INDIE HOPS X CROSBY HOPS

Strata CGX

BREWING PROFILE

Passionfruit, strawberry, grapefruit, rock concert cannabis and dried chili peppers. Strata’s hypnotic aroma and flavors are already breaking new ground in the hop-driven craft beer world, and the full depth of hop character that our T90 Strata pellets have introduced is now complimented by a concentrated cryogenic lupulin pellet option—Strata® CGX™. CGX pellets have roughly twice the concentration of hop resins compared to T90 pellets, resulting in reduced vegetative matter and improved efficiency. However, because certain desirable hop oil components are removed and others amplified in the CGX pellet, the flavor and aroma contributions from CGX differ from that of Strata T90. Therefore when using CGX, it’s crucial to use a foundation of T90 Strata to maintain the full flavor spectrum. Optimum ratios will vary, but in aggressively hopped beers, we recommend 15-25% of T90 replaced by half that amount by weight of CGX.

What is Strata CGX and how is it best utilized?

Pack Type
Cryogenic Lupulin Pellets

List

Salmon-Safe

95% of our hops are certified Salmon-Safe, reducing watershed impacts and protecting our wildlife.

WHAT IS STRATA CGX AND HOW IS IT BEST UTILIZED?

Cryogenic Lupulin Pellets. Combine with T90s to improve efficiency while maintaining desired hop character.

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN T90s & CGX PELLETS.

Indie T90 pellets contain over 99% of the natural hop cone. A very small amount of resins and vegetative matter are lost in the pelleting process. Thus, Indie T90s are a “high fidelity” representation of the natural hop flavors people have fallen in love with in beer.

CGX utilizes a cryogenic process that allows for separation of lupulin glands from most of the vegetative parts of the cone. A portion of the vegetative parts are added back to reach a doubling of alpha acids. Some oils are potentially doubled as well, yet some oils are left behind. For example, desirable Terpenoids are sacrificed to achieve better yields while certain other desirable components (i.e. Terpene hydrocarbons) become more concentrated.

Because certain hop oil components are concentrated, while others are left behind, flavor and aroma contributions from CGX differ from whole cone hops and Indie T90 pellets. For the Strata variety in particular, to achieve the full depth of hop character people have come to love, a foundation of T90 pellets is necessary, and upon that foundation the benefits of Strata CGX pellets can be enjoyed.

HOW IS STRATA CGX BEST UTILIZED?

Because concentrated pellets amplify just a portion of the natural hop cone character, laying a foundation with T90 pellets is crucial in order to realize the full spectrum of aroma and flavor that sets Strata apart. In aggressively hopped beers, replacing a portion of your T90s with half that amount of CGX by weight can save you money while still achieving the full spectrum of hop character. What is the ideal portion to replace? Maybe it’s 15%, maybe it’s 25%, maybe it’s just a straight up add to amp up the intensity. Depends on the recipe and the preferences of the brew team.

ARE CGX PELLETS MORE EFFICIENT?

In aggressively hopped beers, increased beer yield is the big benefit to using CGX as a portion of your hop bill. Vegetal matter is cut in half from standard T90s, so less beer is lost.

Some key components (e.g. Terpenoids) are sacrificed in order to achieve better yields and to amp up certain other key components (e.g. Terpene hydrocarbons). There is a tradeoff when brewing with cryogenic pellets. Using them in conjunction with T90 pellets moderates this tradeoff to an acceptable/desirable level.

KEEP THE “CREEP” AWAY!

Even though early indications are that Strata is less likely to cause “hop creep” than other hop varieties that are heavily leaned upon in hoppy beers, it’s nice that the concentrated CGX pellets reduce vegetative matter and the propensity for hop creep.

Further, if your aggressively hopped beer is taking on excessive vegetal notes, swapping out some T90s for CGX can mitigate excess vegetal character by reducing vegetative matter.

Fresh flavor for your brew!

Cryogenic Lupulin Pellets

5 kg /11 lb box (includes one 5 kg/11 lb bag)
20 kg /44 lb box (includes four 5 kg/11 lb bags)

Nitrogen flushed vacuum-sealed foils

Chemistry

Alpha Acid

23.1 – 23.5%

Beta Acid

9.3 – 9.6%

Total Oil

3.1 – 3.2 mls / 100g

Partnerships

Since our inception we’ve been focused on expanding the brewers’ toolbox with compelling new hop products, whether nerding out to make a more flavorful T90 pellet, or patiently working through the hop development process to introduce new varieties like Strata, Lórien, and most recently Luminosa.

“What goes around comes around” they say, and that seems to be true! Strata, being our first new variety released from the 2018 crop, quickly showed tremendous long term potential, so we brought other suppliers onboard as distributors to give more brewers access. First up were our neighbors, Crosby Hops, who have helped us spread the goodness of Strata during the early years. And now, after developing a patent pending cryogenic lupulin pellet process, our neighbors are sharing that technology with us! We’re jointly launching 2022 Strata CGX to continue to provide more options for brewers.

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