Amarillo CRYO Hops USA

Yakima Chief Amarillo® Cryo Hops

Ultra-concentrated version of the highly popular Amarillo® (VGXP01) brand hop variety, originally discovered and developed by Virgil Gamache Farms. Created by Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) using a patented cryogenic processing technology, whole hop cones are frozen with liquid nitrogen to separate the intense lupulin glands from the vegetative bract. This results in a pellet that delivers double the aromatic oils and alpha acids of a standard T-90 Amarillo® pellet, allowing brewers to use roughly half the usual dosage while maximizing flavor yield and reducing beer loss.

Hop Profile & Technical Specs

• Aroma Profile: An intense, sweet citrus showcase driven by high myrcene levels, explicitly giving off notes of orange, tangerine, grapefruit, melon, and apricot.
• Alpha Acids: Highly concentrated at 13% to 24% (compared to 6–11% in standard Amarillo).
• Primary Use: Primarily aroma, whirlpool, and dry-hopping.

Brewing Advantages

• Higher Yield: Removing the vegetative leaf matter means less liquid absorption (less trub), saving homebrewers and commercial breweries significant volume per batch.
• Curbs Hop Creep: Because the majority of diastatic enzymes reside in the hop bract, using Cryo Hops dramatically reduces the risk of over-attenuation during dry-hopping.
• Cleaner Flavor: Minimizes the astringent, grassy, or vegetal flavors that can occur when heavy amounts of traditional pellets are used.

Recommended Usage

• Dosing Rate: Use 40% to 50% of the weight required for standard T-90 pellets.
• Application: Ideal for late-boil additions (5 minutes or less), whirlpool hop stands, or active/post-fermentation dry-hopping.
• Styles: An excellent fit for American Pale Ales (APAs), Hazy or West Coast IPAs, Double IPAs, and Wheat Ales.
• Storage: Because the lupulin glands are exposed, they degrade quicker when in contact with oxygen.
• Always keep vacuum-sealed and frozen.

Are you blending Amarillo® with other varieties? It pairs beautifully with Citra® Cryo, Mosaic® Cryo, or Simcoe® Cryo. Let me know if you want to build a custom hop profile or scale your recipe amounts.