What are wet hops - brewing best bitter with Five Points | The Craft Beer Channel

What are wet hops - brewing best bitter with Five Points | The Craft Beer Channel
Follow the beer making process from hop farm to glass, as we learn all about the historic harvest tradition of wet hop brewing with Five Points and Hukins Hops. We visit the hop fields, then follow the Bullion crop up to London where Five Points brew a best bitter with them!
Find out more about Hukins here: www.hukins-hop...
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Remember to drink responsibly(ish) and not be that guy...

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

So who here has had a wet hop beer, and who loves them? Can you tell they are wet hop beers?

[@FrenchGuyCooking]

"We are the chaos" : Now that is a baseline !

[@theliberalrepublican]

My favorite beer in the whole world is Sierra Nevada Celebration, a wet hop showcasing the Pacific Northwest varieties of aromatic hops. We can only get in here in New England at the tail end of the year, it should be available soon!

[@sausagebuddy4323]

This years Celebration was delicious

[@ianlaker9161]

Fast forward to 2020 harvest here in East Kent. I've just tasted my home-grown Willamette Green Hop IPA after three days in the bottle. They went in at whirlpool. I can't wipe the smile off my face. It is glorious already and like nothing I've tasted before. Fragrant, flowery, subtle tropical flavours (pineapple and melon) and beautifully balanced against the malt. It will be optimal in the next week or two. My first harvest too! I also grow Magnum and will be planting Cascade for next year. Overjoyed.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Wow amazing to hear you have successfully grown some tasty hops - and green as well! No easy feat.

[@ianlaker9161]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Well done on a consistently great channel during difficult times. No mean feat either!

[@oldschoolman1444]

I'm growing centennial and cascade, going to give it a go next year.

[@hatredishuman]

I think here in NZ its known as Fresh hop. We have a season where most craft breweries make something out of the Nelson Souvin hops. One picks wild hops from the hills around them. Love them

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Awesome to hear! I bet fresh nelson hops are incredible. They already have that grape skin note.

[@76phat]

Damn straight always look forward to our fresh hops here in NZ

[@dylanadams1455]

Every year we do a fresh hop IPA with Nelson Sauvin, usually mashed in already and timed for our hops arriving straight off the plane from Nelson. The whole brewery smells unbelievable!

[@craftybstard-craftbeerrevi1003]

Love the whole idea of getting the beer done in such a small window. Definitely some exclusivity to it. I can't imagine tasting a much fresher beer than that wet hop beer.

[@robinjones6999]

as a brewer Ive gone back to GB hops almost exclusively

[@justina.6769]

I honestly never heard of a "wet hop" beer until I came across a bottled IPA from Prairie Artisan. I remember I did like it, but I don't think I've come across any others since then. I do appreciate the making of this video because I really didn't know the difference in wet or dried hops until now.

[@dihydrogenmonoxide]

I planted some fuggles in my garden a couple of years ago, this is now year 2 where I've made a wet hop american brown ale, great fun :)

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Awesome!

[@hanselt8360]

What an eye-opener! I've never had the chance to have a green-hopped beer, but am totally setting aside some time to head down to the Pembury Tavern after watching this. A thought which crossed my mind while watching the harvest and rush to use the fresh hops is how similar the process actually is to wine-making.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

100%! The way these beers are made is very similar indeed. All year round there are many comparisons too especially once wood is involved too

[@dariobona88]

So fun this video ! Cheers guys

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@wwu1274]

Recently had my first fresh hop IPA from an US brewery in Portland, was amazing!

[@fauxshowyo]

Damn I could go for some green hop ale. I only ever had the chance to drink it when I lived in Seattle for a couple years..where I live now and everywhere else I've lived is too far away from where hops are harvested. When I did have it in Seattle though a few times it was awesome, in fact some of the best beer I've had since I really enjoy the spicy earthy tones it gives that I find just aren't matched by any other method. Glad you reminded me about this kind of beer - it'll be the first thing on my agenda next time I'm in a place where hops are actually grown.

[@bignath223]

God bless Kent green hops! Musket, Gadd's and Goacher's green hop beers are spot on!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Not had the Musket or Goachers, but Gadd's 100%!

[@bignath223]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Always next year! Or even the Spa Valley Beer fest this Saturday (with a green hop tent)!

