¿WHAT IS DRY HOPPING?

It is more and more common to find the acronym DH or DDH on the blackboards at the craft beer bars we visit, or on the labels of the cans and bottles of our favorite beers. The meaning of these acronyms is very simple: it refers to the fact that the technique known as Dry Hopping (DH aka Dry Hopped, or DDH aka Double Dry Hopped) has been used when brewing. But do we know exactly what this technique consists of?

Dry Hopping is a practice of British origin with a long history. It was based on the need to keep beer stored for prolonged periods. At present, however, and with the rise of craft beer, this technique has become popular among brewers seeking to give a greater aroma to their creations. And the results are really amazing.

TALKING WITH ELOY DEL RÍO, HEAD BREWER AT RÍO AZUL BREWING

To better understand what the technique refers to, in C R A F T E D we have spoken with an expert in the field: Eloy del Río, Head Brewer at Río Azul Brewing.

Eloy has been in charge of the family brewery and taproom project in Seville (Spain) for three years.

In addition to being truly passionate about the world of beer, he loves cooking and everything that has to do with food technology. As he says: “I would like to live two lives, one dedicated to being brewer and another to study cooking and be in front of a stove.” Well, the first part is already more than covered, so now only the second one remains.

Although I had heard about the Río Azul Brewing project before, it was not until the last edition of the Barcelona Beer Festival that I had the opportunity to personally coincide with Eloy and learn more about his project. In fact, in addition to sharing some beers with him in Biercab, I was fortunate to attend the very interesting talk in which he participated along with other brewers, and I listened to him talk about his beginnings, the Rio Azul Brewing business model, and the main challenges that, according to his opinion, the craft beer sector is facing.

Since then, and thanks in large part to the arrival of their beers in Barcelona, ​​I have been able to enjoy several of their delicious beers. And I can assure you, judging by the results, that Eloy knows exactly what he is doing. Moreover, one of the things that I have pending is a visit to his taproom in the not too distant future. It looks fantastic.

Returning to the Dry Hopping technique that we mentioned at the beginning: we have asked Eloy to answer a series of questions, and through this shed some light on the famous acronyms that we keep hearing about. Thank you Eloy for your friendliness and kind disposition to share your expertise and knoledge with us in this article, you are a true Master! Let’s start with the basics:

Ø: ¿What is Dry Hopping (or DH)?

Eloy:  I think every brewer has a vision and uses certain techniques to carry out their concept of a hoppy beer. Broadly speaking, DH is a technique that seeks to obtain aroma in beer, by adding hops to beer in the fermenter. It is simple, but at the same time very complex because many variables come into play that if left unchecked, can lead to unwanted results.

Traditionally, there is much talk about the importance of time and temperature factors in DHs, but there is a much more important one that is barely talked about: contact. In this context it is the mechanical action of mixing beer with hops for greater extraction of essential oils.

To be more precise: you don't get the same intensity of flavor if you add cocoa powder to cold milk, than when you add it to hot milk (temperature) and it is not the same if you move around the cocoa powder that you have added to the glass of hot milk for a few seconds with a spoon (temperature / time / contact).

Ø: Pros and cons of Dry Hopping.

Eloy: The pros of DH is that when well used, this technique can enhance the aroma and some of the flavor of your beer. Style criteria must always be met in terms of intensity (concentration gr / L) of hops. It is obvious that the concentration of hops is not the same for a NEIPA than it is for a Czech Pilsner. Respecting this and always using fresh hops, the DH will make your beer level up.

The cons are the costs, since one or more DHs will increase the cost of your beer. On the other hand there will be a decrease in the stability of the beer, since with the DH we introduce a non-sterile exogenous element into the tank. Most of the time nothing will happen, but we must ensure that the beer has at least 4.5 ° ABV of alcohol to avoid risks.

Another very important factor is that hops contain enzymes that degrade complex sugars, performing a similar task as the enzymes from malt, so that if we bottle a beer with a potent DH, with residual sugars (those that give body), and yeast and break the cold chain, it is very likely that there will be a second fermentation in the bottled beer, increasing the alcohol content and generating gashing.

Ø: ¿What hops varieties are the best to use?

Eloy: I think there are two types of hops in the DH: those that give structure and depth and those that give “shine”; that is, those that you want to highlight with this technique. Think of a pyramid that represents aroma and flavor; at the top would be the hops that we want to highlight, for example, the Citra or the Galaxy, below could be the Mandarina Bavaria or the Ella, respectively.

These well-planned combinations provide balance, depth and durability of hops over time. This is my vision, based on my ideal beer and focused on my market and my clients.

There are brewers that do monovarietal DHs or only use these "shiny” hops, adding massive quantities and obtaining incredible results in their beers. It is a different path that I like to explore at times. What I do know is that the sensation of hopburn or that hops scratch, is something that needs to be completely avoided.

Ø: ¿At what moment do you have to add the hops?

Eloy: Traditionally they are added in the finished beer at 14 ° C.

I like to add them when the fermentation is about to finish, and at 16 ° C for at least 5 days in summer to give stability to my beer. In winter I like to remove most of the yeast from the tank and do the DHs at 10 ° C.

In both cases, the hops are processed in a hop cannon (for greater extraction and reduction of waste), transferred to the tank and recirculated with a special pump to favor the contact, which I mentioned before. Every day we put a CO2 shot in the lower part so that the mixture is in suspension again, and there is a subtle contact, without the friction caused by the pump.

Ø: ¿Pellets, plugs or cones?

Eloy: What is popular now are the pellets in BBC format (evolution of the traditional T90 pellet) and the CRYO-hops. We always use T90, sometimes combined with BBC and CRYO.

Ø: ¿How much is recommended?

Eloy: It depends on the brewery and the beer style. The important thing is that there is a coherence between the structure of the beer (body, malt, alcohol, ...) and the DH.

I've tried beers with a very high gr / L concentration of fresh hop in DH that are very decompensated and with scratching (hop burn) by not having a base to support aroma very much. The key is not the amount of hops you add, but the final experience between the aromatic punch of the DH, the taste and the body, not forgetting the bitterness, carbonation or the temperature at which the beer is served.

Lervig, Cloudwater and Soma are clear examples of quantity and consistency when hops are used in late additions.

Ø: Finally. which beer that you have brewed using the Dry Hopping technique do you feel most satisfied with?

Eloy: Parallel, no doubt. It is a DIPA with a double Dry Hopping by Vic Secret and CRYO Amarillo. The peculiarity is that it has a touch of smoked malt, whose phenols enhance and give continuity and depth to dry hopping, giving way to a beer with body, silk (lactose) and with a bitterness well integrated as a whole.