How does hop substitution work?

When substituting hops, you need to adjust the weight to account for different alpha acid percentages. The goal is to maintain the same alpha acid units (AAU), which means the same bitterness contribution. A hop with higher AA needs less weight.

Does substitution only affect bitterness?

This calculator adjusts for equivalent bitterness. Flavour and aroma will be different between hop varieties. For bittering additions (60+ min), the flavour difference is minimal. For late additions (flavour/aroma), choose a substitute with a similar flavour profile.

What if my hops have different AA than the recipe?

Alpha acid percentages vary between crop years. If your packet says 7% but the recipe was written for 5%, use this calculator to adjust the weight for the same bitterness contribution.

Which hops can substitute for each other?

Common substitution groups: Cascade/Centennial/Amarillo (American citrus), Citra/Simcoe/Mosaic (tropical), Saaz/Sterling/Tettnang (noble), EKG/Fuggle/Styrian Goldings (English). Choose varieties within the same flavour family for late additions.

Do I need to adjust for pellet vs whole hops?

Pellet hops typically have about 10% better utilisation than whole/leaf hops. If the recipe uses whole hops and you are substituting pellets, you may want to reduce the weight by about 10% beyond the AA adjustment.

BrewCalcs

Hop Substitution Calculator

Find equivalent hop amounts when substituting one variety for another.

Original Hop Weight

Original Alpha Acid

Substitute Alpha Acid

Alpha acid % of the substitute hop

How We Calculate This

The Substitution Formula

Substitute Weight = (Original Weight x Original AA) / Substitute AA

This maintains the same Alpha Acid Units (AAU = weight x AA%). Since IBU is directly proportional to AAU, equal AAU means equal bitterness contribution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

IBU Calculator

Calculate International Bitterness Units using Tinseth or Rager formulas.

Hop Utilisation Calculator

Estimate hop utilisation based on boil time, gravity and method.

Dry Hop Calculator

Calculate dry hop amounts based on desired intensity and batch size.

First Wort Hop Calculator

Calculate IBU contribution from first wort hopping additions.

Hop Stand Calculator

Estimate IBU contribution from whirlpool and hop stand additions.

Last updated: 2025-02-20

All calculations are estimates. Always verify values and adjust based on your equipment and ingredients.