The startlingly intense, vibrant green aroma of fresh hops is enough to make any beer lover’s knees buckle.

The culprit is lupulin, a yellow pollen lookalike produced in the cone-shaped hop flower. Largely responsible for the aromas, flavors and bitterness found in beer, lupulin’s volatile oils and acids dissipate quickly after picking.

To preserve these precious compounds, fresh hops must be swiftly preserved after harvest, when they’re often dried into pellets to extend their shelf life.

Dried hops are consistent, potent and long-lasting, making them a popular choice among brewers. But fresh hops — with their bright grassy aromas that sing of summer — can be hard for many to resist.

To capture this fleeting freshness, brewers are increasingly turning to “wet-hopping,” a brewing pract

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