Indeks staranja hmelja pri sorti Celeia v času dozorevanja

slovenian

2025

hop quality   Slovenian hops   technological maturity

Inštitut za hmeljarstvo in pivovarstvo Slovenije
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The Slovenian aroma hop variety Celeia is recognized for its refined aroma profile, balanced bitterness, and good storage stability; however, in recent years a relatively high initial Hop Storage Index (HSI)—a key indicator of hop quality and freshness reflecting the ratio of oxidation products of alpha- and beta-acids to their total content—has been observed at the onset of pellet production. To investigate this, a two-year study was conducted at the Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing, monitoring HSI dynamics in Celeia during technological maturity at five growing locations. Cones were sampled manually in multiple consecutive intervals, and additional “real samples” representing cones that had undergone the full picking and drying process were collected at harvest. Results showed that HSI remained predominantly low (? 0.30) up to technological maturity, indicating high crop quality, with only one instance of elevated HSI likely attributable to technological factors during harvest, such as delays between picking and drying or suboptimal drying conditions. After two months of storage at 4 °C and 20 °C under oxygen exposure, Celeia retained low HSI values when stored at 4 °C, whereas storage at 20 °C resulted in HSI levels reaching up to 0.55, which is considered too high for brewing applications. The study underscores the importance of precise harvest timing, strict adherence to processing procedures, and maintenance of appropriate storage conditions to preserve hop quality.

20.01.2026