Dry Hopping and Flavoring Casks
One of the advantages of using casks over kegs is that each cask can be customized as they are filled. By far the most popular way to customize the cask is to add hops directly to the vessel in a process known as dry hopping. This is particularly popular with the citrus-oriented “designer” hops becoming available now in the mid ’10s. One could also add spices such as licorice, cinnamon, or hot peppers. I recall a particular cask put together by “Uncle” Frank Fermino, then of Tullycross Tavern in Connecticut, that used peppercorns to great effect in a Ryebock. It is also a great time to ensure that your coffee porter actually tastes of coffee.
As mentioned in the last section, selection of your priming agent influences the final flavor. The inclusion of the sour cherry syrup may seem an odd choice as an example but this would be completely appropriate for a wheat or berlinerweiss. As a brewer, this allows you to derive multiple products from the same base beer. As novelty is a driving force in customer purchase selection, creating such a variation may be just the ticket to standing out on a crowded draught list.
In the beginning of 2015, Heavy Seas brewery of Maryland started a custom cask program where publicans or bar managers could request specific attributes for the cask that would appear on their bar. While such an innovative program has yet to prove itself a successful model, it is highlighting exactly the novel approach mentioned above. They have categories for specifying dry hops, spices, oak character, and coffee/tea flavors, all of which are covered below.
Dry Hopping
Be they whole hops or pellets, adding hops to a finished beer at packaging is a terrific way to emphasize the hop character of a beer. Whether freshening up a bitter with a bit of Fuggle or creating a novel variation of your IPA by adding a blend of Citra®, Motueka®, and Summit®, adding more hops give greater hop effect in the glass.
Whole hops (sometimes incorrectly referred to as leaf hops although the useful part of the hop plant is the flower or cone) are definitely the preferred form to dry hop with. Because they are less processed than pelletized hops, many brewers feel that they yield fresher flavors and aromas. One of the drawbacks is that they soak up quite a bit of beer and occupy volume in the cask. For larger dry-hopping bills, pellets or plugs may be a better choice. One additional benefit of whole hops is that when left loose in the cask, they can settle on the tap and actually serve as a coarse filter for the beer. This is better for a cask kept and served in house as rough handling can degrade this ability and cause problems with floaty bits later on.
Plugs (also referred to as T-45 pellets) are not all that common in the trade. They are nice to use as they are slightly compacted, making it easier to get them in the cask. Typically they are the more traditional hop varieties such as Kent Golding, Fuggle, or Hallertau. They tend to act like whole hops when added directly
Pellet hops are terrific. Known as T-90 pellets, they are highly compacted, taking up much less room inside the cask. The down side is that because they have been compacted, they’re also quite granular and dissolve into mush. This isn’t a problem in a fermenter, but in a cask oriented horizontally, this mush tends toward the tap, causing clouding and floaty bits. Finer bits can persist through much of a cask and have caused headaches for many a cellarman.
It bears mention that hops have natural antimicrobial properties that prevent them from being a carrier of beer spoilage organisms. You need not worry that the hop themselves will serve as a vector for contaminating your beer.
Whatever form of hop you use, consider using a hop bag. A coarse muslin bag is fine for whole or plug hops. For pellets, a finer nylon bag is better. Boiling or otherwise sanitizing the bag before use is best practice, but this may not be practical, particularly for pellet hops that are heat-sealed in a seamless nylon pack. Knotting the muslin bag is encouraged. Remember to close the bag leaving plenty of room for the hops to expand as the hops will soak up beer.
Some breweries will try to suspend the hop bag from the shive using a bit of string or nylon fishing line. The nylon line is preferred as it is much easier to sanitize. This is best done if the shive is manufactured with a tiny hole on the side to tie to. In the name of all things sanitary, DO NOT PINCH THE LINE BETWEEN THE BUNG HOLE AND THE SHIVE!! This only creates a weakness in your seal, potentially allowing for failure (if overcarbonated the shive is not gripping the cask as well as it could be), premature gas release (aka underconditioned beer), or as a convenient ladder for spoilage organisms to migrate into your cask. Do not allow this.
