"The startlingly intense, vibrant green aroma of fresh hops is enough to make any beer lover's knees buckle. The culprit is lupulin, a yellow pollen lookalike produced in the cone-shaped hop flower. Largely responsible for the aromas, flavors and bitterness found in beer, lupulin's volatile oils and acids dissipate quickly after picking. To preserve these precious compounds, fresh hops must be swiftly preserved after harvest, when they're often dried into pellets to extend their shelf life."
"Dried hops are consistent, potent and long-lasting, making them a popular choice among brewers. But fresh hops - with their bright grassy aromas that sing of summer - can be hard for many to resist. To capture this fleeting freshness, brewers are increasingly turning to "wet-hopping," a brewing practice that uses just-picked hops straight off the bine (stem). In Sonoma County, Alexander Valley Hops has been supplying farm-fresh hops to local brewers since 2020."
Lupulin in hop cones produces intense green aromas, flavors and bitterness but its volatile oils and acids dissipate rapidly after harvest. Fresh hops are often dried into pellets to preserve those compounds and extend shelf life. Dried hops offer consistency and longevity, while fresh hops provide bright, grassy aromas that many brewers prize. Brewers use wet-hopping to capture just-picked hop freshness by adding hops straight off the bine. Alexander Valley Hops in Sonoma County has supplied farm-fresh hops to local brewers since 2020 after a vineyard corner proved well-suited to hop cultivation. Hops were introduced to the region in the 1850s and production peaked mid-20th century before a post-war decline due to disease, labor issues and competition.
Read at The Mercury News
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