What happens when you take a wild hop discovery and mix it with creative ambition? The result is a limited-release Indian Pale Lager that was the end of a four-month odyssey of brewing experimentation.
BJ’s Restaurants and Brewhouse Brewery Director of R&D, Aaron Stueck, and Lagunitas’ Jeremy Marshall spent that time brainstorming and brewing test batches to create Cool Tricks, a new IPL that was released in July.
Teaming with Lagunitas, the release features rye along with Elani as a single-hop addition.
R&D is all about creating an understanding of all aspects of the creative process, Stueck said, and when a new hop is introduced, he will brew a special batch of beer using that hop only.
“With a simple malt bill, I used only Elani hops throughout the entire brewing process from bittering to dry hop. It’s a great way to understand the full spectrum and potential of this variety,” he said. “As a result, I determined that Elani works very well as a stand-alone for hoppy types of beers. That’s how I knew it would be a great selection for a Rye India Pale Lager.
“The alpha acids are right in the midrange sweet spot, so it yields a complex but smooth flavor profile.”
During the R&D process, the duo stretched the boundaries of Elani’s potential, but Stueck feels this hop sits very well in the Pale Ale and India Pale Ale sectors.
“We’ve used Elani in all sorts of things, including Hoppy Hefeweizen, Porter Weisse, Amber Beers, and even dry hopping in wood barrels,” he said. “It works well in Lager with a light malt bill.”
A genetic patent associated with Elani — a wild hop that has been discovered recently — helps the hop set itself apart from similar varieties, Stueck noted.
Yakima Quality Hops owner Tim Sattler discovered Elani (previously known as YQH-1320) in Idaho’s St. Joe River Valley. After years of observation, Sattler brought rhizomes back to the Yakima Valley for further testing and development before being released as Elani last year.
Discovered wild hops can be hit or miss depending on the location where they are found, as well as the growing conditions associated with the area.
“It seems often flowers such as these can lend very harsh flavors, such as garlic or green onion,” Stueck said. “I could tell right away that Elani was different. As soon as the bag was opened, aromas of sweet fruit and citrus permeated the air.”
He points out that it’s a very complex and diverse hop but not too pungent.
“Its mid-range alpha acid allows it to stand up to varying malt diversification,” he said. “This is done without undesirable flavor compounds that can be associated with high alpha acid hops that exist today.”
Elani reminds Stueck of similar New Zealand varieties but with a citrusy American twist and has enough intricacy to be used on its own.
“In my opinion, Elani can be very similar to New Zealand types of hops, so I expected the flavor profile to have some tropical nature to it,” he said. “This would include tropical notes of pineapple with pleasant hints of tangerine.
“Some hops out there need to be blended with others to create a desired effect. Elani is great by itself but also plays well with others.”
The individuality is what sold Stueck on this and found rye to be a great compliment as well.
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“It can be extremely difficult to brew with, but if used properly, rye can add that extra twist to spice things up,” he said, saying 10-15% is a max usage for a grist.
Doing it in an IPL means it needs to be smooth but still have a noticeable hop presence.
“Lager yeast can sometimes kick off some sulfur during fermentation. Elani is perfect here because it doesn’t have too many of those dank qualities that are found in other hops,” Stueck said. “Too much dank and sulfur can be unfavorable. This is where rye comes in. The spicy nature of the malt helps marry the Lager and hops together. It’s like a bridge that fills flavor gaps. Flaked rye also adds a nice silky mouthfeel to the beer that only adds to the overall experience.”
There’s still room for R&D in this variety and Stueck said he would consider using Elani in some interesting herb and spice beers.
“This would be a barley-based beer with some flaked wheat and rye, then aged in a wood barrel with various spices and raw Elani dry hopping straight into the wood vessel,” he explained. “I have yet to try this hop with a sour beer, but some Elani dry hop in a sour blonde could actually work …I think.”
That said, Stueck cautioned other brewers to not do the typical “American thing” and go overboard on usage.
“Remember, a well-made beer is all about balance and the delicate dance of flavor,” he said. “Elani can be used as a bittering hop, but it might be a bit of a waste. This is a job for other high alpha acids. It’s important to have less plant matter at the beginning of the boil to save room for later additions. If overused, there is a risk of clogging up the heat exchanger.”
Instead, he said he finds that Elani works very well in the 10-to-5-minute addition points.
“This will give the flavor compounds that will complement the malt,” he said. “I have used it in the whirlpool but also experimented without it. If the whirlpool hops are removed, it would be a good idea to take the original calculated amount and move it to the dry hop.
“We still want plenty of aroma! Dry hopping amounts are recommended at 1-2 pounds per barrel.”
The brewery has used the release to tie into consumer interaction as well.
In celebration of Cool Tricks, the brewery is inviting people to show their pets’ “cool tricks” by posting and tagging BJ’s for a chance to win a custom Cool Tricks bandanna or the grand prize of a Cool Tricks skateboard.
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