Why Brew With LUPOMAX®
Before we jump in to the how to brew with LUPOMAX®, let's first start by looking at why brewing with LUPOMAX® is so great. LUPOMAX® concentrated hop pellets are a new form of hops that are more consistent, more efficient, and have less vegetative matter than traditional Type 90 pellets.
1. Brew Consistently with LUPOMAX
Consistency matters because brewing has enough variables and inputs that you need to calculate and control for. When looking at your hops, every crop year and hop lot have their own personality and brewing values that can impact your beer in different ways. LUPOMAX® lots all go through a rigorous sensory, selection, and analysis process to make sure that LUPOMAX® varieties are all true-to-type, meaning that each variety is exactly what you expect and love. This selection process also ensures that not only are LUPOMAX® varieties analytically consistent year over year, but their aroma and flavor are also what they should be year in, year out.
2. Brew Efficiently with LUPOMAX
Efficiency matters because beer matters and it shouldn't be wasted! Less vegetative matter in LUPOMAX® means that there is less process loss due to absorption. In hop heavy beers, all of those hops can mean much less beer in the end, but you worked so hard to brew it so you shouldn't let it go down the drain. LUPOMAX® is also efficient because you only need to use about 70% of what you would typically use with T90 pellets. So not only does that mean physically less matter in your beer, but LUPOMAX® is easier to ship, store, and handle because you need less of it to get the same results.
3. Maximize Flavor and Aroma
Flavor and aroma matters because that's what helps you brew the best beer possible! LUPOMAX® pellets have less vegetative matter, which means that more of the good stuff like oils, terpenes, and polyphenols make it into your beer. Because of this, LUPOMAX® helps you brew beers that are "bigger, bolder, and brighter" to quote Virgil McDonald, the legendary head brewer at the Haas Innovation Brewery.
4. Reduce Potential for Hop Creep
Less vegetative matter also means that there is less potential for enzymatic activity that can lead to hop creep. While hop creep is currently a hot button issue for commercial brewers, homebrewers should also avoid hop creep and its unwanted effects on their beer. Less vegetative matter also means that you have less risk of pulling out green, grassy, or vegetative flavors from the hops and instead only get the juicy fruit flavors that you're after.
LUPOMAX® Usage and Dosage
Now that we've learned more about why LUPOMAX® pellets are so great, we can look at how to brew with them and get the most out of them.
One of the best parts about LUPOMAX® hop pellets is that they are easy to use and incorporate into your brew day. LUPOMAX® can be used in the same way that you brew with traditional T90 pellets, so there's no need for new equipment or changing your brewing process.
While LUPOMAX® can be substituted in your recipe anywhere that you normally use T90 pellets, LUPOMAX® excels in dry-hopping and whirlpooling applications where you are trying to get the most aroma and flavor out of your hops. LUPOMAX® varieties do have higher Alpha Acids than traditional T90's so they can be used for bittering purposes, but they really shine when used in cold side additions to try and maximize that flavor and aroma.
LUPOMAX DOSING RATE = 70% of regular T90 pellets by weight
70% is a good starting point when replacing regular T90 pellets with LUPOMAX®. This means that if you use 1 pound of T90, start by subbing in 0.70 pounds of LUPOMAX®. While 70% is the recommended replacement rate, we have talked with brewers who have used anywhere from half as much (50% replacement rate) all the way up to a full 1:1 replacement ratio.
As with all hop additions, there is a point of diminishing returns so adding more hops doesn't always equal more hop flavor. That's why it is important to start with the 70% replacement rate and adjust it up or down from there depending on your brewing style and what you're trying to achieve in that particular recipe.
LUPOMAX® Style Suggestions
LUPOMAX® pellets are definitely intended for use in hop-heavy styles like IPAs, NEIPAs, or anything that is dry hopped, but LUPOMAX® also has some exciting possibilities for lighter styles like lagers and pilsners. LUPOMAX® Saaz is a fun new addition to the portfolio, that allows you to get the most out of your classic styles.
LUPOMAX® also work well for styles where you are targeting biotransformation. The higher concentration of all the good stuff like oils and terpenes, means that there are more biotransformation precursors for your yeasts to munch on.
LUPOMAX® Storage and Lifespan
LUPOMAX® pellets should be stored in the same way that you store traditional T90 pellets. It is recommended to store them cold, between 0-5 °C (32-41 °F). If stored at that temperature it is best to use them within three years. If you store them well below freezing -20 °C (-4 °F) then their life expectancy is extended to five years.
Once the original mylar foils are opened it is best to use them all within a few days, but there are ways to reseal them and help protect the delicate resins and essential oils. If you vacuum seal the package back up and get the oxygen content below 2%, then you can reasonably expect them to last the original three to five years when properly stored.
Another option to repackage them is to purge the package with an inert gas such as CO2, nitrogen, or argon, as those will displace any oxygen in the package. If you have easy access to CO2 then use that, otherwise check out a wine preserving gas mixture that is available at most wine and bottle shops.
Explore LUPOMAX® here and discover the possibilities!
- Click here to buy LUPOMAX hop pellets -
LUPOMAX® Learning and Resource Center
1. LUPOMAX General Use Guide PDF
2. LUPOMAX Technical Data Sheet PDF
3. John I Haas LUPOMAX Resource Page
1 comment
The 70% replacement number is informative. I had been doing 50%. BTW, in trying to read, the animations in the article are really distracting and annoying!