Sierra Nevada Brewing’s latest experimental variant on their flagship Torpedo IPA is said to be the first nationally available beer using Yakima Chief Hops’ frozen Cryo Fresh hops. Cryo Fresh™ Torpedo Wet Hop IPA is not really a fresh hop or a wet hop by our estimation, the hops are flash frozen in a proprietary process, and then ground up and pelletized, so that’s like buying fresh frozen fruit juice from the supermarket.

Sierra Nevada worked closely with Yakima Chief Hops as they developed a new patented technology the YCH 301 Trial hop product, which specifically applies the Cryo Fresh™ flash freezing technology to freshly harvested wet hops. This is actually different than the frozen fresh hops which have been showing up in beers in small runs, particularly from Washington state breweries where Yakima Chief is located.The innovative method maintains all the rich, fresh flavors and aromas of the highly celebrated hop harvest time for beer aficionados across the country to enjoy beyond the fall season.  This special blend is rich in flavor, delivering extreme notes of passion fruit, citrus, and harvest magic.   

YCH 301 Trial requires a two-part production process. First, freshly harvested, un-kilned whole cone hops undergo a flash freezing process in a state-of-the-art BRC-certified food processing facility. This helps retain the delicate nuances of fresh hops from both a physical and aromatic perspective by protecting cell wall and lupulin gland integrity. This results in a product that preserves the magic of fresh hop aromas and flavours. The Frozen Fresh Hops are then produced into concentrated lupulin pellets with YCH’s fully patented cryogenic hop processing technology that gently separates the whole cones and isolates the lupulin. The lupulin containing the aromatic hop oils is preserved using extremely low temperatures and a nitrogen-rich, low oxygen environment during the entire process. This creates a concentrated lupulin, fresh hop product that can be used anywhere in the brewhouse

Cryo Fresh™ Torpedo Wet Hop IPA:  

• About the process: Cryo Fresh™ Torpedo freezes hop harvest in time. Hops are most intense right when they’re picked, but they fade fast. Now the freshest, most powerful hop flavor is always within reach. The innovators at Yakima Chief Hops isolated pure lupulin from just-picked wet hops, the source of hop aroma and flavor. Stored at subzero temperatures, these hops provide hop field freshness, anytime.

• ABV: 7%

• Availability and SRP: Exclusively available in the Hoppy Sampler Pack from Sierra Nevada, available at major retailers across the country. Available at a suggested retail price of $18.99 for the variety pack. Along with the all-new Cryo Fresh™ Torpedo Wet Hop IPA, the full pack includes Pale Ale, Torpedo Extra IPA, and Dankful Generously Hoppy IPA.

• Quote: “This is the closest you can get to walking the fields, picking a hop, and rubbing it in your hands and smelling it.” -Sean Lavery, Sierra Nevada Technical Innovation & Brewing