What follows is a list of various hops available at the time of publication. Alpha acidity range is omitted as dry hops do not contribute significant bitterness. You may be surprised by the inclusion of some hops known as bittering-only, but I was surprised by the pleasant peachiness contributed by a Warrior dry hop I once used. Don’t judge a hop by its traditional use! I limit my dry hopping amounts to ½ – 1 ounce per pin if I dry hop at all as I feel that I get sufficient character for my purposes. The amount you use is left as an exercise for the brewer.
An Incomplete List of Hops and their Aromatic Qualities
| Varietal | Origin | Perception |
|---|---|---|
| 007: The Golden Hop™ | USA | Complex fruity aromas of orange and apricot mesh with hints of black tea-like character and a pleasant fresh herbal bouquet. |
| Admiral | UK | Pleasant, resinous hop aroma with hints of citrus (orange) and herbal flavors.¹ |
| Ahtanum™ | USA | Floral, earthy, citrus and grapefruit tones.¹ |
| Amarillo® | USA | Floral, tropical, and citrus (lemon, orange and grapefruit) characteristics.¹ |
| Apollo | USA | Line, pine, grapefruit, onion.³ |
| Aramis | France | Very fine spice and herbal notes with subtle citrus characteristics.¹ |
| Aurora (nee Super Styrian) | Styria (Austria) | Intense and pleasant displaying floral, pine and hoppy characteristics.¹ |
| Azacca™ | USA | Intense tropical fruit profile, with sustained impressions of apricot and very ripe mango and notes of pears, apples and pine.4 |
| Belma™ | USA | A very clean hop, with a very orange, slight grapefruit, tropical pineapple, strawberry, and melon aroma. |
| Bitter Gold | USA | No specific aroma characteristics.¹ |
| Boadicea | UK | Mild floral and spicy characteristics with slightly grassy overtones.¹ |
| Bobek (aka Styrian B) | Styria (Austria) | Intense and pleasant with floral, pine and hop overtones.¹ |
| Bor | Czech | Hoppy, spicy.³ |
| Bramling Cross | UK | Strong spice, blackcurrant, loganberry and lemon characteristics.¹ |
| Bravo® | USA | Pleasant fruity and floral aroma characteristics.¹ |
| Brewer's Gold | USA | Spicy, fruity characteristics, black currant.¹ |
| Brewer's Gold | Germany | Black currant, fruit and spice characteristics.¹ |
| Bullion | USA | Strong and zesty blackcurrant characteristics.¹ |
| Caliente | USA | A little lemon zest and a hint of pine, but it is dominated by a very distinct stone fruit aroma. Juicy aromas of fresh peach/nectarine/plum.5 |
| Calypso | USA | Apple, pear, tropical, mint.³ |
| Cascade | USA | Medium intense floral, citrus and grapefruit tones.¹ |
| Cascade | New Zealand | Exceptional levels of citrus moving more toward grapefruit. Distinct from US Cascade due to "terriour".² |
| Cashmere | USA | Mild herbal aroma with strong melon, lemon, lime and slightly spicy notes.¹ |
| Celeia (aka Styrian C) | Styria (Austria) | Pleasant and hoppy, similar to traditional European varieties.¹ |
| Centennial | USA | Medium intensity floral and citrus (lemon) tones.¹ |
| Challenger | UK | Cedar, green tea and sweet floral characteristics (as a late addition, it can provide crisp, fruity flavors).¹ |
| Chelan | USA | Mild floral and citrus characteristics.¹ |
| Chinook | USA | Distinct, medium intensity spice and pine characteristics with subtle notes of grapefruit.¹ |
| Citra® | USA | Strong citrus and tropical tones of grapefruit, melon, lime, gooseberry, passion fruit and lychee.¹ |
| Cluster | USA | Strong floral and spicy characteristics.¹ |
| Columbia | USA | Subtle earth and mild fruit tones.¹ |
| Columbus (aka Tomahawk, Zeus) | USA | Pungent, black pepper, licorice characteristics with subtle citrus overtones.¹ |
| Comet | USA | A pungent, wild American aroma with citrus (grapefruit) flavors.¹ |
| Crystal | USA | Mild, spicy and floral.¹ |
| Delta | USA | Apricot, ginger, lemon, earthy.³ |
