Dry Hopping

Brian Hutchinson, cofounder and brewer at the Colorado brewpub that’s won a slew of medals for its hop-forward beers over the past 13 years, details their approach to achieving high-impact flavor and quality at small scale.

Looking to brew a beer with haze that’s ready to commit to the long-term? We asked Zach Coleman, head brewer and co-owner at TRVE in Denver and Asheville, for some clarity on haze stability, and he turned to fellow pros for their best advice.

Steve Parker, cofounder and head brewer of Fidens in Albany, New York, details their approach to building the kind of soft, juicy, impactful hazy IPAs that keep you going back for more.

Recorded at the recent Brewer’s Retreat at Russian River Brewing, this panel discussion with Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker, Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest, and Ben Edmunds of Breakside explores how each are defining and brewing compelling and modern interpretations of West Coast IPA.

From our Illustrated Guide to Homebrewing, here are things to consider while your batch moves from fermentation to that time when waiting (and perhaps adding a thing or two) only makes your beer better.

In this follow-up to episode 286, the gang—Vinnie Cilurzo, Evan Price, and Kelsey McNair—is back together to answer and discuss your questions spurred by one of the most popular episodes in the history of the Craft Beer & Brewing Podcast.

For brewers who read and sponge all the info they can find, it may be hard to believe: The authors of two of the most influential brewing books of the past decade run a brewery together. In suburban Baltimore, Scott Janish and Michael Tonsmeire are experimenting at Sapwood Cellars.

Helmed by authors Michael Tonsmiere and Scott Janish, Sapwood Cellars’ shared focus on hop-forward beers and oak-aged mixed fermentations was a given. However, over the past four years, they’ve pushed into new territory and found spaces for even more creative exploration.

Brewers are experimenting with a variety of ways, old and new, to squeeze even more aroma and flavor from their hops and cram it into their beers. But how much hop saturation is too much for drinkers?

Bale Breaker’s location on the family hop farm, Loftus Ranches, offers proximity and access to hops of which many brewers could only dream. Brewmaster Kevin Smith shares perspective on brewing hop-forward beers, gleaned from decades growing up on—and now brewing on—the farm.

Gather ‘round: Sam Tierney of the Firestone Walker Propagator, Bob Kunz of Highland Park, and Nick Pavlina of Humble Sea discuss the technical and conceptual underpinnings of dry-hopped pilsner, West Coast–style.

Biotransformation is an expansive, complex process. Laura Burns, R&D director of Omega Yeast, puts the topic into context, raising questions about the conventional wisdom and zooming in on certain precursors that exist in beer’s ingredients.

It was once indispensable to their refined character, but Brettanomyces is rarely involved with oak-aged barleywines these days—and that’s not all they’ve lost since the 1800s.

Brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo describes two experiments they tried at Russian River in an effort to reduce hop creep—both involving Yakima Chief’s American Noble hop pellets.

Russian River cofounder and brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo explains how choosing the right yeast and ensuring a healthy fermentation can help you reduce the risk of hop creep.

Vinnie Cilurzo, cofounder and brewmaster at Russian River, shares a few suggestions on how to reduce the impact of hop creep by adjusting the mash to reduce dextrins.

In this five-minute clip from his video course, Russian River cofounder and brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo explains exactly what “hop creep” is—and why any brewer who adds dry hops should be aware of it.

It’s a pernicious problem for today’s brewers: the risk of hop creep from dry-hopping. In this detailed video course, Russian River cofounder and brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo digs into the root causes—and lays out strategies to beat it in your own brewery.

Alvarado Street cofounder and brewing director J.C. Hill explains some sensory and technical differences between dry hopping and using knockout hops boosted by exogenous enzymes.

It’s hard enough to win a GABF medal in an IPA category. In 2021, North Park Beer won two—one hazy, one West Coast. Founder Kelsey McNair discusses their dogged approach to improvement and new techniques to maximize the flavor and impact of hops.