The Hop Squasher

From the Gadget Issue, The Hop Squasher is simple, inexpensive and effective. I grabbed an inexpensive French press this weekend and have already put it to use. I have an IPA that I brewed in August and just put on the gas last week. Its lost a lot of hop flavor and aroma sitting in the keg. With the hop squasher, I can add amarillo to one pint and simcoe to the next! Simple…but pretty awesome!

Its got me thinking of other additions that I can put in my beer by the glass. Peppers (jalapeno, habenaro, serano) in pale ales, ambers or ipa’s. Cilantro in a wheat or a saison? OK! Coffee in a porter or stout? Yes!

I also think it will inspire new hop combinations in my brewing. I can test them out in the hop squasher to see what I like and then start putting them in my beers when I brew or dry hop.

What exactly is this gizmo?  What does it do?

Yes. I have not the issue. Do you add the press to the keg or drink it?

You drink it - it’s like a single-use hop rocket.

It’s a french press with hops in it.

Sorry guys. I guess I could have went into more detail. Its a french press thats used for coffee. No modifications needed. You put a few hops in it, fill it with beer and press the hops down into the beer. I put mine in the fridge for a few minutes and then pour a pint. It basically dry hops your beer right in the glass. I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share.

yeah - I had no idea what you were talking about until I got my issue in the mail last night - cool idea and like you said, a good way to try out different varietals for dryhopping.

Doesn’t forcing the hops through the beer cause it to foam and lose carbonation?

I’m going to guess that pellets would not be advisable.

What exactly do you get from the hops…aromatics?  Does cold beer poured over “squashed hops”, allowed to sit for a few minutes, produce additional hop flavor?

It should work more or less the same as randall the enamel animal, I am sure you do lose some carb but it’s still somewhat bubbly.

The screen is tight enough in the press that I think you could use pellets without a problem. You do lose a little carb so its almost like a dry hopped cask ale once it hits the glass. A little more carbed than that…What you get is great hop aroma and flavor. No additional bitterness. Blatz- I’m pouring that Green Flash WCIPA clone with Amarillo in the hop squasher! Its money!

So, would you add 2-3 hop cones to a pint to pump up an APA, for example?

two or three cones? nah, chuck an oz or two in there ;D well okay maybe not that much. but looking at the pic in zymurgy it looks like a small handfull. I suspect you need to use more cause the contact time is so short. I also suspect that one charge of hops is good for more than one pint. after all Randall can handle a whole keg, course that’s like a lb of hops.

I’ve only used whole hops in it so far but I’m using 5-10 per pint but I’m getting two pints out of the press. 10 cones seems to hit the spot but I’ll put a few more in and see whats up. I’m going to try some simcoe pellets tonight.

A brewpub in Denver has just started using a French Press to offer fresh hop infused beers

http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2012/01/bull_bush_offering_tableside_whole-hop_infusions.php

Doesn’t that pretty much decarb the beer, too

Interesting concept - subscribing!

Denny,

This was written earlier in the thread [quote]You do lose a little carb so its almost like a dry hopped cask ale once it hits the glass. A little more carbed than that…What you get is great hop aroma and flavor.
[/quote]

I picked up a French Press this past weekend to try it out. I added about a teaspoon of Centennial pellets to 24 oz of O’Dells IPA of 5 min. It added quite a bit more aroma and flavor. I also picked up a small amount of diacetyl that I did not find in the nonSquashed beer. In the Westword article, there is a comment that someone who tried the B&B infused beer also found a bit of diacetyl.

Crazy Mountain Brewing has been serving fresh hop infused beers for the past couple of years. Here are some shots from the 2011 and 2012 Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival in Vail, CO

DAN_6177.jpeg

I personally like my IPA and IIPA with low levels of carbonation. And, FWIW, you get a lot of foaming and some loss of carbonation with a randall as well. I know you think a randall is more a novelty than anything, but we have done some beers through one and I really like the results. I can see why this idea generates some excitement.