Lesson 7 - Hop Products SAQ

1.         *Arrange the following in order of utilisation efficiency, from highest to lowest, giving reasons why:

a)    T90 hop pellet.

b)   Isomerised hop extract (Post Fermentation Bittering).

c)     CO₂ hop extract.

d)    Isomerised kettle extract.

e)    T45 hop pellet.

f)      Isomerised hop pellet.

2.         *Indicate whether the following statements are true or false. Provide a reason if they are false.

a)    Rho Iso-extract is the least bitter and Hexahydro Iso-extract is the most bitter.

b)   Tetrahydro Iso-extract provides the most beer foam enhancing ability of the reduced hop extracts.

c)     The combination of α-acids, UV light, a sulphur containing compound, and riboflavin, can cause the ‘off-flavour’ known as 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol.

d)    The main advantage of hop oil products is their ability to standardise the hop aroma from brew to brew.

e)    Only the α-acids and essential oils from the hops are beneficial in the production of hop products.

3.         **Demand for your brewery’s beer is increasing at a rapid rate and it looks like the hop storage capacity at your brewery is going to run out. There is no budget to increase the hop storage area. The brewery currently uses whole hops. This is only because the consumers want beer made from natural ingredients, and do not want anything regarded as having a ‘chemical process’ involved in its production.

The Head Brewer has asked you to recommend all the alternative hop products that the brewery could use and wants you to list them in order of preference, explaining why you have chosen and ordered them in that way.

4.         **Hop products are extensively used for bittering beer, but what other benefits do hop products provide to beer and the brewing process?

5.         **You meet a brewer who is wanting to brew an unfiltered, high strength (7% abv) aromatic India Pale Ale (IPA) beer with a bitterness of 80 BU. The brewer has told you that they want to only use post-fermentation bittering as the hop utilisation can be over 90%; so it will be a great way to achieve the bitterness using fewer hops. Can you identify any potential issues they may have in achieving this beer using only post-fermentation bittering? Would you suggest any additional hop products (assuming the use of no other hop products for bittering)?