metz) Because Champion Brewery is judged over a combination of your best-scoring beers, to win Champion Brewery is a really great thing for us. It endorses the work that our brew team does in making consistent beers across our whole range. It really shows that the care and attention they’ve put in has paid off. We’re really grateful for that, because it’s the backbone of our business and who we are. We make good beer from the grain we grow in our region

Q: You also earned a slew of medals, including 7 gold, 4 silver and 8 bronze. What’s the secret to making award-winning beers across multiple categories?

A: (Nigel Metz) For me, the secret to consistent beer is attention to detail throughout the whole process. And for award-winning beer, obviously you pick your ingredients carefully — but choose wisely. Don’t try to put everything into it. Really focus on the beer and let the ingredients be the spotlight. From there, it’s about consistency in production, care, and repeatability in your process. Our Head Brewer Rob’s work with quality control and his team has really paid off there, and we’re very grateful for that. It gives us confidence that our production team is consistently producing good-quality beer.

Q: Of all your beers that medalled, which 3 mean the most and why?

A: (Nigel Metz) One beer that means a lot to me is the Barley Chardonnay. The idea came from Jack on our brew team — combining wine-like flavours while still using grain as the base. It became a really interesting hybrid project that we developed with the help of Galafrey Wines and their barrels, alongside our local grain. It’s a uniquely local story around that product. It’s also fantastic to receive a gold medal for our NZ Juicy. In craft beer, having a hoppy-style beer awarded is a real endorsement of the brew team’s ability to make a great hoppy beer.

The Honey Sour is another special one. It’s a beer we’ve been working on for a number of years, but it’s really found its place now. We’ve refined it, much to the delight of our local honey producer, who insists we should be making a lot more of it. It’s great to have that local resource. It’s actually the only beer where we don’t use local grain — instead, we use Esperance honey, combined with corn from the Ord River region. That’s what makes it gluten free.

Then to have gold medal awards spread across beers like Thistle Cove amber ale (low alcohol), Black Jack porter and The Mountaineer barrel aged barley wine — which are more malt-driven and even low-alcohol styles — shows the breadth of flavour profiles we’re producing.

Q: On the journey from homebrewer to award-winning craft brewery, what’s the biggest milestone you’ve celebrated?

A: (Nigel Metz) Being a Champion Brewery is definitely one of our biggest milestones in beer production. And we’ve now won it twice – first in 2021 and now again in 2026, which gives us a real sense of pride in producing good-quality beer.

We never started out as home brewers. We came more from environmental and agricultural science backgrounds. But we were able to find brewing expertise and bring those people into the team. Our neighbour was a home brewer, and Rob was a home brewer too. Bringing together that expertise and passion with our desire to showcase local ingredients has been really satisfying. Working with Rob, Jack, Katie, and the production team, alongside our vision of creating beer with ingredients that focus on distinct flavour profiles — that’s been incredibly rewarding. Those flavours are uniquely linked to where we’re from: Esperance, in the southeast of Western Australia.

Q: Do you have a favourite Aussie hop?

A: (Rob Halford) Eclipse is definitely a favourite amongst the team it just goes so well into anything requiring bit of extra punch, we feel it complements other hops in its category really well.

A personal favourite of mine is Enigma, it’s hard to put into words, but there is something about it that I really like. I just feel it has a unique flavour profile that stands out amongst the rest.

Q: Talk us through The Local and The Southerly. We hear you’re sourcing hops from right around the corner in Esperance! What beer styles are they and which hop varieties are you using?

A: (Rob Halford) The Southerly we make as a hoppy lager (~4%), we try to give the hops a chance to be the main focal point for the beer. It’s an interesting beer to make as the seasonal variety makes the beer unique from year to year. This is now the 6^th year that we have created The Southerly, Aaron from Great Southern Hops picks them and drives them over from Albany as soon as possible. We try to line everything up so once he arrives, they are basically thrown straight into the whirlpool. It’s a big job to get them in as fresh as possible as we are just so far from everyone.

The Local on the other hand we make as a bit of a stronger pale ale (~5%), this beer is a bit easier as the hops don’t have to travel such a large distance, Kevin Young has a hobby hop farm here in Esperance and has been slowly building up over the last couple of years. It’s been great to see the quality and yield increase as the hop plants mature.

In terms of the varieties used they both contain Beedelup and Victoria, the reason behind this being they tend to be the varieties that thrive in the conditions in Esperance and Albany. This results in the best flavour and aroma profile for us as brewers and also yield for the farmer.

A: (Nigel Metz) The south coast is cooler and more temperate, and we’re fortunate to have opportunities within the Great Southern and South Coast regions.

Firstly, there’s Aaron at Great Southern Hops, just out of Albany. He has an absolute passion for growing hops in a climate that’s a little different from where hops traditionally come from. There are challenges in that, but he’s done great work breaking ground with hop production in our region. Then, closer to home in Esperance, there’s Kevin Young — a retired plant breeder. Kevin has a wealth of agronomic experience in crop production that’s nationally, if not internationally, recognised in wheat and barley breeding. As a retirement project, he’s crossing hops and experimenting with small-scale production. It’ll never be massive production, but it’s uniquely local and backed by some of the sharpest agronomy knowledge in Australia. Kevin’s been a huge supporter of Lucky Bay Brewing and of the region’s grain production. One of the beers we produce from that collaboration is called The Local — and you don’t get much more local than Kevin Young.

The hops we grow in our region aren’t necessarily the same varieties that thrive elsewhere. Aaron and Kevin have both worked on bridging that gap — figuring out which hop varieties work in our environment and what agronomic changes are needed to make them productive. At the same time, we’ve been developing the flavour profiles. Over the last three years, we’ve made some really good improvements in those beers.