Hop
Crystal
An American noble-type hop with gentle floral, woody and spicy character.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as well established.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 4–6% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | United States |
| Released | 1993 |
| Ancestry | Hallertauer Mittelfrüh |
| Storage stability | moderate |
How it is used
- Late boil. Added in the last few minutes, retaining more aromatic oils while adding modest bitterness.
- Traditional late lager hopping. Continental practice of late kettle additions of noble varieties for a fine, spicy-floral character.
- Dry hop. Added after the boil, during or after fermentation. Contributes aroma and flavour with essentially no isomerised bitterness.
If you like Crystal
Hops with comparable character. Similarity and substitutability are different questions, so each entry says which it is: a hop can smell alike and still change the beer if its alpha acid is far off.
Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 3–6% alpha · editorial
Its parent variety, and the character Crystal was bred to reproduce with better disease resistance. Crystal carries more spice and a touch more alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that Crystal does not; lacks the earth and wood of Crystal.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Tettnanger 4–6% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that Crystal does not; lacks the earth and wood of Crystal.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Liberty 3–6% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that Crystal does not; lacks the earth and wood of Crystal.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Saaz 2–5% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice, earth and wood with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that Crystal does not.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Hersbrucker 2–5% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that Crystal does not; lacks the earth and wood of Crystal.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Straight substitutes
Close enough in both character and alpha acid to swap at a similar weight. Substitution is directional and imperfect — these are the nearest available options, not equivalents.
- Hallertauer Mittelfrüh — Its parent variety, and the character Crystal was bred to reproduce with better disease resistance. Crystal carries more spice and a touch more alpha acid.
- Tettnanger — Shares floral, noble spice with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Liberty — Shares floral, noble spice with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Saaz — Shares floral, noble spice, earth and wood with Crystal; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.