Headed to WBC 2024 in Minneapolis? Stop by Booth #504, where the HAAS team will be sampling whole leaf hops and sharing our latest hop innovations, including our newest flavor and aroma product line, Euphorics^TM.

During the WBC, Jeff Dailey and Dr. Julia Jennings from the HAAS Brewing Solutions Team will be giving presentations on how to identify and mitigate the effects of wildfire smoke on hop flavor and aroma, as well as an informative presentation on thiols in brewing.

“Smoky Hop Preparedness Workshop: Are You Ready for the Next Wildfire Smoke Event?”

Sunday, August 18 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM CDT

Join Jeff Dailey from the HAAS Brewing Solutions Team as he participates in this informative session.

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Idaho, and Oregon), where more than 95% of US hops are grown. Significant smoke exposure events have occurred during three of the last four hop harvests, highlighting the exigency for growers, suppliers, and brewers to prepare for the next wildfire smoke event that could impact hop quality. This workshop offers practical solutions for increasing smoky hop preparedness. Representatives from two major hop suppliers will discuss smoke exposure from a supplier perspective, as well as introduce a new ASBC sensory method for detecting smoke in hops. Investigators from the Shellhammer lab at OSU will discuss the ongoing multi-year investigation to understand when smoke impacts hop quality (in the field? during kilning?) and the extent to which smoky aroma compounds transfer from hops to beer. Finally, understanding the critical role firsthand brewery experiences play in increasing readiness, representatives from a regionally-sized brewery will discuss how maintaining a robust sensory program and a proactive stance on smoke screening has benefitted their brewery. Each of these perspectives offers attendees practical solutions for improving smoky hop preparedness before the next harvest-impacting smoke event.

“Understanding Thiol Release in Beer Brewing — A Deep Dive into Hop Varieties and Yeast Interactions”

Julia Jennings Ph.D, Research Scientist at John I. Haas will present a poster:

There is a growing interest in the flavor and aroma potential of thiols. In beer, unbound thiols can create unique aromas, from tropical and grapefruit to rhubarb and cassis. However, most thiols found in malt and hops are bound and do not contribute to the overall flavor or aroma of beer. Bound thiols are converted into free thiols through yeast biotransformation. This study looked at how different hop and yeast combinations can work together to create beers rich in flavorful thiols. We compared a thiol-releasing yeast strain (Tropics™ London from Berkeley Yeast) against an unmodified London ale yeast strain with four different hop varieties (Cascade, Centennial, HBC 586, and HBC 1019). Simple and accessible benchtop fermentation methods were performed by Berkley Yeast and used as initial screening to assess the thiol potential of the different combinations. The benchtop results were then validated with full-scale brewing trials at the John I. Haas Research Production Brewery and evaluation by a trained sensory panel. In addition to sensory evaluation, the concentration of key thiol compounds was also measured to further validate the results. This study aims to increase our understanding of the biotransformation potential of different hop variety and yeast strain combinations and showcase accessible benchtop methods for brewers to utilize.

Get the full WBC conference schedule here. Hope to see you in Minneapolis!