YCH Hops - Citra HBC 394 Hop Pellets 1 lb Review (2026)

Who should reach for this bag

Citra HBC 394 is one of the defining hops of modern American craft brewing, and this 1 lb bag from YCH Hops targets brewers who make West Coast IPA, New England style hazy IPA, pale ale, and fruited sours on a regular basis. Because YCH Hops is one of the larger growers and processors in the Yakima Valley, the labeling and lot tracking on this bag are more reliable than on unbranded hop listings, which matters when a recipe depends on a specific variety showing up as advertised. A full pound also suits a homebrewer who brews several batches from one bag rather than someone who only needs a token addition for a single five gallon batch, since leftover hops need real freezer discipline to stay useful.

What HBC 394 actually is

Citra is the trademarked name for hop breeding selection HBC 394, developed by the Hop Breeding Company from parent stock that includes Hallertau Mittelfruh, US Tettnang, Brewers Gold and East Kent Golding, then released commercially in 2007. Typical alpha acid content runs in the 11 to 13 percent range with beta acids around 3.5 to 4.5 percent, so it has enough bittering power for a boil addition but is prized mainly for its aroma oils, which read as grapefruit, lime, melon, mango and lychee. These pellets are the standard T-90 pelletized form, meaning whole cone hops are ground and compressed into pellets that pack more densely and store a bit better than loose cones, though they still need cold, airtight storage to hold their character.

Getting the most out of the pound

Because Citra's alpha acids are moderate rather than extreme, most homebrewers use this hop late in the boil, as a whirlpool or flameout addition, or as a dry hop rather than as the sole bittering charge, since a long boil drives off the volatile oils that make the variety worth buying in the first place. Once the bag is opened, oxygen and warmth are the enemy of hop aroma, so the practical move is to portion out what a single batch needs, press the air out of the remaining hops, reseal in a vacuum bag or heavy freezer bag, and keep the rest in the coldest part of a freezer rather than a refrigerator door. Treated this way a pound can supply several batches over a brewing season without a noticeable drop in aroma intensity.

How it stacks up against other listings

Compared with single variety pellets from smaller suppliers such as Home Brew Ohio's Centennial or Brewcraft's Cascade, this YCH Hops bag costs more per pound, which is the fair trade off for buying from a grower with traceable sourcing rather than a repackaged import of uncertain freshness. Smaller 1 or 3 ounce Citra listings are cheaper up front and suit a brewer testing the variety for the first time, but they cost more per ounce than this full pound and run out fast once a brewer settles on Citra as a house hop for hazy IPA. For anyone already committed to brewing IPA and pale ale regularly, the pound size pays for itself in fewer reorders and more consistent lot to lot character.

Bottom line for hazy and IPA brewers

This bag earns its place with brewers who lean on Citra as a workhorse aroma hop and want a grower backed source rather than a mystery import, and our score of 8.6 out of 10 reflects that fit for the job. The trade offs are a higher cost than generic hop listings and the storage discipline needed to protect a full pound once it is opened. A brewer who only wants to try Citra once, or who brews infrequently, should start with a smaller ounce sized pack instead, since a pound left half used in a warm cupboard will lose its punch long before the next batch.

Frequently asked questions