Grapefruit, lime and ripe mango, straight out of the bag. Citra is the high-alpha American hop you reach for when a pale ale or IPA should smell like a fruit bowl.
Alpha 11–14 % · Beta 3–5 % · Boil & dry hop · T90 pellets · Crop 2025 · 100 g
What it does in your beer
Citra brings intense citrus and tropical fruit: grapefruit, lime and orange up front, with mango, pineapple and stone fruit behind. With 11–14 % alpha it can bitter as well, but its reputation is built on aroma.
Pale ales, IPAs and NEIPAs are home turf. Variety data also points it at saisons, wheat beers and lagers when you want a bright, juicy edge.
At a glance
| Variety | Citra® (HBC 394) |
| Bred by | Hop Breeding Company, released 2007 |
| Origin | USA |
| Crop year | 2025 |
| Form | T90 pellets |
| Pack size | 100 g |
| Alpha acids | 11.0–14.0 % |
| Beta acids | 3.0–5.0 % |
| Co-humulone | 20–24 % (variety data) |
| Total oil | 1.0–3.0 ml/100 g (variety data) |
| Myrcene | 50–70 % of total oil (variety data) |
| Purpose | Dual purpose, aroma-led |
| Aroma | Grapefruit, lime, orange, mango, pineapple, stone fruit |
What 10 g does in 20 L
| Added at | IBU from 10 g in 20 L (approx.) |
| 60 min | ≈ 14 |
| 30 min | ≈ 11 |
| 15 min | ≈ 7 |
| 5 min | ≈ 3 |
Approx., Tinseth formula, OG 1.050, mid alpha 12.5 %. Recalculate with the alpha on your pack.
How to use
- Boil: recommended for the first and second additions. At 11–14 % alpha, 10 g for 60 minutes already gives about 14 IBU in 20 L.
- Dry hop: this is where Citra earns its keep, so save most of the bag for the fermenter.
- The exact alpha varies by lot, so recalculate with the figure on your pack.
Swap it for
Out of Citra? Variety data lists Admiral, Centennial, Mosaic® and Simcoe as similar varieties. Centennial, Mosaic® and Simcoe are in our range.
Want more punch per gram? Citra Cryo pellets carry nearly twice the resin of T90. Start at 40–50 % of the T90 weight: 40–50 g of Cryo for every 100 g of T90.
Pairs well with
Brewing an IPA or pale ale? Try it with BESTMALZ BEST Pale Ale as the base, a little Weyermann CARAPILS and SafAle US-05 for a clean, neutral ferment that lets the hops do the talking.
Blending hops? Amarillo® adds floral and citrus notes alongside Citra®.
Storage & shelf life
- Keep it sealed, cold, dry and dark — oxygen, heat and light all cost aroma.
- Pellet data sheets specify −3 to 5 °C in a dry, odour-free place.
- Once opened, press out the air, reseal and use it soon.
Food information
- Name: Hop pellets, Citra®
- Ingredients: hop pellets (Humulus lupulus)
- Allergens: none — hops are not among the 14 allergens listed in Annex II of EU Regulation 1169/2011
- Net quantity: 100 g
- Country of origin: USA
- Storage: sealed, cold, dry and dark
Good to know
- Crop 2025: the alpha and beta figures above are for this crop.
- T90 pellets in a 100 g pack.
- Citra® is a registered trademark of Hop Breeding Company, L.L.C.
- Brewing ingredients ship separately from our partner warehouse in the Czech Republic, so they may arrive in a different parcel from any equipment you order.
FAQ
Is Citra a bittering or an aroma hop?
Both. Its 11–14 % alpha makes it usable in the boil, but it's prized for aroma, so save the bulk of the bag for the dry hop.
What does Citra smell like?
Grapefruit, lime and orange, with mango, pineapple and stone fruit.
What can I use instead of Citra?
Variety data lists Admiral, Centennial, Mosaic® and Simcoe as similar varieties.
T90 or Cryo — what's the difference?
T90 pellets are the whole hop cone, milled and pelleted. Cryo pellets are concentrated lupulin with nearly twice the resin content, so you start at 40–50 % of the T90 weight.