[@mikeslostworld5178]

First time I've heard of wet hop beers. The Craft Beer Channel is fantastic at showcasing new or less known styles of beer. That said, it seems like wet hop beers would be highly seasonal and restricted to hop growing regions. Questions , does it age well, more to the point can it be shipped to other places and stored before consumed or does the flavors change to quickly to make this possible?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey Mike - glad you like our vids on lesser known styles! Yes wet hops are only brewed once a season (September in the northern hemisphere, March in the southern), so very limited. They are also exceptionally delicate so you can't really transport the hops far at all - the beers themselves though are no less delicate than a cask beer or IPA. Basically never age, and drink as fresh as possible but a month or two isn't the end of the world.

[@MrGoodH]

Love waking up to new vids from you guys!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

And we love makin' them for you!

[@Bricklinsv1970]

Mmmmmmmm! Hops! Bring on the British Hops Boys!

[@rogermanvell4693]

The freshest most natural tasting beers out there -real beer that wont appeal to the marshmallow milkshake mob !

[@HomebrewGriffo]

I've recently made my 1st wet hop beer with my 2nd year cascade plant, had nearly 100g of hops from it. Chucked them in at flame out and the beer has turned out great! I'll probably do a vlog review this weekend. Iechyd Da! 🍻

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Well sling a link in here when you do!

[@colingilham1312]

What hop did you use in the boil?

[@RaskoAndDiscoBeerReview]

I find a green hop beer very tasty and refreshing. I had some in The Oval Tavern. Brewed with there own hops in collaboration with Cronx brewery. I also had Pole Dancer by hop head in the Cronx bar. Again really enjoyable. That all said this is one of the best videos you've ever made. Very reminiscent of the beer school videos. Please please don't stop. Keep them coming.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks so much!

[@門馬孝之]

I think wet hop is so good for making a good smell beer. Since ten years In Japan some beer company are selling wet hop beer. But it is very difficult to make this beer if you have a hop cultivated field near beer factory, it is very difficult to make this beer. And aroma.... is very important in Japan. I think you have to get some knowledge.

[@magnus.nasmark]

I really love wet hop beers. Only had it in Seattle at Fremont Brewing. The flavour you get from the ephemeral oils, that to me sees lost in dry hops, is just so exciting. Need some more of that for sure. Next year in Kent! Cheers!

[@gregorymurphy3775]

hopefully it's still there i want to try it

[@mrougelot]

Really interesting, I feel like there should be more people trying out wet hops in their beers.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

It's just so damn hard when the window is only a few days! However, lots more brewers are doing it in the regions where they grow. Hope they get more and more attention for doing so. It's a great way to add variation and seasonality to the brewing world.

[@mrougelot]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel true, it's hard, but maybe a great way to enjoy seasonality for the flavour more than for the marketing. Like right now I don't need any more pumpkin in my beer but I'm curious enough to try some wet hopped beer

[@douglasbasso7093]

"Do you have a very big funnel?" Lmao!

[@KCJbomberFTW]

That’d be kinda cool if you could get a collab with an Argentine hop like a Nelson variety and make a sort of Falkland peace treaty ale

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

They grow Nelson in Argentina now?!

[@TonyLeach-airguntech]

Lupulin is what causes the magic to happen ;-) How does the home brewer get ahold of this years harvest of Bullion?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haha sadly the time has passed for wet hop 2019. But next year, perhaps just speak to a hop farm and they might sell you a few 100g. If you want dried, I expect online homebrew stores will have some.

[@TonyLeach-airguntech]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel not interested in wet hop, i grow my own hops and already did that ;-), im just after 2019 harvest now as all online i can find are 2017.Would not mind a ryzome also to drop on the allotment if they do cuttings etc.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@TonyLeach-airguntech The dry hops likely wont hit the shops for a good few weeks as they are being processed/packaged/shipped and, in the case of homebrew packs, repackaged!

[@opticalsewer]

Best wet hop I've had is Hop Stalker from Fat Head's in Cleveland

[@colingilham1312]

Love green hop and one of my faves, from Bexley Brewery, uses Hukins Bullion. What hop did they use at the start of the boil? How much wet hop is used compared to dry hop?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey colin - the initial bittering charge was the same I believe, but it was six or seven times the late hopping.

