The New IPA: Chapter 1

Read everything you can get your mind around. 

After perusing Ron Pattinson's history/reference books on mild and brown beer, I've turned to Scott Janish's The New IPA: A Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor. Spend a few hours to read his blog posts, seriously. You'll reconsider your brewing habits as Janish puts cutting-edge research into layman's terms. The posts that caught my attention revolved around brewing with oats, coffee beers, and best dry-hopping practices; the latter influenced my Eternal Evidence 1.0 recipe and procedure. 

Stan Hieronymus floats on the foreword, effortlessly laying out the history of hop research in a few short pages. To get this level co-sign means something mate. Tune in.

There's a fuck-ton of chapters in this beast. Here we are at chapter uno. 

Chapter 1: Introduction to Hop Compounds

A few things jumped out at me. A few things I considered nice, yet easily skimmed over.

Hop Bittering Acids

1. Alpha Acids (aka humulones)

2. Beta-Acids (aka lupulones)

3. Essential Hop Oils

• Bittering components come from Alpha and Beta acids
• Three main types of Alpha Acids. These isomerize when boiled (at high temperatures and for ample durations)...

1. Humulone
2. Adhumulone
3. Cohumulone

Hops add bitterness during the whirlpool and during chilling. In fact, IBU extraction tends to peak after 10 minutes in the whirlpool. Though beers that primarily rely on whirlpool bitterness tend to lose more IBUS during fermentation than hot-side hopped beers. Semi-related, high gravity beers lose more IBUs during fermentation as well.

Essential Oils may be the most important acid within the hop. These oils, like hydrocarbons, oxygenated, and sulfur-containing compounds, provide flavor and aroma. Specifically the oxygenated portions. Linalool receives the majority of research attention, so Janish's book will mention these compounds frequently. Linalool boasts floral, citrus, and fruity character. Oxygenated oils also fortify flavor stability. 

Hydrocarbon portions, such as Monterpenes (spicy, herbal, green) and Sequiterpenes (woody) make up 40-80% of a hop's oils. Myrcene is a heavily-researched monoterpene, but Janish doesn't expand on this at the moment. He also glosses over Aliphatics, which are the third head of the hydrocarbon oils. 

Thiols, which receives its own chapter later, is the most important sulfur-containing essential oil when discussing Hazy IPAs. As far as hops you should utilize in your brews: Galaxy and Columbus can possess up to 5 mL/1000g essential oils. 

Janish proceeds to hop pellets, whole cones, and miscellaneous hop products. One point of research which struck me, was the development of hop lots after they've been picked. Late August into early September are prime-time for hop picking, as linalool increased.

I watched a lecture/presentation by John Kimmich of The Alchemist, and he mentioned how Heady Topper is only bittered with CO2 Hop Extract. He discussed clean bittering results, increased wort yield, and an overall ease. This report was corroborated by Janish, who discusses consistent control over bittering targets, increased yield, and heightened control over hot-side foam formation. Furthermore, these hop extracts increase mouthfeel and head retention. But using this hot-side shortens beer longevity, requiring a consumption during peak freshness. 

Hot-side hop additions, supposedly, are needed when bittering with CO2 extract, because the extract doesn't isomerize until boil. Also, don't add the extract during fermentation; the aroma dies off. If anything, add it to a purified beer. If you do add this to a purified beer, your shelf storage will benefit! One study showed a hop extract beer lasting 11 months in a refrigerator.

Here we are, at the end of the first chapter. I did not mention the fact that hop pellets are blended to provide crop stability, nor that Sierra Nevada proudly uses whole cone hops. Please forgive me!