hops – Page 5 – Beer Search Party

March 27, 2018August 27, 2018

Can They Make it Hazier?

Back to science! Yeast, that fermenting wonder that can give a beer the aroma of banana without a banana in the vicinity of the brew kettle might just be able to replicate hop flavors. (Keep in mind, not all, just some)

You can read about the breakthrough work HERE but the upshot is that a genetically modified yeast could produce flavors that mimic Beers with hops. The question is how long would it take to, say, have a Citra Yeast or a Three-C’s yeast. Probably quite some time.

This research even has the imprimatur of brewing professor, Charlie Bamforth from the University of California, Davis as co-author on the paper.

Whether brewers will replace the dry hopping late in the brewing process with a GMO yeast with DNA from mint and basil plant is a whole different experiment.

March 23, 2018August 27, 2018

Hops Meet Wine

I have had a few hopped ciders. None of which lit my world on fire. I have also had beers aged in wine barrels, some of which have been really good.

Now, thanks to Buttonwood Winery, I can taste how hops fit with a Sauvignon Blanc. Meet Hop On…

Not much in the way of hops here. Makes it kind of hard to review. It might be a good white wine but without the bitterness or aroma or any presence of hops, there just isn’t much to say. If you have friends or family that like wine and beer, it might be a fun gift but it will probably puzzle people more than be interesting.

January 21, 2018August 27, 2018

Where It is Grown

Mikkeller has done a single-hop series in the past but now they are going the route of compare/contrast with Hop Terroir. The educations involved is to spot the taste differences because “A hop variety can taste markedly different depending on the country in which it’s grown and the processes involved in its production”.

Now there will be nine different beers with nine varieties of hops from various locations in the world.

The current line-up of Mikkeller Hop Terroir beers:

Hop variety: Amarillo/Cascade
IPA – Terroir Series Amarillo Idaho
IPA – Terroir Series Amarillo Washington State
IPA – Terroir Series Cascade Australia
IPA – Terroir Series Cascade Germany
IPA – Terroir Series Cascade Washington State

Hop variety: Centennial/Sorachi Ace
IPA – Terroir Series Centennial Washington State
IPA – Terroir Series Centennial Belgium
IPA – Terroir Series Sorachi Ace Belgium
IPA – Terroir Series Sorachi Ace Northwest US

To me the Cascade beers seem to be the best bet for creating truly unique beers with one single hop, though Sorachi Ace is intriguing since it is not seen as much. And hopefully, the L.A. Mikkeller outpost will have a tasting trial.

January 21, 2018August 27, 2018

Block Grant

The #independent beer community is more than just the people making beer it is also the farmers that grow the raw ingredients which is why it is so important that the Brewers Association is granting, well, grants as part of their Research and Service Grants Program. The program is “designed to further the development of a healthy and sustainable raw materials supply chain.”

17 grants with an attached $432,658 were awarded this year with 12 going to malt and 5 to hops. I selected 2 that I think will be important in the years to come….

Breeding for Barley Contributions to Beer Flavor
· Partner: Oregon State University
· Principal: Pat Hayes

Hop-Derived Dextrin-Reducing Enzymes from Dry-Hopping
· Partner: Oregon State University
· Researcher: Thomas Shellhammer

December 29, 2017August 27, 2018

The 2017 Hop Report

Governmental crop reports are generally not my jam but the hop report for 2017 is fascinating to pore over.

Here are my bullet points / important data from the PDF….

1. Idaho crept past Oregon for the # 2 slot in production with a two percent lead. Neither state combined can touch Washington with 75% of the production.

2. Overall hop production is up 20%

3. Washington produced more Cascade than any other hop, Idaho had Zeus followed by Cascade and Oregon had Nugget followed by Cascade.

4. Experimental hops are growing in yield in Washington but slowing down in Idaho from this year to last and not even on the list for Oregon

5. Azacca and Palisade were big last year but I don’t see other newcomers on the list to keep an eye on.

October 2, 2017August 28, 2018

Review – First Rule IPA from Ninkasi

I was surprised late on a Thursday night by the FedEx guy with a box from Eugene, Oregon. Inside was the latest IPA from Ninkasi, First Rule.

Perhaps Fight Club was on Netflix and that is the reason for the name, or that the movie is old enough that no cease & desist would result. Either way the fist on the label, promises a punch of hops. But what I get is a minty/grassy aroma. The ale pours a slightly unfiltered orange color. AS the beer warms up a little I detect a citrus bitterness with my tastebuds thinking lime as the lead. The barley is hidden way beneath the bitterness and citrus. A solid IPA with enough differentiation to make it noticeable in a crowded style field.

September 12, 2017August 28, 2018

Contractual Agreements

There is a good and a bad way to deal with long-term contracts that now seem unfavorable to you.

Ska Brewing has taken the high road or you could also call it the creative road. They have taken their hop contract and immortalized it on their label. BHC – Bad Hop Contract may not use the hippest hops on the market. The hops may not be that fancy lupulin powder or work as well with the new NE IPA’s but they have been able to weave this hop learning experience into the fabric of their brewery and I think they will be stronger for it.

Other breweries seem to have taken the low road which I also call the “I hope I don’t have to deal with these hop brokers in the future” road. 47 Hops has entered bankruptcy due to hops either not being paid for, or contracts not honored. Those that bet on a hop or amount of growth that did not occur need to, at least, call back. That is courtesy. Suggest a modified contract. Don’t behave like Trump and just run roughshod over vendors.

July 18, 2017August 28, 2018

2 x 6

I still don’t quite get the whole “shower beer” phenomenon. That being said the design of the can for the new Kolsch from SixPoint is really well thought out. From the blue drop pattern to the shower head logo, cool little touches.

I am more interested in the new hoppy offering (though I doubt it will make its way west) I love the whole green sorta woodcut label. And I would love to try what an East Coast brewery IPA wise.

June 2, 2017August 28, 2018

Pelletizing

Twenty acres of Idaho farmland will become the first hop pelletizing facility in the state later this fall when they open their combined pelletizing facility with cold storage plus a pilot brewery and tasting room with the name Mill 95.

This is similar to what Bale Breaker does in Washington State and it sounds like a great and aromatic place to visit and I expect it will be jam packed in picking season.

Now we need to get an artisanal maltster and yeast wrangler to create a one-stop shop.