PDA

View Full Version : Pencil & Spoon - Hop Extract and Oils



Blog Tracker
17-01-2012, 07:43
Visit the Pencil & Spoon site (http://www.pencilandspoon.com/2012/01/hop-extract-and-oils.html)



http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiiptg2dw7c/TxUiKPsTrII/AAAAAAAAB7A/Y_LA_qZoJRs/s320/Isomerized+Hop+Extract%25281%2529.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiiptg2dw7c/TxUiKPsTrII/AAAAAAAAB7A/Y_LA_qZoJRs/s1600/Isomerized+Hop+Extract%25281%2529.jpg)
Whenwe think of brewing, flowers and pellets come to mind first. Those littlepale-green buds with papery, oily skins or little military green pellets whichbreak open when pressed between thumb and finger. But what about adding hopbitterness, aroma and flavour from a jar?



http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzxt77gOEa4/TxUiJWz1eZI/AAAAAAAAB64/FrIQiFyuOMg/s320/hops_harvest_dry.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzxt77gOEa4/TxUiJWz1eZI/AAAAAAAAB64/FrIQiFyuOMg/s1600/hops_harvest_dry.jpg)


Hopscan be added into beer as flowers, pellets, extract or oil. The Oxford Companion to Beer says that‘more than 50% of all hops used by the brewing industry worldwide are processedinto extracts.’ CO2 extract (http://www.yakimachief.com/hopproducts/ycCO2extract.html) contains all of the good stuff you want from thehop – alpha acids, beta acids and oils – in a concentrated form. Hop Union (http://www.hopunion.com/1018_CO8322Extract.cfm?p4=open)explains that ‘the brewing characteristics of the original hops aremaintained,’ so equivalent flower or pellet additions for bitterness or aromawill be the same with extract.



http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0J-ZT-whSdU/TxUiI5K5WaI/AAAAAAAAB60/KOntzBXY7kg/s320/Hop+Pellets.JPG (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0J-ZT-whSdU/TxUiI5K5WaI/AAAAAAAAB60/KOntzBXY7kg/s1600/Hop+Pellets.JPG)


It’spossible to get a general extract (http://www.probrewer.com/resources/hops/products.php) which adds bitterness and aroma, as well asvariety-specific oils. It’s also possible to get isomerized hop extract whichis for the bittering addition and can be added instead of the bittering hops orto bolster an under-hopped beer. Then there are products such as Tetra-hop (http://www.hopunion.com/1021_TetrahydroIsomerizedHopExtract.cfm?p4=open)ex tract, which will give bitterness and flavour but have been treated toprevent lightstrike. This is, I think, slightly different to the CO2 extract inthat it is further processed and intended to eradicate a fault.


Theefficiency of extract means that it’s used to reach the big levels ofbitterness wanted in a lot of IPAs and other high-IBU brews. It’s also good foran extra lift of aroma. Russian River’s Pliny the Elder and Younger famouslyuse hop extract in their production, Lagunitas use it in Hop Stoopid, Mikkelleruses it in the 1000 IBU beers. And there’s a nice, short overview from MitchSteele of Stone Brewing on the use of extract here (http://www.sandiegobeerblog.com/2011/12/22/san-diego-brewed-the-alchemist-ninkasi-stone-more-brown-than-black-ipa/), where he explains the cleanbitterness and less wasted wort through the trub of spent, soggy hop.


Afew years ago, I think hop extract would’ve been a dirty word in craftbreweries, some kind of cheat which doesn’t use the most natural of ingredients.Now it seems that it’s slipped into the smaller-scale of brewing without toomuch alarm, even if most breweries still favour the silver sacks of packed hopsand won’t even consider extract - some brewers will also only ever use whole flower hops.


Partof me think it’s a bit strange to use extract but the other part doesn’t mind ifit’s done to be able to give the best flavour or bitterness possible – extract seemsto give a cleaner type of bitterness than flowers or pellets. It’s no differentto adding chilli extract instead of chopping up fresh peppers – you just get adifferent type of flavour which you will struggle to match with freshingredients. Plus, when you taste a beer like Pliny, you don’t care how thehell it’s made because it’s so damn good.


Ishop extract one of those things which doesn’t bother you or is it somehow‘cheating’? If you found out that one of your favourite beers used extract,would you think differently of it?


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8717216232742676074-6197432122898979083?l=www.pencilandspoon.com


More... (http://www.pencilandspoon.com/2012/01/hop-extract-and-oils.html)