Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

← Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast4. Sept. · 1 Std. 03 Min.

501: Perspectives on Fresh Hop Brewing With Bale Breaker, Single Hill, and Russian River

501: Perspectives on Fresh Hop Brewing With Bale Breaker, Single Hill, and Russian River4. Sept.1 Std. 03 Min.

This week’s episode is another panel discussion recorded live at our Brewers Retreat in the hop country of Yakima, Washington, and features three brewers with decided experience brewing fresh hop beers—Kevin Smith of Bale Breaker, Zach Turner of Single Hill, and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River. Through this ranging conversation, the three discuss celebrating the current harvest through the raw flavor of wet hops, how fresh hop brewing started and grew in the U.S., anchoring fresh hop recipes in ways that allow for late changes in varietals, planning for certain hops to arrive at specific times, designing recipes to highlight the flavor contributions of wet hops, managing pH swings, fresh hop addition methods, newer hop varieties like Thora, and much more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D Chillers

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PakTech

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