Hop Sensory: Hop Grind Method

I know, I know - we all like hop rubs. You grab a few pellets, rub them between your hands to break them down, bring your cupped hands to your nose, and inhale the hop aroma. It’s fun. It makes you feel cool. You get a little messy but not too messy. While rubbing hops is fun and can give you an idea of the hop aroma, it’s not the best way to evaluate hops. The good news is that the hop grind method is a simple, quick, and repeatable sensory exercise for evaluating hop aroma. Below you’ll find a list of materials needed and the process. I’ve put a few suggestions at the bottom of the post to inspire your own hop sensory endeavors.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Electric blade grinder (a burr grinder does not work well for this exercise)

• Amber screw-top glass jars

• Scale capable of weighing 5 g

• 70% isopropyl alcohol or 70% ethanol (milder aroma than isopropyl)

PROCESS:

• Weigh 5 g of hop material using the scale (you can use pellets or whole cones)

• Add the hops to the blade grinder and grind until a coarse powder forms.

  • For pellets, grind for about 10-15 seconds

  • For whole cones, grind for about 20-30 seconds, shaking the grinder if necessary

• Add the ground hop material to labeled amber jars, taking care not to fill the jars past the halfway point

• Spray a paper towel with isopropyl alcohol and wipe down the blade grinder and blending cup. Let the grinder air dry completely before prepping the next sample.

• Hops should be evaluated within 90 minutes of preparation. Alternatively, samples can be placed in a freezer and removed before the evaluation session to allow them to warm to room temperature. The hops should be assessed within 8 hours of grinding and freezing.

• Hops are evaluated by opening the jar and smelling. Shaking the jar with the lid on before opening it can increase the volatilization of aroma compounds, but it is not necessary. However, evaluators should be consistent in how they evaluate all of the samples.

HOP GRIND SUGGESTIONS:

Below are a few suggestions for hop grinds you may want to try to learn more about the aromas contributed by hops.

• Comparisons:

  • Common brewing regions: United States, England, Germany/Czech Republic, and Australia/New Zealand, e.g.

    • Cascade (US)

    • East Kent Goldings (England)

    • Tettnang (Germany) and/or Saaz (Czech Republic)

    • Galaxy (Australia)

  • Popular hops from specific regions, e.g.

    • Cascade

    • Citra

    • Centennial

    • Strata

• Recipe development:

  • New or novel varieties

  • Flavor matching

  • Determining hop bills