To Shear…
Through the many hops addition applications we have done, this question comes up every time. The answer typically lies with the individual brewer.
What we have found is that shearing the hops during addition with the Fristam Powder Mixer can impart as much as a 30% increase in the hops aroma. This is a great thing if you are looking to increase the hops essence in your beer, without adding more hops. Or in some cases where you want to maintain the same level of essence, but potentially use less quantity.
While we say shear, what we are really talking about is breaking up the hops pellets to expose more surface area to the beer. This allows the hops oils to mingle with the beer more efficiently.
For brewers looking to increase their hops aroma and get every bit of flavor they can, they can utilize the Hops Dosing system with two pumps.
Not to Shear…
But for many brewers, they are simply looking for a solution to the ergonomic and safety issues with adding hops to the top of a very tall tank.
A lot of breweries start out small, where the brewer can climb a couple steps and dump one or two boxes of hops into a short tank. But as these breweries grow, the tanks become taller and taller. This requires the building of tall platforms, or brewers climbing ladders or even the use of a mechanical lift to get the hops to the top of the tank.
We have also found that all hops do not behave the same. While some hops release more aroma by shearing, others can leave an off taste or grassy flavor to the beer when sheared. For the latter varieties you would want to avoid breaking the pellets up. You simply want to get them into the tank so the beer can soak on them. You would want to introduce the hops to your tank with as little shear as possible.
For brewers who are looking to take advantage of the ergonomics of the Fristam Hops Dosing unit, but do not want to shear their hops or alter the flavor of the beer, utilize the Hops Dosing system with one pump.
