Article

10 New Hops to Brew With

It still strikes me as a little odd when I see a beer can boldly declaring “hops” as an ingredient. Sure, hops are an ingredient in almost every modern beer, but the descriptor does almost nothing in describing the beer without a lot of qualifying information and an indication of what hop varieties are in the beer. It’s about as useful as saying there is “fruit” in the fruit salad, or “meat” in the meatloaf. There may have been a day when simply saying “hops” was enough, and in some circles it may still be. However, as homebrewers, we yearn for more. With more than 150 different unique hop varieties commercially available to us, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, the qualities of the hop used in a beer are significant.

That said, I’ll be the first to admit that with hop breeders releasing new varieties to the market each year, I stumble upon a variety name while perusing a beer list from time to time that I’ve never heard of before. The beer geek in me then takes over, and I’ll quickly pull out my phone to search the Internet to find out what characteristics this unknown hop will lend to the beer on the menu in front of me. In a hobby like homebrewing it can be difficult to keep up with all of the changes happening, especially in the hop industry.

It’s only been two years since BYO last ran a new hop roundup, but with so many new and exciting hops being released and made readily available to homebrewers for the first time, we couldn’t wait any longer to do another story highlighting the newest varieties. From high-alpha hops and varieties bursting with tropical aromas begging brewers to reconsider their tried-and-true IPA recipes, to noble-style hops that can add a new twist on delicate lagers, it’s an understatement to say that breeders have been busy. So, for all of the homebrewers who want to keep up with the latest ingredients, looking for a characteristic they haven’t quite been able to find in a beer, or just looking to try something new, we’ve included descriptors, pro brewers’ takes, and even clone recipes for as many of these new varieties as we could find. With the 10 new hop varieties on the following pages, you’re sure to find a new hop that can lend a unique quality appropriate for almost any beer style.

AltusTM

A little goes a long way with this hop that was first crossed in the Hopsteiner breeding program in 2007. AltusTM has massive resinous, as well as spicy and tangerine aromas. “Heavy-handed,” Hopsteiner’s Marketing Manager Darren Stankey says with a laugh when asked to describe the hop’s characteristics. “The only comparison I can really give is marijuana grown today is a lot more potent and stronger today than it was back in the 70s, and that is how we compare our breeding program. (AltusTM) is a lot higher in aroma profile, oils, alpha acids, and lupulin glands,” Stankey says. 

With that high potency and ability to overshadow other flavors, AltusTM is best used in smaller quantities with a gentle hand. That’s not to say the hop isn’t multifaceted. From light-bodied Mexican lagers to triple IPAs, commercial brewers have used AltusTM in many styles. 

“It’s a versatile hop but it takes some dialing in,” Stankey says. 

Formerly known as Experimental #07270, AltusTM has drawn the attention of a number of commercial breweries in recent years, including Lupulin Brewing in Big Lake, Minnesota, which has played around with pairing AltusTM with some other hops featured in this story. 

“We used not only the #07270 (AltusTM), but also blended in some LotusTM and SultanaTM into our custom whirlpool for our 6th version of our Sophistry series of experimental IPAs. We were looking for a nice citrus/tropical effect with a kiss of vanilla (from the LotusTM) and we got it,” says Matt Schiller, Co-Founder and Head of Brewing Operations at Lupulin Brewing. “When used in the whirlpool, AltusTM gives a nice tangerine flavor and aroma.” 

A clone recipe of this beer straight from the great folks at Lupulin Brewing can be found near the end of this article.

AltusTM Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 15–18.5%
Beta acids: 4–5.2%
Cohumulone: 26–29
Total Oils: 3–4.4 mL/100 g

AltusTM Commercial Examples:
Lupulin Brewing – Sophistry 6
Blackberry Farm Brewery – Stonefly V.3 (Altus)
Deschutes Brewery – Armory XPA (v2)
Bear Republic Brewing – Exp. #07270 Rebellion
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery – Teeny Tiny Test Batch IPA Vol. 3

Barbe Rouge

Developed by the Comptoir Agricole breeding program in Alsace, France, Barbe Rouge is a bright and delicate aroma hop that bursts with ripe red fruit flavors of currant, strawberry, and raspberry. It also has zesty citrus aromas of kumquats, oranges, and limes. Those characteristics have made it a popular choice for American and New England IPAs among craft brewers in recent years. Of the three recently released French hops on this list, Barbe Rouge has seen the most early success among craft breweries (although, it was also imported into the States in 2018; one year earlier than the other two).

