Fresh Chico

A Fresh (Chico) Approach to Fresh-Hop Beers

A Fresh (Chico) Approach to Fresh-Hop Beers

As harvest falls upon America’s hop fields throughout late August and September, we start daydreaming of all the fresh-hop beers that we’ll soon sip. But being scientists, we couldn’t help but wonder: How could fresh-hop beers be even better? Sometimes the aromatics are a little subdued, a feature that could be fixed with one of our engineered yeast strains.

We asked Anthony Lopez, our customer success and support manager, about his favorite strains for elevating fresh-hop beers. He suggests Fresh Chico, which keeps diacetyl ultra-low throughout fermentation and packaging, “to accentuate fresh-hop and wet-hop characteristics on a cleaner spectrum,” Lopez says. He also adds that Fresh Andechs would be great for a fresh-hop lager. “The strains push diacetyl so low that you’re getting the true nature of a fresh hop.”

Another solid bet is Superbloom, a strain that produces floral, citrusy fragrances. “It would be an awesome complement to fresh-hop beers to accentuate aromas and add a nuanced layer,” Lopez says.

And for brewers that feel like experimenting, Lopez would love to trial a Tropics strain to bring big aromas of guava and passion fruit into a fresh-hop beer. “Tropics could have a huge impact,” he says.

Have any questions or feedback for Anthony? Email him at alo@berkeleyyeast.com.

The Latest At Berkeley Yeast

View all
Tim Sciascia's West Coast Pilsner Recipe

Tim Sciascia's West Coast Pilsner Recipe

This recipe creates a wonderfully light and aromatic, highly drinkable hop focused lager with our ultra-low diacetyl Fresh Andechs strain. With drinkers’ ever-increasing preference for lower ABV be...

Tim Sciascia (Co-founder of Cellarmaker) Joins the Berkeley Yeast Team!

Tim Sciascia (Co-founder of Cellarmaker) Joins the Berkeley Yeast Team!

Tim Sciascia, Co-founder and Director of Brewing and Blending at the renowned Cellarmaker Brewing Co., has officially joined the Berkeley Yeast team. For those unfamiliar, Cellarmaker has earned a ...

Say Goodbye to Diacetyl with Fresh™ Yeast Strains

Say Goodbye to Diacetyl with Fresh™ Yeast Strains

Hey there, fellow brewers and beer enthusiasts! My name is Tim Sciascia, Co-founder and former Director of Brewing at Cellarmaker Brewing Co. in California. I've recently joined the team at Berkel...

Brewer Stories

View all
Turning Off Unwanted Flavors: How Berkeley Yeast’s Fresh Strains Create Low Diacetyl IPAs and Lagers

Turning Off Unwanted Flavors: How Berkeley Yeast’s Fresh Strains Create Low Diacetyl IPAs and Lagers

Like most brewers, Danny Priddy has a pretty discerning palate. The director of brewing operations at Riip Beer Company in Huntington Beach, California, is particularly sensitive to diacetyl, an or...

How Tropics Strains Are Helping Brewers Create More Aromatic IPAs

How Tropics Strains Are Helping Brewers Create More Aromatic IPAs

J.C. Hill, the cofounder of Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey, California, wanted to make a hazy IPA that’s welcoming in both flavor and price point; increasing the hopping rate increases a beer’...

How Berkeley Yeast’s Superbloom Builds Highly Drinkable Hoppy Beer

How Berkeley Yeast’s Superbloom Builds Highly Drinkable Hoppy Beer

Over the last decade, boom-and-bust cycles have defined the IPA category. Sour IPAs, overly bitter palate wreckers, and bone-dry brut IPAs have mostly disappeared, a dry-hopped gold rush that didn...