| Dr. Rudi (nee Super Alpha) | New Zealand | Fresh citrus peel, pine and lemongrass flavors.¹ |
| East Kent Golding | UK | Smooth and delicate with floral, lavender, spice, honey, earth, lemon and thyme overtones.¹ |
| El Dorado™ | USA | Watermelon, pear, candy, or stone fruit. Often a citrus undertone.4 |
| Ella (nee Stella) | Australia | Spicy, hoppy and floral with hints of anise.¹ |
| Equinox™ | USA | Pronounced aroma profile with citrus, tropical fruit, floral and herbal characteristics.¹ |
| Eroica | USA | Forward fruit flavors.¹ |
| Experimental HBC 291 | USA | Typically described as peppery, floral and fruity.¹ |
| Experimental HBC 342 | USA | Mild citrus, tropical fruit and melon notes.¹ |
| Falconer's Flight® | USA | HopUnion Blend. Strong fruit and citrus characteristics, with layers of spicy and earthy overtones.¹ |
| Falconer's Flight® 7C's | USA | HopUnion Blend. Distinct tropical, floral, lemon and grapefruit characteristics.¹ |
| Fantasia™ | USA | Barth-Haas Blend. Cream & caramel in a fruit-forward hop with traditional Noble characteristics. |
| First Gold | UK | Slightly spicy, but smooth, with tangerine, orange marmalade, magnolia and floral flavors.¹ |
| Fuggle | USA | Mild wood and fruit characteristics.¹ |
| Fuggle | UK | Delicate and pleasant mint, grass and floral tones.¹ |
| Galaxy | Australia | Distinct citrus, peach and passion fruit flavors.¹ |
| Galena | USA | Spicy, blackcurrant and citrus (grapefruit) tones.¹ |
| Glacier | USA | Pleasant hop aroma.¹ |
| Golding | USA | Mild and delicate with sweet floral characteristics.¹ |
| Green Bullet | New Zealand | Subtle spiciness.¹ |
| Hallertau | USA | Mild and pleasant, yet spicy, with herbal and floral characteristics.¹ |
| Hallertau Aroma | New Zealand | Mix of floral and slight citrus character.² |
| Hallertau Blanc | Germany | Floral and fruity with passion fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, grape and lemongrass overtones.¹ |
| Hallertau Mittelfruh | Germany | Mild, yet spicy, with floral and citrus tones.¹ |
| Helga | Australia | Very mild and pleasant with delicate floral and herbal tones.¹ |
| Herald | UK | Orange, grapefruit.³ |
| Herkules | Germany | Spicy, floral and hop notes with hints of pine, black pepper and melon.¹ |
| Hersbruker (Hallertau Hersbruker) | Germany | Mild, herbal and floral characteristics, with fruity overtones.¹ |
| Horizon | USA | Pleasant and spicy, with floral characteristics.¹ |
| Hull (Huell) Melon | Germany | Distinct fruit characteristics including honeydew melon and strawberry flavors.¹ |
| Jarrylo™ | USA | Banana, pear, orange and spice.4 |
| Lemondrop | USA | Lemon, mint, green tea, slight melon/mango.³ |
| Liberty | USA | Mild and spicy with subtle lemon and citrus characteristics.¹ |
| Lublin | Poland | Mild aroma typical of classic noble hops.¹ |
| Magnum | USA | No distinct aroma characteristics.¹ |
| Magnum (Hallertau Magnum) | Germany | A delicate aroma with inclinations towards floral and fruit flavorings and a prevalent hoppy tang.¹ |
| Mandarina Bavaria | Germany | Distinct tangerine and citrus flavors.¹ |
| Marynka | Poland | Grapefruit, lime, anise.³ |
| Merkur (Hallertau Merkur) | Germany | Strong earthy, floral and citrus impressions.¹ |
| Millennium | USA | Mild and resinous with floral and herbal tones.¹ |
| Mosaic™ | USA | A complex array of tropical fruit, citrus, berry, herbal, earthy and pine characteristics.¹ |
| Motueka | New Zealand | Lively lemon and lime tones with background hints of tropical fruit.¹ |
| Mt. Hood | USA | Mild, herbal and somewhat pungent or spicy.¹ |
| Mt. Rainier | USA | Excellent floral and noble aromas, with citrus and licorice overtones.¹ |
| Nelson Sauvin | New Zealand | Distinct cool climate and white wine "fruitiness" with fresh crushed gooseberry and grape flavors.¹ |
| Newport | USA | Mild.¹ |