One brewer who has grown fond of Barbe Rouge as a dry hop addition and used it in that way for a couple of New England IPAs is Robert Kros, Head Brewer and Co-Owner of Kros Strain Brewing in La Vista, Nebraska. “From the dry hop I get a nice berry, candy/sweet, raspberry, strawberry flavor,” he said. “The aroma was definitely berry-forward.” 

Kros warns that Barbe Rouge can be overshadowed by bolder hops so care should be taken when deciding the hop combinations to use it in. “Our IPAs were dry hopped with Vic Secret, Pacific Gem, and TopazTM (in addition to Barbe Rouge), but I think you could possibly layer it with some hops like EnigmaTM, Hallertau Blanc, Huell Melon, Callista, and other types that have more berry-forward flavors.”

Kros suggests Barbe Rouge would work well in lighter styles where berry aroma/flavors are desired. “It might be nice in a Pilsner with a lighter dry hop, single hop New England IPA, IPA, or pale ale, dry-hopped saison, possibly even a fruited IPA.”

Barbe Rouge Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 7–10% 
Beta acids: 3.3–4.5%
Cohumulone: 24–28
Total Oils: 1.1–1.6 mL/100 g

Barbe Rouge Commercial Examples:
Kros Strain Brewing – Whirlpool Dreams (Barbe Rouge/Topaz)
Schlafly – Hop Trial: Barbe Rouge
Crux Fermentation Project – Barbe Rouge Experimental IPA
Fifth Hammer Brewing – Barbe Rouge Saison

BRU-1TM

Developed through open pollination by John I. Haas and Brulotte Farms in Yakima Valley, Washington, BRU-1TM packs a punch of pineapple flavor and aroma, as well as aromas of stone fruit, spice, and floral. BRU-1TM has a high myrcene oil content that makes up over 50% of the total oil. IPAs and pale ales are obvious choices. Other recommended styles include wheat and golden ales. The breeder says BRU-1TM pairs well with Citra®, Chinook, and other U.S. aroma varieties.

“We fell in love with BRU-1TM from the moment we first cut open a bag of it.  The overripe pineapple immediately punches you right in the aromatics,” says Jason Goldstein, Head Brewer/Founder of Icarus Brewing in Lakewood, New Jersey. “We’ve mainly used it as a dry hop, showing it off in double dry hopped versions of two of our flagship Northeast IPAs: Yacht Juice and Milking It, finding in both it pairs extremely well with Citra® to bring even more overripe citrus into the mix.”

Icarus also used BRU-1TM as a whirlpool addition alongside pineapple to create an aromatic blast of pineapple in a pale ale called Pineapple Hindenburg (find the recipe, which also features habanero peppers, near the end of this article).

BRU-1TM Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 13–15%
Beta acids: 8–10%
Cohumulone: 35–37
Total Oils: 1.5–2 mL/100 g

BRU-1TM Commercial Examples:
The Alchemist – Skadoosh VI
Icarus Brewing – Pineapple Hindenburg
Stone Brewing – Lupulin Loop BRU-1
Hoof Hearted Brewing – Everybody Wants Some (BRU-1)
Other Half Brewing – DDH Hop Showers IPA with BRU-1

ContessaTM

Bred by the hopheads at Hopsteiner, ContessaTM is a noble-like hop with unique attributes. “The beta acids are actually higher than the alpha acids in this one — you don’t come across that too often,” says Stankey. ContessaTM (formerly Experimental #04190) has aromas described as green tea, floral, and light pear. The high beta acids make it a good fit as an aroma addition in lagers.

Breeders first crossed Fuggle and a Cascade male hop to create the ContessaTM variety back around 2004. In addition to the approximate decade it generally takes hops from initial cross breeding to release, ContessaTM’s coming out party was also held back as Hopsteiner wanted to wait for the appropriate time to present it to the market. (For a period after hazy IPAs took off, all brewers seemed to be interested in was juicy, fruit-forward varieties.) With a recent resurgence in lighter, flavorful lagers and lower-calorie beers, the timing to release the noble-style hop seemed appropriate in 2019, Stankey said.

