Getting hops tested

[HBHoss]

I did a search and couldn't find any new information on this but does anyone have contact or site info regarding having hops tested? My local brewery was given 10 lbs of a locally grown hops and have no idea what the acid levels are or anything about these hops. They would like to find out though and are willing to give me some to test.

 

[HBHoss]

Bumper time

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Stole this from the morebeer forum:

I know this looks long but if you work in a lab chances are you have access to a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, a benchtop centrifuge, and some common solvents. I've used this method and got very repeatable results that matched the reported value on the purchased hops. Be really carefull about exposing the extracted hops oils to light. You may also want to increase decrease the amount of dilution in each step since your hops may not be as high in acid as ones grown commercially.

Alpha and Beta Acids in Hops
(reference: ASBC MoA. 8th edition, 1992)
Method
1. Place 5.000 +/- .001 gr pulverized hops in an extraction bottle and add 100 mL toluene.
2. Shake for 30 min with vigorous agitation.
3. Let stand until clear or centrifuge (preferred).
4. Dilution A: Dilute 5.0 ml of this extract to 100 mL with methanol.
5. Dilution B: Dilute an aliquot of the dilution A with alkaline methanol (0.2 mL 6M NaOH per 100 mL MeOH) so that the Abs at 325 and 355 falls within the most accurate range of the instrument.
6. Immediately read dilution B (1 cm) at 275, 325 and 355 vs a toluene blank that was prepared and diluted in EXACTLY the same manner.
Notes:
? Hexane may be substituted for toluene
Calculations:
Dilution factor, d= (volume dil A x volume dil B)/ (500 x aliq extract A x aliq dil A)
% alpha acids= d x (-51.56 A355+ 73.79 A325-19.07 A275)
% beta acids= d x (55.57 A355-47.59 A325 + 5.10 A275)
Example:
1. 5 gr hops extracted with 10 mL toluene
2. 5 mL clear extract diluted to 100 mL with methanol=Dilution A
3. 3 mL Dilution A diluted to 50 mL with alkaline methanol
4. Absorbances
o A355=0.615
o A325= 0.596
o A275=0.132
d = (100 x 50) / (500 x 5 x 3) = 0.667
alpha = 0.667 x [ -(51.56 x 0.615) + (73.79 x 0.596) - (19.07 x 0.132) = 6.5
beta = 0.667 x [ (55.57 x 0.615) - (47.59 x 0.596) + (5.10 x 0.132) = 4.3

Other than that you'll need to find a lab to do it.

 

[McKBrew]

I know that there was a lab in eastern WA where the guy would test AA percentages. I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

This also stolen from another thread here on HBT:

...The Hop Growers of America sent me this when I was in search of what variety I had...

"Identifying a variety of hops is difficult, particularly with heirloom varieties that are no longer produced commercially (or may have never been commercially produced). Researchers could do a PCR analysis to try to match the DNA to a known variety, but that is a pretty costly process. It also requires that the variety has already been characterized regarding the DNA fingerprint. As you already know the hops in question are probably an old or wild variety that someone moved to that location, it is highly unlikely that the DNA fingerprint would match any current commercial variety that has been characterized. Unfortunately, modern breeding programs have created a whole range of relatively new commercial varieties that are now demanded by brewers (virtually everything we grow has been released in the past 30 years). You indicated that you are testing some in your own pilot brew, so you may wish to just brew and enjoy! You may have the next "Local Heirloom Hop Ale" to share with your friends!

If you want a brewing value profile (although this won't pinpoint variety), the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture's Hop Laboratory in Yakima, WA offers this service for a nominal fee. You are welcome to contact the Hop Lab's manager, Royal Schoen, at [email protected] to discuss the brewing value testing that they offer."

Thread here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/unknown-mega-hop-harvest-78678/index3.html

 

[HBHoss]

I know that there was a lab in eastern WA where the guy would test AA percentages. I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

I did PM mrkristofo because I found a post from earlier 2008 in which he said he had access to a lab and would test hops but I see he hasn't been on this site since early December.

 

[HBHoss]

This also stolen from another thread here on HBT:



Thread here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/unknown-mega-hop-harvest-78678/index3.html

Thanks. I did see that also. I guess I'll send him an e-mail and see what's up. I was just wondering if any new info had come up since then.

 

[McKBrew]

I can't find what I was looking for, it's probably been a year since I saw it.

I'd contact some of the big hop farms like Freshops and ask them for information, they'd be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[HBHoss]

This also stolen from another thread here on HBT:



Thread here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/unknown-mega-hop-harvest-78678/index3.html

I got a reply back from Washington State Dept. of Agriculture's Hop Laboratory and they can't/won't test any hops from out of state or out of country.

 

[humann_brewing]

I got a reply back from Washington State Dept. of Agriculture's Hop Laboratory and they can't/won't test any hops from out of state or out of country.

Maybe you can ask them to send you some of there that they know the numbers on, then you can compare, and have free hops

 

[cuinrearview]

Stole this from the morebeer forum:



Other than that you'll need to find a lab to do it.

Thanks for bringing that here. My wife thinks that she can do this in her lab!! I just happen to have some unknown AA% hops to give her to try. I'm pretty excited.

 

[HBHoss]

Thanks for bringing that here. My wife thinks that she can do this in her lab!! I just happen to have some unknown AA% hops to give her to try. I'm pretty excited.

Let me know if she's successful and I'll send you some hops.