| Northdown | UK | Pleasant spice, cedar and pine characteristics with hints of floral and berry flavors.¹ |
| Northern Brewer | USA | Medium intensity, pine and mint characteristics.¹ |
| Northern Brewer | Germany | Medium intense herbal and floral tones.¹ |
| Nugget | USA | Mild and pleasant with spicy, herbal tones.¹ |
| (Hallertau Nugget) | Germany | Fruity, sugar-like, mint, pineapple.³ |
| Olympic | USA | Citrus characteristics with subtle spicy notes.¹ |
| Opal | Germany | Even dispersal of all aroma characteristics - fruity, floral, herbal and hoppy tones all appear.¹ |
| Orion | Germany | Gratifying hoppy noble aroma.³ |
| Outeniqua | South Africa | Punchy.³ |
| Pacific Gem | New Zealand | No distinct characteristics. Some brewers have noted delicate blackberry and floral or oak tones.¹ |
| Pacific Jade | New Zealand | Bold herbal aromas with hints of fresh citrus and crushed black pepper.¹ |
| Pacifica (nee NZ Pacific Hallertau) | New Zealand | Classic Hallertau character with some citrus and floral notes.¹ |
| Palisade® | USA | Apricot, grass and clean floral charcteristics.¹ |
| Perle | USA | Slightly spicy with herbal and floral characteristics.¹ |
| Perle | Germany | Delicate floral, fruit, spice and mint tones.¹ |
| Phoenix | UK | Crisp and mellow tones of pine, chocolate, molasses and spice characteristics.¹ |
| Pilgrim | UK | Distinct fruit and spice character with lemon, grapefruit, pear and berry.¹ |
| Pioneer | UK | Distinctly hoppy with pleasant citrus (lemon and grapefruit) tones and hints of herbal, cedar flavors.¹ |
| Polaris | Germany | Intense floral and pleasant mint tones.¹ |
| Premiant | Czech | Pleasant, mild aroma.¹ |
| Pride of Ringwood | Australia | Pronounced and pleasant, a distinct Australian aroma with cedar, oak and herbal tones.¹ |
| Progress | UK | Moderately strong spicy, grassy, floral, mint, earth and honey tones.¹ |
| Rakau | New Zealand | Fresh orchard fruits, specifically apricot with some resinous pine needle characteristics are noted.¹ |
| Riwaka | New Zealand | Delicate citrus and passionfruit.² |
| Saaz | USA | Mild spice and earth tones.¹ |
| Saaz | Czech | Very mild, with pleasant earthy, herbal and floral overtones.¹ |
| Santiam | USA | Slightly spicy with herbal and floral characteristics.¹ |
| Saphir (Sapphire) | Germany | Distinct spicy, fruit and citrus (tangerine) tones.¹ |
| Select | Germany | Floral and fruit characteristics.¹ |
| Simcoe® | USA | Unique passionfruit, pine, earth and citrus characteristics.¹ |
| Sladek | Czech | Fruity flavor profile including hints of peach, grapefruit and passion fruit.¹ |
| Smaragd (Emerald) | Germany | Predominantly fruity with strong floral and hop tones.¹ |
| Sonnet | USA | Goldings-like with floral notes.4 |
| Sorachi Ace | USA | Unique lemon and dill characteristics.¹ |
| Southern Brewer | South Africa | No outstanding flavor or aroma qualities.³ |
| Southern Cross | New Zealand | A delicate balance of citrus and spice, including a heady mix of lemon peel and pine needles.¹ |
| Southern Promise | South Africa | Grapefruit, ginger, apricot.³ |
| Southern Star | South Africa | Grapefruit, pear, rose, orange, gooseberries.³ |
| Sovereign | UK | Pleasant but intense fruity flavors with mild floral, grassy, herbal and mint characteristics.¹ |
| Spalt | Germany | Mild and herbal, with spicy, floral and fruit tones.¹ |
| Spalter Select | Germany | Earthy, citrusy aroma.¹ |
| Sterling | USA | Herbal and spicy, with a hint of floral, citrus (lemon/pineapple) characteristics.¹ |
| Sticklebract | New Zealand | Citrus, pine.³ |
| Strisselpalt | France | Very fine spicy, herbal, floral, lemon and other fruit tones.¹ |
| Styrian (Savinjski) Golding | Styria (Austria) | Very mild, noble hop flavor.¹ |
| Summer | Australia | Balanced citrus, melon and light apricot tones.¹ |
| Summit™ | USA | Distinct spice, earthy, onion, garlic and citrus (pink grapefruit, orange and tangerine) tones.¹ |
