Wet Hop beers, freshness guaranteed?

article written in collaboration with Alexandra Berry.

What is a Wet Hop beer?

Also called a "Fresh Hop", a Wet Hop Beer is not the opposite of a Dry Hop Beer! A wet hop beer is brewed with freshly harvested, untreated or dried hops. These fresh hops still contain 80% moisture, hence the name "Wet Hop".

The interest of this practice is to take advantage of all the lupulin contained in the hops. This resin is full of aromatic oils and alpha acids that will contribute to the flavors and bitterness of the brew. The more the hops are manipulated, the more they lose their organoleptic properties (hence the interest in pelletizing them to concentrate and homogenize the oils).

How to brew a wet hop beer?

First, the brewer must test the moisture of the hops by rubbing them in his hands to release the lupulin (see the article on harvesting hops for how to determine if a hop is ready to be harvested).

The cone is certainly oil-laden, but it takes up space with a lot of plant material that will be filtered out later. Thus, it is necessary to have a much larger quantity of cones in order to discern the flavors and to get enough alpha to create bitterness in the brew.

Moreover, fresh cones deteriorate and oxidize very quickly, so they have a very short optimal use date - a few hours post-harvest - compared to dried cones or pellets. The dry cone is only 8 to 10% water and weighs five times less than the fresh cone, it can be stored for several years without deterioration if it is kept in a cool place, away from light and oxygen. Some brewers still prefer to brew with cones but use dried cones for this purpose.

For a "Wet Hop Beer", it is therefore necessary to brew with fresh cones within 24 hours of their harvest, hence the success of this style in the Northwest of the United States where all the largest hop farms in the world are located.

Since wet hops weigh 5 times as much as a dried cone, those used to dry hops will need to multiply the amounts by 5 in their brews to get the same bitterness. Fresh cone hops, like pellets, can be added at any time in the brew, depending on how you want to use them. However, it is recommended to brew with dry cone or hot pellet to get the desired alpha level easily (it is less accurate to calculate it with wet hop) and to keep your cones fresh for cold hopping to preserve all the volatile oils and therefore the aromas.

Wet Hopping at Sierra Nevada

Some tips for brewing with Wet Hop:

- So consider bittering the brew with a dried hop that has known and accurately measured alpha acid. Not only will you get a more predictable bitterness, but you'll save all the wet hops for later flavor additions.

- Depending on where you live, the hops available will be limited and each will have its own flavor characteristics. In the northwestern United States as in New Zealand brewers have access to very fruity and aromatic hops. In France, you can get German hops, which are finer and more noble with a complex mouthfeel, French hops such as Aramis or Barbe Rouge, with distinct flavor profiles, or a variety of hops from your local hop shop.

Whatever hops you get, design your beer recipe around the hops.

- Use fresh cone hops sparingly. Extremely hoppy styles like New England IPA are probably not suitable for this type of product (especially European varieties). You may end up with a beer that is far too herbal and grassy for the desired style.

- Since you have to use a lot of fresh hops per brew, they will absorb a lot of wort. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to use a large mesh bag, such as a "brew in bag" polyester bag, when adding fresh hops. Remove the bag and squeeze the wort lightly at the end of the boil.

- Dry hopping with fresh hops is entirely possible, but there is a risk of contamination of your beer. Unlike dried hops, bacteria can linger on fresh hops because there may be microbes or microinsects still inside the fresh hop flower. If you are concerned about this, add all your fresh hops to the whirlpool stage and let it steep for 45 minutes.

Why choose a wet hop beer?

In addition to guaranteeing a brew made with the freshest ingredients, the aroma of wet hopped beer will be greener than usual. This technique will bring out the herbaceous side of the plant and promote its flavors without enhancing its bitterness.

Although we can find its traditional characteristics (citrus, exotic fruits or spices), a fresh hop will be dominated by these "green" flavors, such as cut grass, chlorophyll or fresh tobacco. It is these aromas that the brewer seeks to find in his beer, showing its freshness.

https://www.brewer-world.com/dry-hopped-vs-wet-hop-beers-whats-the-difference/

Some additional questions

What is the difference between the classic cone and the wet hop?

Cone usually refers to the dried hop cone sold by hop growers and vendors. It will have been dried, either direct or indirect fired depending on the farm, and will contain less moisture and oils than fresh hops. However, being dried, the cone will be able to be stored and used all year round.

Harvest beer, Fresh hop or Wet Hop?

Depending on the brewery, the name of this style varies. For some, like the Great Divide Brewing Association, a Fresh Hop beer is "brewed in the fall with wet, whole cone hops. For Bale Breaker Brewing Company, a brewery located in the heart of the Yakima Valley hop fields, it is a Wet Hopped Beer. Founders Brewing Company uses the term Harvest Ale.

The important thing is that these beers are brewed with hops that have never been dried and are therefore full of oil, water and flavor. Generally, they are produced during or just after the harvest period, therefore promoted in October or November.

Founders' Harvest Ale

Can we brew with wild hops?

For those of you who have already found wild hops around your home, you can absolutely test them in your brews! That being said, you will be brewing "blind" with hops that could have a wide range of characteristics in terms of bitterness, flavor and oil concentrations. Also note that these wild hops are generally much lower in oils/aroma. For these, it is best to brew a rather classic pale ale and let the hops express themselves at the end of the whirlpool or during cold hopping.

Terrabière Botanical with wild hops