Hop Pellets – Archer

Pressure fermentation is a great way to create cleaner-tasting beers, and can speed up lager fermentation times! This video shows you how to put your Keg King pressure fermenter together, sanitise, pressurise and ferment in it.

Flavour & Aroma Profile:

Aroma: Archer hops possess an alluring, multi-layered aroma that includes pronounced notes of apricot, peach, and floral undertones. This aroma profile is further augmented with delicate hints of magnolia and lavender, providing a fragrant and nuanced bouquet.

Flavour: When implemented in brewing, Archer hops bring forth a smooth bitterness with an emphasis on the stone fruit characteristics, specifically apricot and peach. These flavours synergize well with the aromatic profile, and a subtle floral backdrop can be detected in the aftertaste. Some brewers have also noted a mild, honey-like sweetness that makes its presence known without overpowering the beer’s overall profile.

Archer hops are versatile and find their place in a variety of beer styles. They work exceptionally well in English-style ales, including golden ales and bitters, where their fruity and floral character can truly shine. Furthermore, they can be successfully incorporated in more robust and hop-forward American styles, such as IPAs and pale ales, providing a unique twist to these traditional recipes.

Archer Hop Pairings:

When pairing Archer hops with other hop varieties, consider the following options:

• Fuggle: A classic English hop with earthy and woody characteristics. Pairing it with Archer can balance the floral and fruity profile of Archer with a grounding earthiness, particularly suited for traditional English ales and bitters.
• Goldings: This traditional British hop variety offers a mild bitterness along with sweet, floral, and spicy notes. It can complement Archer’s stone fruit and floral characteristics, contributing a layer of complexity to British ales and porters.
• Citra: This American hop variety is well-known for its bold citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Pairing it with Archer can enhance the fruitiness and provide a vibrant contrast to Archer’s floral and subtly sweet characteristics, suitable for modern IPAs and Pale Ales.
• Mosaic: This American hop variety offers a unique mix of floral, tropical, and citrus characteristics. When paired with Archer, it can enrich the overall fruitiness and floral notes, making for a compelling blend for American IPAs and Pale Ales.

Archer Hop Substitutions:

If you can’t locate Archer hops or are interested in experimenting with similar hop varieties, you might consider the following substitutions:

• East Kent Goldings: This classic British hop variety is known for its smooth bitterness and sweet, floral, and spicy notes. While it may lack some of the stone fruit characters of Archer, it can be a suitable alternative for traditional British ales and other styles where a balanced, aromatic hop character is desired.
• Progress: Progress is a British hop with a moderate bitterness and a delicate, floral aroma profile that also includes notes of honey and spice. It can be a good alternative to Archer, particularly in traditional British ale styles.
• Amarillo: This American hop variety is recognized for its medium-high bitterness and vibrant flavours of citrus and orange. Though it has a more citrus-forward profile compared to the stone fruit and floral notes of Archer, it could be an interesting substitute in more fruit-forward styles like IPAs or Pale Ales.
• Centennial: Known as a “Super Cascade”, this American hop variety has a balanced bitterness and strong citrus and floral flavours. It may provide a brighter citrus note compared to Archer’s stone fruit and floral character, but it could be a compelling alternative in American styles like IPAs and Pale Ales.