Oregon beer drinkers can help inform an important new research project on “fresh hop” beers. Made with fresh-from-the-vine hops, these beers are a staple of Oregon autumns, and a new study will reveal what makes them taste so good.
Conducted by Dr. Tom Shellhammer at Oregon State University and supported by Coleman Agriculture and Celebrate Oregon Beer, a new study happening this harvest season will look into the chemical and sensory elements of fresh hops. Because most beers use dried hops, scientists haven’t done much research into the different ways fresh hops taste and smell. With this new research, we’ll have some of the first answers.
Working with five breweries and seventh-generation hop grower Coleman Agriculture, Dr. Shellhammer will evaluate the finished beer to see if different flavor and aroma compounds are present in beer made with fresh hops. Oregon breweries are helping out by making two identical versions of a beer, with one difference. One of their beers will use fresh hops, the other freshly-dried hops picked from the same field. Different hops may express the flavors differently, so the study will look at two early-harvest varieties, Centennial and Strata. Additionally, the breweries will use different techniques in case that makes a difference.
Customers will take part in this study by filling out a 5-minute, 15-question survey on their phones at the participating breweries. These anonymous responses will give valuable insight into consumer preferences and sensory perception of fresh-hopped beers, which can then be linked to chemical differences found in the lab. It is the first study to take a look at this specialty of Oregon’s harvest season.
How to Participate
The first of the fresh hop beers will begin appearing in taprooms after Labor Day weekend, with others arriving thereafter. Once they are released, head on down to the one closest to you. You’ll receive a 4-ounce pour and a QR code will take you to the survey. These are the participating breweries and their beer:
Block 15 Brewing (Corvallis), available September 23 at their Southtown Taproom location only.
Fresh². ABV: 6.7%. Style: West Coast IPA. This beer features fresh-hop and freshly-kilned Strata in the whirlpool, paired with Cascade and Strata in the dry-hop.
ColdFire Brewing (Eugene), available the week of September 8th.
The Henry IPA. ABV: 7.0% IBU: 60 Style: West Coast IPA. Hops: Centennial, Mosaic, Simcoe Experience: Lychee, Tangelo, Honeydew, Resinous, Tropical Berry Description: We brewed this beer in honor of our office mascot, Henry the Chameleon. Our long-time friend and confidant, Henry inspired a kaleidoscope of creativity and flavor. We miss you, good buddy, but your memory lives on! The Henry uses fresh hop Centennials in as a dry hop.
Deschutes Brewery (Bend), available the week of September 8th only at the brewery taproom.
Independence Study. ABV 6.5%. Style: West Coast IPA. Deschutes uses fresh hop Centennials in the whirlpool.
Breakside Brewery (Milwaukie), available at all Breakside locations beginning Aug 29.
Wanderjack. ABV 7.0%. Style: West Coast IPA. Hops: Strata, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Amarillo. The beer that came out of that thought experiment is filled with three of the fruitiest hops around, along with a touch of Simcoe to anchor the beer in classic dank and catty West Coast flavor. The bitterness is modest. The malt bill is extremely lean, and the ABV is robust enough to provide some body and support. The fresh-hop Stratas will be used in a dry-hop addition.
In addition to Oregon breweries, Fat Head’s Brewery in Ohio will also be making fresh hop beers with Coleman hops. Although not participating in the portion of the study at OSU, they will be surveying customers–offering a different population of consumers less familiar with fresh hop beers. Fresh Hopped Head Hunter IPA uses Coleman Stratas in three places on the “hot side.”
The Importance of Research
We are fortunate to live in a state not just where hops are grown, but where researchers like Dr. Shellhammer do their work. In the past two decades, research has been instrumental in changing the way we think about hops. American brewers have rewritten the brewing books with their techniques on making hoppy beers, and their discoveries have been guided by studies like this one.
In this project, Dr. Shellhammer will look to see if fresh hops leave a different chemical signature on beer. Perhaps he’ll find compounds in the fresh hop beer that don’t survive the hop-drying process, or find that the compounds in dried hops are more or less bountiful in fresh hop beer. He might find that process–using fresh hops in a whirlpool versus as a dry hop addition–further affects this chemistry. All of this could be valuable to brewers going forward.
Partners
Dr. Tom Shellhammer is the Nor’Wester Professor of Fermentation Science at Oregon State University, where he leads research, teaching, and outreach focused on beer and hop quality. His work has examined how hop chemistry and quality combined with brewing processed impact beer flavor. Over the past 24 years, he has published over 130 peer-reviewed and technical papers and given more than 300 presentations worldwide.
Coleman Agriculture is a seventh-generation family farm with deep expertise, robust and fertile land, and the latest in modern agricultural technology. The company’s agriculture is led through innovative thinking and modern practices while enriching partnerships and maintaining family farm values. Founded by of the first families to settle at the St. Paul Mission, Coleman Agriculture continues to grow our vision through education and modern sustainable farming.
Celebrate Oregon Beer helped launch this project and has been a keen proponent of Oregon’s amazing fresh hop season. It is truly one of the most remarkable moments on the worldwide beer calendar, and we support research to help unveil the secrets behind those wonderfully fresh little cones.