How to Improve Brewing Efficiency with Advanced Hop Products

By Jake Parrish

Published January 25, 2023

As brewers look for ways to improve their beer while cutting down on operation costs, advanced hop products have been stepping in to help out. It's pretty amazing to see what brewers have been achieving with them, from increasing their yields from kettle to keg to improving clean aromas and flavors.

While there's nothing wrong with brewing the traditional way with T90 pellets or whole cones (don't forget the romance!!), sometimes an extra edge in the brewhouse can really improve a brewery's overhead costs and yields. Don't get me wrong, I'll always love whole cone (especially for mash hopping) and T90 pellets, but it's always interesting to see what else is possible - especially when it comes to brewing more sustainably. 

CO2 extracts are nothing new in the brewing world. But these four advanced hop products below take extracts a step (or three) further.

Check out our four favorite advanced hop products below. We also have other AHPs in stock like HopAid and HopHaze, but we'll get to those in another article. 

Have questions? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the article or shoot us an email at info@yakimavalleyhops.com. 

Happy Brewing! 

 

1). FLEX® for clean bittering:

FLEX has been around for a little while now, but it's still making waves in the brewing world, and rightfully so. We like to call it a cleaner, more efficient CO2 extract that doesn't impart any flavors or aromas - just pure bitterness. In addition, only the hop's extracted material is retained and packaged (typically less than 25% of the original hop material for high-alpha hops). 
Here's some quick FLEX facts:

• FLEX is used solely for bittering
• Flowable extract that's pourable at room temperature
• Not variety-specific
• Alpha acids are targeted at 65%
• Disperses in kettle much more readily and provides a 10-20% increase in AA utilization compared to T90 pellets.
• Reduces wort loss by eliminating absorbent vegetative material (T90 pellets or whole cone) in the kettle
• Also reduces:
  • Shipping costs
  • Storage costs
  • Clean-up time

For full description and more information, visit the FLEX page here.

See how to dose FLEX here.

 

2). INCOGNITO® for enhancing the whirlpool:

INCOGNITO is a dynamic and fun product to experiment with. It can help bolster your whirlpool, imparting true-to-type aromas and flavors without any astringent, grassy characteristics. Cracking open that jug is like opening Pandora's Box - but in the best way possible. Just wait until you smell this stuff. 
Here's some quick INCOGNITO facts:

• INCOGNITO is meant to be used in the whirlpool – have had some brewers use in fermenters but it can be tricky to disperse properly and clean.
• Flowable extract that’s pourable at room temperature
• Variety-specific
• 100% all-natural
• Delivers impactful, variety-specific flavor and aromas

• 1g/L INCOGNITO in the whirlpool is equivalent to 1.5lb/bbl pellets (5.8g/L). Typically, it's a 1:6 replacement ratio.
• Reduces wort loss by eliminating absorbent vegetative material (T90 pellets or whole cone) in the kettle
  • Also reduces:
    • Shipping costs
    • Storage costs
    • Clean-up time
• Easy to measure and dose
• Disperses in liquid much more readily than T90 pellets or whole cone

For full description and more information, visit the INCOGNITO page here.

Learn how to use INCOGNITO here.

 

3). LUPOMAX®: Concentrated lupulin goodness.

LUPOMAX is a new, concentrated hop pellet that can replace traditional T90 pellets and whole cone for a more true-to-type, efficient brewing. Like the other advanced hop products in the list, LUPOMAX saves brewers on shipping and storage costs and cuts down on clean-up time while enhancing aromas and flavors. Learn how to brew with LUPOMAX here.
Here's some quick LUPOMAX facts:

• Concentrated pellets
• Reduces wort loss by reducing vegetative material in the kettle or fermenter by 30-50%, depending on the recipe.
  • Also reduces:
    • Shipping costs
    • Storage costs
    • Clean-up time
• Variety and crop-year specific: Currently offered in Citra®, Mosaic®, Sabro®, Bru-1® and many more.
• Acid and oil levels remain consistent throughout the crop year, so you won’t have to adjust your recipe as these numbers can change from lot to lot of the same variety. Perfect for flagship beers and for brewers who aren't doing lot selection.
• When replacing T90 pellets with LUPOMAX, use 50-70% of the hops called for in the recipe
• True-to-type hop flavors with Sensory Plus™ process

For full description and more information, visit the LUPOMAX page here.

Learn how to brew with LUPOMAX here.

 

4). Spectrum® for better dry-hopping:

Spectrum is a new, fully dispersible liquid hop product that delivers full true-to-type dry-hop characteristics. It's easy to use and dose, and is making waves in the brewing industry. We've also heard awesome success stories of Spectrum being used to dry-hop ciders or give hop flavors to sparkling waters.
Here's some quick Spectrum facts:

• Meant to be used for dry-hopping
• Completely dissolves in cold beer
• Hop extract
• Flowable at room temperature
• 100% natural made with 100% hop material – no added solvents or artificial additions
• Variety-specific: Currently offered in Citra® and Mosaic®
• Reduces wort loss by eliminating absorbent vegetative material in the fermenter
  • Also reduces:
    • Shipping costs
    • Storage costs
    • Clean-up time
• It allows dry hop flavors and characteristics to shine through without having beer absorbed by pellets and lost in the dry hop process.
• It allows for greater control, cuts down on risk of oxidization, and doesn't impart enzymes that create hop creep. 
• Brewers report increase in efficiency in addition to better aromas

For full description and more information, visit the Spectrum page here.

Learn how to use Spectrum here.

 

 

BONUS! HopAid® Anti-foam for increased yields in your fermenters

Who doesn't love a foam party? Honestly though, while those discotheque-fueled all night parties are a blast, foam isn't always a brewer's friend. Especially when beer is being lost to it.

HopAid® is a super cool, all natural and hop derived product from BarthHaas that reduces foam in fermenters. There's no silicone involved, and can be used in top or bottom fermented beers. Dose some HopAid in your cooled fermenters to max them out and increase yields up to 20%!

Learn more about HopAid® here.