Because Not Every Beer Is Stone Enjoy By: Preserving Hop Aroma

Stone Brewing Co. notes that Stone Enjoy By is brewed not to last, loaded with hops at the back end—using a technique some call “hop bursting”—and heavily dry hopped. It’s full of hop aroma that is destined to fade, which is why Stone puts the enjoy by date in big numbers on the front label. Most often, brewers—including Stone and probably you—are looking for more aroma and flavor stability. This presentation will examine the differences between late hopping and dry hopping, the role hop varieties play in stability, what happens to aroma after beer goes into a package, and why, although hops are a great preservative, they may not be so good a preserving their own aroma.