One brewery that bought into ContessaTM’s attributes early was Sierra Nevada — a good sign for the future success of a hop. Sierra Nevada has used ContessaTM as a kettle addition in Otra Vez (both the original and the revised incarnation of the Gose) and this summer’s Bohemian-style Pilsner release, Summerfest. Sierra Nevada’s Manager of R&D and Raw Materials Tom Nielsen described ContessaTM as an elegant hop with noble aroma characteristics and superior bitter quality. 

“ContessaTM is one of the cleanest, most elegant hops I’ve used. It’s one of the best U.S. continental type hops commercially available. It also has high relative yields compared to traditional noble varieties, providing more sustainable economics to brewer and grower,” Nielsen said.

ContessaTM Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 3–5%
Beta acids: 5–7.4%
Cohumulone: 29–32
Total Oils: 0.8–1.9 mL/100 g

ContessaTM Commercial Examples:
Orpheus Brewing – Little Birds Have Fast Hearts
Real Ale Brewing – Contessa Pils
Sierra Nevada – Otra Vez
Sierra Nevada – Summerfest
Tampa Bay Brewing Company – Lawn Daddy

Elixir

Another hop developed by the Comptoir Agricole breeding program in Alsace, France, Elixir is a robust and complex hop that offers unique aromas of Cognac, leather, and tobacco. It has complementary aromas of sweet citrus and tropical fruits. Various distributors have suggested Elixir hops be used in everything from darker beer styles, farmhouse, saison, or bière de gardes, to lagers and IPAs. Unfortunately, little is available regarding Elixir on the internet, and we were unable to connect with the breeders. The parentage of this hop has not been publicly shared and we were not able to find a commercial example brewed with Elixir, likely because of how new it is in the U.S. and my poor ability to translate French brewery webpages. So, if you dare to try something new, please let us know what you think ([email protected])!

Elixir Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 5–7% 
Beta acids: 4.5–5.5%
Cohumulone: 25–30
Total Oils: 1.8–2.2 mL/100 g

LotusTM

Perfect for IPAs and pale ales, LotusTM offers exceptional aromatic characteristics of orange and vanilla, followed by notes of candied grapes and tropical fruit. Formerly known as Experimental #06297, LotusTM was first bred in the Hopsteiner breeding program in 2006 as a cross between the Japanese variety Eastern Gold, ApolloTM, Cascade, and a USDA male with neomexicanus heritage. Many craft breweries jumped on LotusTM early in the brewing trial phase before its official release and have been singing its praises, including Neil Fisher, Co-Owner/Head Brewer of some of the most coveted hazy IPAs at WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley, Colorado.

“We’ve really focused a lot of our new recipe development on LotusTM, in particular. We had fallen in love with it several years ago when it was still Experimental #06297. We knew it was a special hop and we wanted to make sure we could use it in more than just a few one-off brands. So last year when we found out it had been branded, we sourced as much as spot as we could (maybe more than we were supposed to, whoops) and then added a significant volume to our contracts starting with 2020 crop year,” Fisher said. 

One of WeldWerk’s newest brands, Advanced Fluid Dynamics, is essentially built from the ground up around LotusTM and Sabro®. Fisher said he gets a ton of complexity from LotusTM with notes of tangerine, vanilla, pineapple, and papaya. “The orange creamsicle character is especially unique to LotusTM and unlike anything we’ve come across before.”

Brewers have gotten creative with LotusTM, such as Solemn Oath Brewery outside Chicago, which uses it in a witbier that is well received. 

LotusTM Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 13–17% 
Beta acids: 5.5–6%
Cohumulone: 33–39
Total Oils: 2–2.5 mL/100 g

LotusTM Commercial Examples:
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Single Hop 06297
Solemn Oath – White Van Belgian Wit
Surly Brewing – 60 Below Rye IPA
WeldWerks Brewing – Advanced Fluid Dynamics

Mistral

Developed by the Comptoir Agricole breeding program in Alsace, France, Mistral offers a refreshing character of citrus fruits, floral, and sweet fruits. The first crop year in which Mistral hit the market for U.S. brewers was 2019. There isn’t a lot of information published on the Internet about Mistral, and the parentage has not been published. Fortunately, one pro brewer who has had a chance to brew a couple of beers with it and was eager to share his feedback was brewing legend Dan Carey at New Glarus Brewing Co., who called the French hop “completely unique,” with a character that would be impossible to replicate without blending multiple varieties. One of the beers New Glarus brewed with Mistral was a darker bock, in which the hop was used as an early bittering addition. “What I find in the hop is when it’s used in the kettle, the bitterness is very clean and sweet; it’s not harsh,” Carey said. “It has a melon and citrus-like character and also can have a Muscat grape or wine-like character and even a hint of pear (when added in the boil).”