| Super Galena | USA | Grass, herbal.³ |
| Super Pride | Australia | Mild and pleasant subtle resin and fruit tones.¹ |
| Sussex | UK | Delicate (similar to Fuggle).¹ |
| Sylva | Australia | Complex and subtle, floral and herbal characteristics.¹ |
| Tahoma | USA | Predominate citrus and lemon notes with cedar, pine, floral, pepper and subtle green melon notes.¹ |
| Target | UK | An intense English hop aroma with distinct spicy, floral, sage and citrus characteristics.¹ |
| Taurus (Hallertau Taurus) | Germany | Strong noble characteristics.¹ |
| Tettnang | USA | Noble aroma that is pleasant and spicy.¹ |
| Tettnang | Germany | Mild and pleasant with balanced earthy, herbal and floral aroma impressions.¹ |
| TnT™ | USA | Barth-Haas Blend. Citrus, sweet fruit and green fruit flavors. Tends towards a red berry (pomegranate) and spice character. |
| Topaz | Australia | Resinous, grassy tones with light tropical flavors.¹ |
| Tradition (aka Hallertau Tradition) | Germany | Medium intense floral and herbal (grassy) tones.¹ |
| TriplePearl | USA | Pleasant and balanced with notes of melon, orange citrus, resin, spice and pepper.¹ |
| Triskel | France | Strong floral, fruit and citrus characteristics.¹ |
| Ultra | USA | Mild and pleasant with spicy, floral tones.¹ |
| Vanguard | USA | Herbal and floral tones.¹ |
| Waimea | New Zealand | Intense tangelo and citrus fruit with subtle pine characteristics.¹ |
| Wakatu | New Zealand | Restrained floral notes and freshly zested lime.¹ |
| Warrior® | USA | Mild and resinous with subtle citrus, pine and herbal characteristics.¹ |
| WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety) | UK | Fresh earthy, botanical and floral flavors.¹ |
| Willamette | USA | Mild and pleasant, with slightly spicy and floral tones.¹ |
| Yakima Gold | USA | Mild and pleasant.¹ |
| Zeus | USA | Black pepper, herbal, garlic, slight citrus.³ |
| Zythos® | USA | HopUnion Blend. Emulates Amarillo®. Distinct tropical (pineapple) and citrus tones, with slight pine characteristics.¹ |
1. http://www.hopunion.com/hop-varieties/
2. http://www.nzhops.co.nz
3. http://hopsteiner.com/variety-data-sheets/
4. http://bsghandcraft.com/hops/hop-pellets-domestic.html
5. http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com
For the purposes of this table, “nee” means “originally released as”.
Adding Spices
At their core, hops are really just another spice added to beer. A delicious and beneficial spice, but still just a spice like any other. Research gruit blends if you’re interested in unhopped beers. Any other spice can also be used. Some will undoubtedly taste better than others. Use good judgment and moderation as a guide. Some spices get stronger over time by giving up their flavor slowly. Some degrade rather quickly. Refer to Randy Mosher’s “Radical Brewing” for guidance on using various spices. To get more control over the flavor contribution, consider doing an alcohol or water extraction and adding the resultant extraction in measured doses.
I asked Uncle Frank about his thought process leading to that peppercorn ryebock. He was inspired by a recipe he saw in a book by Sam Cagalione. Having just finished the fermentation schedule for the ryebock, he sat down with a few pints and added a measured amount of freshly ground peppercorn to the first, then tasted. If it was too strong, he added less to the next one. If it was too weak, he added a bit more. The process repeated until he found a good level of flavor. Once he selected the one he liked, he multiplied the weight of the pepper by 85 (as there are about 85 US pints in a firkin) and added that to the cask. He chose to use a blend of green, white, and black peppercorns. Freshly-ground peppercorns certainly have an advantage in freshness over the pre-ground pepper from the kitchen.
The takeaway here is to imagine, try, and taste.
