Shellhammer, T. H.1 and Hahn, C.1, (1)Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
Poster
Many factors influence the bitterness of beer, and the timing of hop additions during wort boiling is one well-known factor. First, wort hopping (FWH) is a technique where hops are added to the first runnings of wort from the lauter tun before “kettle full” and before wort boiling. This method exposes the hop material to wort at lower temperatures and an elevated pH for an extended period of time. Research related to FWH is limited, and details surrounding the studies remain vague. Proponents of the technique suggest FWH produces a beer with improved bitterness qualities and use terms such as “smooth” or “harmonic” to describe its effects. Research at the Oregon State University Pilot Brewery examined these claims by preparing two beers with the same mass of hops but varied in the timing of the hop addition. The FWH beer was prepared by adding the hops to the kettle prior to wort collection, while the reference beer was prepared by adding the hops to the wort at the start of boil. This comparison was carried out on a pilot scale and repeated on a commercial scale to produce two sets of beers: the former with a target BU of 35 and the later with a target BU of 20. Chemical analysis revealed negligible differences between the treatment and reference for both sets of beers, with one exception—the total polyphenol content (TPP). The FWH beer was slightly higher in TPP compared to the reference beer, suggesting that FWH technique may influence the extraction of polyphenolic material. However, sensory discrimination testing showed no difference between the reference and FWH beers. These results suggest that while the FWH technique has a minor influence on polyphenol extraction, it has a negligible influence on the sensory properties of the resultant beer.
Christina Hahn is a graduate student at Oregon State University (OSU) pursuing a master’s degree as a member of Dr. Thomas Shellhammer’s Brewing Science Laboratory. Her research focuses on the sensory perception of beer flavor and its components. Christina graduated with a B.S. degree in food science and technology from OSU in 2015. During her time as an undergraduate student she was the lead brewer for OSU’s pilot research brewery. In addition to brewing at OSU she has interned for Boston Beer Company, Deschutes Brewery, and Beam Suntory.