Carey also brewed a Mistral single-hop Bohemian Pilsner for the French Hop Cooperative for the 2018 Craft Brewers Conference, which he hopes to brew again in the future. “When used as a dry hop, you still get that wine grape and pear character, but you also get some berries, orange sherbet, lime, even a floral rose-like character,” Carey said. He also mused that adding Mistral during active fermentation seems to bring out unique characteristics through biotransformation. 

While Carey has only used Mistral in two lagers in his New Glarus, Wisconsin brewery, the French Cooperative views it as a hop best suited for ales. Carey said using Mistral as a dry hop in a Belgian tripel, blond, or even a German hefeweizen would be fun to try. 

Mistral Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 6.5–8.5% 
Beta acids: 3.1–3.8%
Cohumulone: 29–39
Total Oils: 1.5 mL/100 g

Mistral Commercial Examples:
3 Floyds Brewing – Mistral
Brasserie Dunham – Saison Rustique (Mistral)
Brouwerij Pronck – White IPA Mistral
New Glarus Brewing – Mistral
Urban Chestnut Brewing – Hopswitch (Mistral)

Monroe

Monroe explodes with red berry aromas and flavors, which led to it being named after Marilyn Monroe and her famous red dress. Bred in Germany by BarthHaas, Monroe was actually derived from a wild American hop. Monroe features flavors of raspberries, orange syrup, and cherries, with aromatic notes of raspberries, strawberries, cherries, red currants, passion fruits, and plums. Monroe is still quite new to the brewing scene outside of Germany, but a small handful of breweries have jumped at the opportunity to try out this unique variety, including Stone Cow Brewery in Barre, Massachusetts, who brewed a single-hop IPA featuring Monroe. “There’s other flavors out there besides citrus, after all,” said Owner/Brewer Sean DuBois. He added that he’s never come across another hop with the similar aroma/flavor impacts.

“This beer was so well received at our brewery that I wouldn’t hesitate to do another (Monroe) single-hop IPA again. Otherwise, I would pair this hop with either a lemon flavor profile hop like Sorachi Ace or a hop that had a sweet orange peel flavor profile,” DuBois said. “I think the Monroe hop shines when it comes to late addition hopping on brew day or on a dry hopping regimen for an IPA.”

He added that, based on his first experience with the hop, it seems to be one that could overshadow other hops if not careful. “It seems like a little goes a long way. On our single hop IPA, I used it conservatively on account that I had never used it before and was very happy with the finished product,” DuBois said.

In addition to traditional IPAs, Monroe has been used in lagers and other styles. 4 Noses Brewing in Broomfield, Colorado, may have found the perfect pairing for the hop with cherry character in Cherry Pie Velvet; a milkshake IPA featuring Monroe hops, cherries, and graham crackers.

Monroe Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 2.8–2.9% 
Beta acids: 6.5–7.5%
Cohumulone: Unavailable
Total Oils: 0.95 mL/100 g

MonroeTM Commercial Examples:
Stone Cow Brewery – Borderlands: Monroe Single-Hop IPA
DC Brau Brewing – Brau Pils (Monroe Dry Hopped)
Triceratops Brewing – ONE Pilsner
4 Noses Brewing – Cherry Pie Velvet
Brouwerij Alken-Maes – Hapkin

SultanaTM

SultanaTM isn’t exactly a new hop, just a hop with a new name. It was previously released as Denali, but after a name dispute and going back to being called Experimental #06277 for a while, the hop was re-released as SultanaTM in the fall of 2019. It has also taken on the nickname of Nuggetzilla, which you’ll still see in some circles. SultanaTM has immense pineapple characteristics with lots (4–5%) of oils. It also has complementary notes of citrus and pine, although pineapple is definitely the dominant trait. It’s ideal for whirlpool and dry hop additions in IPAs and pale ales.

SultanaTM was first crossed by the breeders at Hopsteiner in 2006. Its parentage is 50% Nugget, 25% Zeus, and 25% USDA male.