Adding Oak Character
While oak is usually added to an entire to an entire batch, individual casks can also be dosed with oak. Sometimes the brewer may wish to see what would have happened had they “turned it up to eleven”, or were doing a trial batch of something they were considering oaking and wanted to establish a baseline from which they could extrapolate (just as Uncle Frank did above with his first pint of pepper-added ryebock). One could add oak chips, oak powder, extract flavors from the oak using steam or alcohol infusion, or add a commercial oak flavor. Many of these forms have different levels of toast, typically light, medium, house, and dark. The chart below helps show how different toasts impact the flavor contributed by the oak.
You can read more about oak flavors on the homedistiller.org website. Brewgeeks.com also did a short primer on home-toasting. Regardless of how you add the oak, plan on it taking months to mellow into its full flavor.
A big disadvantage of adding oak directly to the cask is that there is no way to remove it without compromising the vessel. As a brewer who maintains control over the timing, this may not be an issue. One way around this is to extract the desired flavors from the oak, then add the desired flavor directly to the cask. Steam distillation of the oak works quickly but may not capture the flavors that only come out over time. Soaking the oak in a spirit such as vodka or whisk(e)y over a longer period of time can replicate the experience of the beer sitting on oak as the alcohol will penetrate more deeply into the oak. Keep in mind that the more booze you are adding, the higher the sudden change of alcohol level perceived by your yeast. Too much and the yeast may decide not to do the carbonating work for you. This is probably more relevant for a high-alcohol stout or barleywine that is already near the yeast’s alcohol tolerance. In this case, consider adding a more alcohol tolerant yeast such as Danstar’s CBC to do the conditioning work.
Adding Fruit and their Juices
We have already touched on this topic in the last chapter when we used sour cherry syrup as a priming agent. Fruit itself can be used to great effect. To get around the trouble of the fruity flesh muddying up the beer, consider using just the fresh juice instead. Trader Joes has a great line of “Just ____” juices that are exactly that, a juice containing only that fruit. They are great because they are known to be pasteurized so they won’t serve as a contamination vector. Either way, be sure the beer has completely finished and plan on conditioning slowly in a controlled temperature environment. There is a lot of sugar in fruit and its juices which can make for an explosive combination. As mentioned previously, consult Nutrition Facts and Information to get average sugar content of raw fruit or juices.
Someone who has lots of experience modifying cask in this way is John Geraci, head brewer at the Amherst Brewing Company in Amherst, MA. His general advice for adding fruit directly to a cask is to get the freshest, ripest, best tasting fruit you can find then muddle it to release some of the juice. Add the whole concoction (rind, pith, everything) right to the cask before racking the beer on top of it. Store the beer in the cooler to get some measure of control over the rate it carbonates and serve just before the shive is about to pop. He has a detailed notebook on the various fruits, quantities he’s added in the past, conditioning times and temperatures, and the final result that he consults when making decisions on how much to add. John doesn’t worry about specific sugar contributions of the various fruits nor does he fuss about clarity when he knows it’s the pulp of the fruit clouding the beer. Try it, take notes, refine your process.
Conflating Beverages
Another tact John takes is using unique flavor additions to accentuate his beer. He regularly takes inspiration from the menu at the brewpub. Oyster-accentuated stouts are only the beginning. He tells me that one of his most popular cask creations is a Bloody Mary cask. Finding the right balance of horseraddish, clamato, and salt is crucial. But, when done correctly, it becomes a legend that the locals are always asking about.
The Germans have a tradition of a beer-lemonade hybrid that is a refreshing tonic after a day’s cycling. They call it a radler. While it is usually served as a mix of beer and sparkling lemonade, the acidity of the lemonade combined with a lower alcohol beer can create an interesting berliner weiss-esque brew.
There have been certain breweries that mix kombucha with beer. That they exist is all this author has to say on the topic.
Coffee has been mentioned as a possible addition. Espresso also works and contributes much great flavor per unit volume. Tea character can be refreshed. Whatever the beverage, consider using the finished liquid product instead of the source. Since the beer will be in contact with whatever has been added for an unknown time period, it is better to know how much flavor you are adding.
Whatever the mix you are adding to your cask, take notes and reflect on the results. Use these results to inform your future additions. Remember to consider the timing as a factor in what you are adding. With patience and practice, you can create uniquely excellent and novel cask ale.