hops


Video Tip: Fresh Hops, Wet Hops, and Planning How to Use Them

Single Hill cofounder and head brewer Zach Turner explains the difference between fresh-hopping and wet-hopping, laying out a few different ways that breweries tend to use them on the hot side and cold side.

Video Course: Fresh Approaches to Fresh-Hopped Beers with Single Hill

Join Single Hill cofounder and head brewer Zach Turner on an expedition to the Yakima Valley at harvest time to pick up the freshest hops, then take them back to the brewery and add them—in different forms and different ways—to beers brewed on the same day.

Czech Lager: The Art of the Addictive

Whether you want to brew a more convincing Czech-style lager, or you simply want to borrow a few tricks to shape the kind of beer that seems impossible to stop drinking, here are some elements to consider.

Video Tip: Why Westbound & Down Loves Early-Harvest Hops for Its West Coast IPAs

It’s all about freshness and the preservative powers of antioxidants. Here, Westbound & Down director of brewing operations Jake Gardner explains why they believe they’ve gotten longer-lasting, more aromatic IPAs by choosing hops picked earlier in the harvest.

Spin Cycle: Whirlpool Hopping, Simplified

What was once an optional step for clarity has become virtually essential for packing flavor into IPAs and other hop-forward beers. Commercial brewers have specialized gear for it, while homebrewers—whether they realize it or not—also have everything they need for whirlpooling.

Podcast Episode 310: Ghost Town’s Justin Burdt Boosts Hop Contrast in West Coast IPA and Pils

Oakland, California’s Ghost Town made a splash in 2021 and 2022, winning back-to-back GABF gold medals for their Nose Goblin Imperial IPA, along with notable 2022 medals in the strong pale ale and India pale lager categories. One of their secrets, of course, is hop quality—but the qualities that head brewer Justin Burdt seeks out aren’t exactly the ones you might think.

Video Tip: Exploring the Wider Potential of Hops, Saison, and Brett

Brewing saisons with Brettanomyces offers an enticing opportunity to fully embrace Noble and Noble-esque hops, including newer varieties such as Adeena and Loral and later kettle additions to encourage biotransformation. Crooked Stave founder and brewmaster Chad Yakobson breaks down some possibilities.

The Reinvention of the American Amber Ale

A ruddy ’90s pint is reappearing with modernized flavors—and it has a lot to say about the evolution of American craft brewing.

The Cider World Is Hopping

One of beer’s signature ingredients is adding interest and depth to one of the world’s great fermented drinks. Here’s how and why some cidermakers are embracing hops.

Podcast Episode 301: Zdeněk Rosa of Bohemia Hop Is Bullish on the Future of Czech Hops

One of the world’s most cherished hop-growing regions had a rough growing season last year—but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, and there is more to Czech hops than Saaz.