Neil Fisher, of WeldWerks, said LotusTM is likely his favorite of the new hops; however, he’s also used Sul-tanaTM to complement it. “We brewed a version of Advanced Fluid Dynamics featuring SultanaTM as a third hop to pair with LotusTM and Sabro®, and SultanaTM layered even more ripe pineapple and citrus character.”

SultanaTM Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 13–15% 
Beta acids: 4–5%
Cohumulone: 22–26
Total Oils: 2.5–4 mL/100 g

SultanaTM Commercial Examples:
Tröegs Brewing – Golden Thing DIPA
Wormtown Brewing – Don’t Worry IPA
Modist Brewing – Dream Yard
Lakefront Brewing  –  Hazy Rabbit IPA
WeldWerks Brewing – Advanced Fluid Dynamics: Sultana

Triumph

Triumph is the latest public hop variety developed by the United States Department of Agriculture in the hop research facility in Corvallis, Oregon. Triumph expresses fruity notes of lime, orange, peach, and bubblegum, with lesser notes of spice and pine. It is able to stand alone or play a complementary role in a blend in many styles from lagers to pale ales. It has been described as a hop with lighter, noble-like characteristics. This aroma hop has a parentage that includes Nugget, Brewers Gold, East Kent Goldings, and Hallertau Mittelfrüh. It was first planted in 2001 and was officially released in 2019.

Matthew Pollock, Head Brewer of Indeed Brewing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said he got a lot of tropical flavors and some unique berry and stone fruit aromas from Triumph when using it for a single-hop pale ale. 

“It worked out really well,” Pollock said. “We are definitely interested in using the hop again . . . perhaps combining it with some Mosaic® or Citra® next time. I could also see this one working well with a fruit-forward beer when you are looking for a hop to accentuate juicy/berry/tropical-like flavors.” Find a clone recipe of Indeed’s Triumph Pale Ale below.

Triumph Acid & Oil Composition:
Alpha acids: 9–12% 
Beta acids: 3–5%
Cohumulone: Low
Total Oils: 0.8–1.8 mL/100 g

Triumph Commercial Examples:
Indeed Brewing – Triumph Pale Ale
Triple Crossing – Falcon Smash (Triumph Dry Hopped)
Cigar City Brewing – In Bed By Nine
Hill Farmstead Brewery – Excursions: Triumph

New Hops Clone Recipes

Indeed Brewing Co.’s Triumph Pale Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055  FG = 1.011
IBU = 45  SRM = 6  ABV = 5.7%

This single-hop pale ale from Indeed Brewing features juicy/berry/tropical flavors from the Triumph hops.

Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Simpsons Golden Promise pale ale malt
1.8 lbs. (0.82 kg) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats
6 AAU Triumph hops (20 min.) (0.57 oz./16 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
37 AAU Triumph hops (0 min.) (3.5 oz./99 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
5.2 oz. (147 g) Triumph hops (dry hop)
Imperial A15 (Independence), or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), or White Labs WLP051 (California Ale IV), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash utilizing 1.45 qts. strike water per pound of grain (3 L/kg) to achieve a stable mash temperature at 153 °F (67 °C). Sparge with enough water to collect 7 gallons (26.5 L) wort in your kettle. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding the first addition of Triumph hops with 20 minutes remaining. Add the second addition after heat has been turned off. Whirlpool for 5 minutes, then allow to settle for 15 minutes.

After the whirlpool, cool to 67 °F (19 °C), aerate the wort and pitch yeast. Hold at this temperature until terminal gravity is reached. Add Biofine at manufacturer’s recommended rate and let settle for 2–3 days, then rack onto the dry hops. After four days, cold crash the beer. Be sure no suck-back is possible. If this may be a problem, skip the cold crash step. Rack into a serving keg or bottle and carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.

Indeed Brewing Co.’s Triumph Pale Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.055  FG = 1.011
IBU = 45  SRM = 6  ABV = 5.7%

Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats
6 AAU Triumph hops (20 min.) (0.57 oz./16 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
37 AAU Triumph hops (0 min.) (3.5 oz./99 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
5.2 oz. (147 g) Triumph hops (dry hop)
Imperial A15 (Independence), or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), or White Labs WLP051 (California Ale IV), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Add crushed grains to a grain bag and submerge in 5 gallons (19 L) of cold water, tying the bag off for easy retrieval. Begin heating the water and heat until the water hits 170 °F (77 °C), then remove the grains (squeeze the bag with gloves to get the liquid out from the grains), then turn off the heat. Add the liquid malt extract and stir until all extract is dissolved. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Add the first addition of hops and boil for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the second hop addition. Give the wort a brisk stir to create a whirlpool, then cover the kettle and allow to settle for 20 minutes.

