Best Practices

Best Practices: TROPICS™

Best Practices: TROPICS™

About Tropics™

Tropics strains are engineered to pack a tropical punch reminiscent of the finest southern–hemisphere hops but without the astringent burn that reduces drinkability. Huge notes of guava and passionfruit and a hint of grapefruit will make any beer a top–seller.

Getting the Most Out of Tropics™

Hops & Additives

  • Stick with hops that complement tropical fruit character.
  • Avoid spicy, herbal, or vegetative varieties that you wouldn’t ordinarily add to hop-forward IPA—no Saaz and no mash hopping is required with Tropics.

Three Common Approaches to Using Tropics™:

1. Cost Savings and Sustainability

  • Lower your hop bill (<2 lbs/BBL)
  • Increase yields
  • Let the yeast do the heavy lifting

2. Increased Sensory Impact

  • Use 2–6 lbs/BBL of hops
  • Let Tropics™ layer in additional tropical depth

3. Further Elevate Thiol Expression

  • Add Tropics Boost™

Recommended Hops

  • Krush
  • Mosaic
  • Peacharine
  • Citra
  • Galaxy
  • Motueka
  • Nelson Sauvin (note: can push in a diesel/boxwood direction)
  • Idaho 7
  • Other fruit-forward hops

Avoid These in Tropics™ Beers

  • Hops to avoid:
    • Noble hops: Saaz, Tettnang, Spalt, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh
    • Any hops not typical in an IPA
  • Other considerations:
    • Grape skin products – minimal effect, may introduce grape and woody flavors
    • Copper finings – bind thiols and mute flavor; use only as a last resort to fix sulfur

Hop Timing & Application

No need for mash hopping with Tropics.

Tropics yeast produces all of the enzymes necessary to convert precursors in barley and hops into flavor-active thiols.

Dry hopping timing matters:

  • If repitching, wait to dry hop until after harvest. View our Yeast Harvesting Best Practices for more helpful tips.
  • Want more punch while still repitching? Use Tropics Boost.

Enhance with Tropics Boost

For maximum tropical expression, add Tropics Boost, an all-natural thiol precursor supplement.

  • For best results, add Tropics Boost to chilled wort within 24 hours of pitching yeast
  • Recommended dosage: 50–100 mL/BBL
  • High intensity: 200+ mL/BBL
    *At high doses, the beer may become overly thiol-forward.

Grain Bill Guidelines

Choose base malts high in thiol precursors:

  • Pilsner
  • Pale malt

Avoid darker kilned malts—they reduce tropical character.

No need for mash hopping or unusual mash profiles.


Fermentation Guidelines

Temperature: 66–68°F
Aeration: 8–12 ppm O₂ at knockout (increase for high gravity beers)
Pitch Rate: See table below

Pitch Rates by Yeast Type & Gravity

  • Ales (except Vermont):
    • <18 °P → 750,000 cells/mL/°P
    • 18–20 °P → 1,250,000 cells/mL/°P
    • ≥21 °P → 1,500,000 cells/mL/°P
  • Vermont:
    • <18 °P → 1,000,000 cells/mL/°P
    • 18–20 °P → 1,700,000 cells/mL/°P
    • ≥21 °P → 2,000,000 cells/mL/°P
  • Lagers:
    • <18 °P → 1,500,000 cells/mL/°P
    • 18–20 °P → 2,000,000 cells/mL/°P
    • ≥21 °P → 2,500,000 cells/mL/°P

Repitching

Tropics™ can be repitched with consistent flavor results, even when Tropics Boost is added.

Refer to our Yeast Harvesting Best Practices guide to ensure strong harvests and repeatable fermentations.

Recipe: Non-Alc POG Wheat Ale

Recipe: Non-Alc POG Wheat Ale

This easy-drinking wheat ale is perfect from Dry January to the heat of summer and back again. Our NA Cabana yeast creates an enticing aroma rich with passionfruit thiols. We further the juicy top ...

Collab Day: Ruse and Human People - Coleman Agriculture Fresh Simcoe

Collab Day: Ruse and Human People - Coleman Agriculture Fresh Simcoe

Our brand ambassador Tim Sciascia traveled up to the Pacific Northwest to brew Herbivore, a West Coast Pilsner in collaboration with Portland's Ruse Brewing and Seattle's Human People Beer using fr...

Recipe: Herbivore Fresh Hop West Coast Pilsner | Ruse and Human People Collab

Recipe: Herbivore Fresh Hop West Coast Pilsner | Ruse and Human People Collab

Brew a bright, crisp West Coast Pilsner bursting with fresh Simcoe hops, balanced minerality, and clean fermentation from Berkeley Yeast’s Fresh Andechs Lager.