Now available at Get Er Brewed
We are excited to launch The BBC Pure Hop Pellet™ to brewers in Ireland. We have been selling these to craft brewers for some time, but now we can also offer them to the homebrew community. Geterbrewed proudly represents Barth Haas in Ireland, and we really care about the hops we sell. They are all cold-stored below 4 degrees and packed in a professional way. We are really impressed with the quality of BBC Enhanced Hop Pellets.
So what is a BBC Enhanced Hop Pellets?
It is specifically designed for high-efficiency and heavy-use applications in both conventional and dry hopping applications. Developed in collaboration with Boston Beer Company, the BBC Pure Hop Pellet™ increases the yield of hop volatiles, resulting in higher aroma and flavour. It provides improved homogeneity and better storage stability compared to raw hops.
The proprietary pure hop process removes extraneous material, resulting in true hop flavour.
The BBC Pure Hop Pellet™ is produced using a finer, more uniform grind than standard Type 90 pellets. A sub-zero process – milling and sieving takes place at approx. -35°C (-31 °F) – prevents hop resins and essential oils from oxidation.
Supported by a long history of safe use in brewing and following US FDA regulations 21 CFR 170.30(c) and 170.3(f), hop pellets are generally recognised as safe (GRAS).
Product Specifications
- Description: Cylindrical pellets of approx. 6 mm (0.24 inch) diameter, milled and compressed whole hops
- Consistency: A solid which normally breaks up into a powder
- Colour: Typically from dark-green to olive-green (depending on variety)
- Alpha-acids: Typically 4 – 16% (depending on variety and crop year; standardisation is possible)
- Beta-acids: Dependent upon raw hops
- Hop oils: 0.4 – 3.5 mL/100 g (depending on variety and crop year)
- Moisture: 7 – 12%
- Process Specifications: Drying temperature: < 60 °C (140 °F), depending on raw hop moisture content
- Milling and Sieving temperature: approx. -35 °C (-31 °F)
- Pelletising temperature: < 55 °C (131 °F) Temperature of pellets after cooling: < 20 °C (68 °F)
Product Use:
As these are enhanced hop pellets, you could reduce the amount of pellets you use. Alternatively, you could use the same and have more impact. Geterbrewed ran some trials using these. We reckoned you get 30% more bang for your buck in terms of hop flavour and aroma.
For the efficient provision of bitterness, the pellets should be added to the wort at the beginning or up to 15 minutes after the start of the boil. The utilisation of alpha-acids in beer depends on the boiling system and conditions and is normally in the range of 30% – 35%. Added late into the boil, the utilisation of alpha-acids diminishes as the aroma improves, giving a characteristic hop flavour to the beer. The quantity to be added is calculated using the alpha-acids content and the estimated utilisation. For aroma or dry-hopping, the quantity to be added should preferably be calculated using the oil content of the product.
Packaging:
Pellets are packed in laminated foils with an aluminium layer as a barrier against oxygen diffusion. They are vacuum-packed. The foil material used meets all food industry packaging regulations. The residual oxygen content in the foil packs is less than 2% by volume. Pack sizes are available in any quantity at Geterbrewed.
Storage and Best-by Recommendation:
The BBC Pure Hop Pellet™ should be stored cold at 0 – 5°C (32 – 41 °F) and is best used within 3 years after processing. If stored at –20 °C (-4 °F) it should be used within 5 years. Foils, once opened, should be used within a few days to avoid the deterioration of bitter acids and essential oils.