Follow the remainder of the steps listed in the all-grain recipe.

Icarus Brewing Co.’s Pineapple Hindenburg clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.064  FG = 1.016
IBU = 17.1  SRM = 6  ABV = 6.2%

This recipe was born out of a collaboration with the Ocean County Homebrewers club. The base recipe makes a very nice New England-style pale ale, but Icarus takes that and throws fresh habaneros into the kettle and conditions it on fresh pineapple that complements the BRU-1TM hops.

Ingredients
4.75 lbs. (2.2 kg) Golden Promise pale ale malt
2.75 lbs. (1.25 kg) spelt malt (wheat malt if unavailable)
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) Vienna malt
1.75 lbs. (0.8 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) wheat malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) dextrin malt
0.16 lb. (73 g) acidulated malt
3.6 AAU CTZ hops (60 min.) (0.2 oz./5.7 g at 18% alpha acids)
3.9 AAU BRU-1™ hops (0 min.) (0.3 oz./8.5 g at 13% alpha acids)
3 oz. (84 g) BRU-1™ hops (dry hop)
3 oz. (84 g) Citra® Cryo hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) chopped fresh habanero peppers (0 min.)
1 qt. (0.9 L) pineapple, pureed
White Labs WLP066 (London Fog), or Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), or Imperial Yeast A38 (Juice), or LalBrew Verdant IPA yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash with a soft water profile that favors chlorides over sulfates with a dash of Epsom salt (150 ppm chloride, 40 ppm sulfate,
15 ppm magnesium). Strike in utilizing 1.3 qts. of water per pound of grain (2.7 L/kg) to achieve a stable mash temperature around 152 °F (67 °C). Hold for 60 minutes or until conversion is complete. Begin the lauter process by either raising to mash out temperature or recirculating. Sparge with enough 168 °F (76 °C) water to collect 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Add the CTZ hops at the beginning of the boil and then boil 60 minutes.

Turn off heat and add flameout hops and habanero peppers, then begin a whirlpool. Allow wort to settle for 15 minutes before chilling to 66 °F (19 °C). Aerate the wort with filtered air (you don’t want to over oxygenate). Pitch yeast and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). Add the dry hops one day after signs of fermentation. After five days, transfer onto pineapple in a well-purged keg or secondary vessel for several days. If serving on draft you may want to transfer to another purged keg. Carbonate the beer to 2.3 volumes CO2.

Icarus Brewing Co.’s Pineapple Hindenburg clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.064  FG = 1.016
IBU = 17.1  SRM = 5.2  ABV = 6.2%

Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) wheat dried malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Vienna malt
1.75 lbs. (0.8 kg) flaked oats
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) dextrin malt
3.6 AAU CTZ hops (60 min.) (0.2 oz./5.7 g at 18% alpha acids)
3.9 AAU BRU-1™ hops (0 min.) (0.3 oz./8.5 g at 13% alpha acids)
3 oz. (84 g) BRU-1™ hops (dry hop)
3 oz. (84 g) Citra® Cryo hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) chopped fresh habanero peppers (0 min.)
1 qt. (0.9 L) pineapple, pureed
White Labs WLP066 (London Fog), or Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), or Imperial Yeast A38 (Juice), or LalBrew Verdant IPA yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
In a large muslin bag, add the crushed Vienna and dextrin malts as well as the oats. Heat 5.5 qts. (5.2 L) of water to 164 °F (73 °C) and submerge the grains in the water. Mash at around 152 °F (67 °C) for 45–60 minutes. Remove the grains and place in a large colander. Slowly wash the grains with 1 gallon (4 L) of hot water. Bring volume up to 6.25 gallons (23.7 L) and stir in the malt extracts. Once the extracts are fully dissolved, bring the wort up to a boil. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.

Lupulin Brewing Co.’s Sophistry 06 clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG =  1.072  FG = 1.015
IBU = 27*  SRM = 5  ABV = 7.5%

* Beers heavily dry hopped can differ greatly from the calculated IBU levels that a beer calculator may provide. While our calculator says that this beer will contain 27 IBUs, when measured on a spectrophotometer, this beer actually reads around 50–60 IBUs.

