The fresh hops just don’t stop around here it seems! My article for The Bulletin this past week was a follow-up to the previous week’s fresh hop article, yes, basically a Part Two with more reviews. I even touch on some of the techniques brewers employ in brewing these beers before diving in.

Most brewers add fresh hops during the hot side of the process, either in the kettle during late stages of the boil, or just afterward, before it cools (or a combination of these).

“I am a militant proponent of using fresh hops on the ‘hot side,’” wrote Zach Beckwith, head brewer of Bend Brewing Company, via email.

“We utilize our mash tun as a hopback and run the hot wort from the whirlpool onto the fresh hops and then knock out into the fermenter.”

Other brewers I’ve spoken to treat the hops similarly, with a notable exception from Sunriver Brewing Company, which has eight fresh -hop beers this year.

“The outsider is our fresh hop Holy Schmidt Festbier. That beer utilizes fresh Liberty hops that have been flash frozen with liquid nitrogen and emulsified, then used for dry hopping on the cold side (brite beer tank),” [brewer Brett Thomas] said via email.

More at the link.