[@oconingham]

Really enjoyed watching this, very informative and great to see some of the process from walking around the hop farm to the finished product. I found a load of wild hops growing near be on the Somerset Levels and have brewed with them for the last 3/4 years. Have previously made Pale Ales, Belgian Pales and Saisons, but this year went for an IPA. Pretty certain they're East Kent Goldings from the flavour profile. The one I brewed this year used loads of them throughout the boil and then I dry hopped with EKG pellets for an extra aroma boost. Quick question with regard to brewing wet hopped beers... I tend to find that my final yield is down by about 25% as the hops soak up loads of the wort during the brew. What's the best way to counter this? Increase the boil size? Loved what Greg from Five Points said about brewing with these hops almost being quite pagan and a celebration of the harvest. I name my beers after Norse runes and the wet hop one I brew is always called Jera after the rune of the harvest!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks for the comment! I am not sure there is much you can do about that loss other than perhaps add the hops in a bag so you can remove it and get max run off? Awesome to hear you use wet hops in homebrew!

[@colingilham1312]

I agree with CBC, put them in a bag or strainer /spider then squeeze. Same with the grain. Us bomebrewers can't afford big losses on such small batches!

[@sethclippard1527]

Ive had the Deschutes Chasin’ Freshies IPA. It’s wet hopped and when you put it next to other IPAs you can tell a difference. But that also depends on the hop used. I think the lupulal (?) transformation from wet to dry is different for different hops. Maybe the lupulin make-up is changed? Would love to know more (episode idea...;))

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I am not sure the oils themselves will change when dried, it is more that you lose the most delicate oils when you dry them, and of course all hop varieties will have those oils in different quantities. But 100% that is an episode idea to find out more!

[@SLM3573]

they do a lot of them here with the Hallertau harvest all very nice and different aroma to typical pellet hops. Its a shame they chose to cask it as to me using cask and sparkler dispensing you lose a lot of the aroma you get from top pressure kegging. Not to mention the multiple fining agents they add to casks to keep the yeast out of the beer

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Awesome! What styles do they tend to brew with them? Shame if they seem a little muted, but these wet hops aren't often used for the big aromas anyway - more the nuanced green, grapey and zesty notes. Hopefully those remained!

[@SLM3573]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel my local brewery for example www.schoenramer.de/de/produkte/gruenhopfen-pils very nice pils suits green hops really well

[@mrougelot]

@@SLM3573 I can confirm Grünhopfer pils is a great choice! Didn't know they did this with Hallertau

[@SLM3573]

@@mrougelot I believe it is as Eric Toft (American brewmaster if you can believe) will drive up there and pick up the hops at harvest for this beer. I remember seeing a documentary with him doing it

[@discostucrazymunkey]

I want a wet hopped beer in my face. I am curious to experience the "head in a hedgerow" style.

[@keithsowerby8179]

Green hops in this country. Nomenclature debates in the USA over wet or fresh.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Yeah we have heard fresh, wet and green. All have their issues but we prefer wet as it makes the point clearest - all hops should be fresh!

[@modgrip805]

I think it irresponsible (though delicious) to fly hops halfway around the world when so many delicious varieties exist on our doorstep in the UK and Europe. I understand recipe requirements but can’t square the carbon impact. This was a wonderful highlight for your UK viewers. Perhaps a video on the energy impact of craft beer would be interesting?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

This is a battle we worry about too - though the hops are definitely not flown (trucks and ships!). The same should be said about British malt, which goes the other way in even bigger quantities. The quicker we produce more modern aromatic hops here in Europe the better. As for sustainability we featured it in our documentary pretty heavily - hoping to do more as we go.

[@davidgustavsson4000]

In a hurry to develop good British hops before the imports stop?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haha. Well Brexit doesnt really threaten US hop imports as the tariff will be the same and the us/uk currency is relatively stable. More likely is just that UK hops could be waaaay cheaper.

[@dyaaong6030]

Not much brewery used wet hops. It's more of a seasonal brew

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

It is 100% a seasonal brew! Only a few weeks where it's possible, but it's the season right now!

[@SuperJuiceman11]

3.7% anv... lol

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

By the looks of that typo perhaps you need a few more session ABV beers in your life....

[@blacktiger955i]

Why are you calling them "wet" Hops when most of the industry calls them "green" Hops?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Because all hops are green. We think wet is more useful term, and it is used very widely in the industry too.

[@RATBURL]

Nice to see white people working 😏

[@MarkSmith-sn5xj]

"I know what you're thinking, British hops arent the coolest..." Yawn 🙄

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey well that aint what we think. But it is what a lot of people think and even the hop farmer knows it.

[@MarkSmith-sn5xj]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel I'm sure you dont, but I still cant help but roll my eyes at a comment like. It's such a lazy hipsteresque thing to say. How can a hop be cool or uncool for crying out loud? 😂