Hop Shots--anyone use them?

[mongoose33]

I've bought a hop shot from Yakima Valley after tasting how it worked for Morrey in a California Common. I want to use that tomorrow in a Rye beer I'm brewing. I'm trying to get as much hop trub out of the brew as I can, and this is a proximate way to do that.

The recipe calls for 1/2 oz Columbus at 60 minutes, 1/2 oz Columbus at 20 minutes. Doing the hop shot at 60 minutes is easy, but here's the question:

Yakima Valley says the hop shots are "made up of 60% Columbus (or other CTZ) hops for bittering and 40% blended aroma varieties." That sounds to me like I could reasonably use it for the 20-minute addition.

I've put this in Beersmith (which has a hop shot category for hops), and it appears I can define the amount of hop shot to use--looks like about 3 ml at 20 minutes, 3.5 ml at 60 minutes to come close to what I've done before w/ actual Columbus hops.

Anyone use this? Have any advice? TIA.

 

[aprichman]

The hop shots add very little if any flavor or aroma. I would just use pellet hops at 20 minutes.

 

[thehaze]

Hop shots are only used for bittering. There are some aroma hop oils out there to be used for dry hopping. I purchased some from TheMaltMiller UK ( link: https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product-category/ingredients/hop-aroma-oil/ ) and I will be trying them in upcoming brews.

 

[dmtaylor]

I've used a HopShot as a flameout hop before. It adds a buttload of flavor and aroma. It's similar to Columbus & Warrior, big orangey citrus. Go for it.

 

[Dcpcooks]

I usually use them as a bittering addition. I have used it as late as 20 min. It’s nice and smooth for that application.

I’d much rather use pellet or cryo hops for aroma. Better results imo

 

[aprichman]

I've used a HopShot as a flameout hop before. It adds a buttload of flavor and aroma. It's similar to Columbus & Warrior, big orangey citrus. Go for it.

I did a hop shot only beer and I'm confused by this statement. I found that late additions didn't break down at all - there were still goopy resin balls in the wort (I think I did a 60, 15, and 5 minute addition). After the beer was finished there was no detectable hop flavor and aroma. It was one of the only beers I've ever dumped after sampling a few bottles and using a few for cooking.

I would never use this again for late additions. It worked alright for bittering I guess.

Most breweries that make hop forward beer don't use the same extracts as hop shots. The hop resin / hop extract used at these breweries are bright yellow and extremely aromatic.