“Our Sophistry series of IPAs is our way of playing around with new hops, techniques, and combinations to find fun new flavors,” said Matt Schiller, Co-Founder and Head of Brewing Operations at Lupulin Brewing, in Big Lake, Minnesota. For the sixth Sophistry release, Lupulin focused on brand new hops Lotus™, Altus™, and Sultana™, in combination with Citra®, Lemondrop™, and Sabro™. “We were looking for a nice citrus/tropical effect with a kiss of vanilla and we got it.”

Ingredients
5.4 lbs. (2.9 kg) 2-row pale malt
4.2 lbs. (1.9 kg) Golden Promise pale ale malt
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) flaked wheat
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) flaked oats
0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) maltodextrin
0.45 oz. (13 g) lemon peel (5 min.)
9 AAU Citra® hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 12% alpha acids)
30 AAU Lotus™ hops (hop stand) (1.9 oz./54 g at 16% alpha acids)
30 AAU Altus™ hops (hop stand) (1.9 oz./54 g at 16% alpha acids)
14 AAU Sultana™ hops (hop stand) (1 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids)
25 AAU Citra® Cryo hops (hop stand) (1 oz./28 g at 25% alpha acids)
3.2 oz. (90 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1.9 oz. (54 g) Lemondrop™ hops (dry hop)
3.2 oz. (90 g) Sabro™ hops (dry hop)
Omega OYL-11 (British Ale V), or Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), or LalBrew Verdant IPA yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash. Begin by heating 20.5 qts. (19.5 L), this is 1.5 qts. strike water per pound of grain (3 L/kg), up to 164 °F (73 °C). Mix with grains to achieve a stable mash temperature at 150 °F (66 °C). After 60 minutes begin recirculation. Sparge with enough water to collect 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort in your kettle. Boil wort for 60 minutes, adding the first addition of hops with 30 minutes remaining. With 5 minutes remaining in the boil add the lemon peel, maltodextrin, and a kettle fining agent such as Whirlfloc or Irish moss if desired.

After the boil is complete, cool down to 170 °F (77 °C) and then add the hop stand additions, stir the kettle to create a vigorous whirlpool, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes before cooling to yeast-pitching temperature.

Pitch yeast and begin fermentation at 66 °F (19 °C) and ramp to 72 °F (21 °C) throughout fermentation. After active fermentation is complete, add the dry hops for three days then transfer off the hops. Cold crash the beer to near freezing, but only if you have a vessel in which positive CO2 pressure can be placed on the beer. You don’t want any suckback of oxygen into your vessel. After two days, the beer is ready. You may want to transfer your beer to a serving keg if dispensing on draft. Bottle and prime or force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.

Lupulin Brewing Co.’s Sophistry 06 clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG =  1.072  FG = 1.015
IBU = 27  SRM = 5  ABV = 7.5%

Ingredients
3.9 lbs. (1.8 kg) extra light dried malt extract
3.8 lbs. (1.7 kg) Golden Promise pale ale malt
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) flaked wheat
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) flaked oats
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) maltodextrin
0.45 oz. (13 g) lemon peel (5 min.)
9 AAU Citra® hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 12% alpha acids)
30 AAU Lotus™ hops (hop stand) (1.9 oz./54 g at 16% alpha acids)
30 AAU Altus™ hops (hop stand) (1.9 oz./54 g at 16% alpha acids)
14 AAU Sultana™ hops (hop stand) (1 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids)
25 AAU Citra® Cryo hops (hop stand) (1 oz./28 g at 25% alpha acids)
3.2 oz. (90 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1.9 oz. (54 g) Lemondrop™ hops (dry hop)
3.2 oz. (90 g) Sabro™ hops (dry hop)
Omega OYL-11 (British Ale V), or Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), or LalBrew Verdant IPA yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
In a large muslin bag, add the crushed pale ale malt, flaked oats, and flaked wheat. Heat 10.5 qts. (10 L) of water to 164 °F (73 °C) and submerge the grains in the water. Mash at around 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Remove the grains and place in a large colander. Slowly wash the grains with
1 gallon (4 L) of hot water. Bring volume up to 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) and stir in the malt extract. Once the extract is fully dissolved, bring the wort up to a boil. Total boil time is 60 minutes. Follow the remainder of the steps in the all-grain recipe. 

Issue: October 2020