1. Association News

Hopsource Returns to Yakima in 2019 with Additional Sensory Evaluation Opportunities

Link to article BA2019 Hopsource Web hero
Link to author biography
Technical Brewing Projects Director

Chuck joined the Brewers Association staff in 2013 after a long career as a craft brewer. He opened Tennessee’s first brewpub, Boscos, in 1992. As an owner and director of brewery operations for Boscos Brewing Company, he opened additional brewpubs in Memphis, Nashville, and Little Rock, Arkansas. In 2007, Chuck opened and operated Ghost River Brewing in Memphis. He has served as chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Advisors, chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Directors, and was a member of the first Board of Directors for the Brewers Association. In his capacity as technical brewing projects manager, Chuck works with the Technical Committee and the safety, sustainability, quality, draught beer quality, engineering, and supply chain subcommittees to encourage and facilitate best practices in all phases of Brewers Association members' brewery operations.

See Chuck Skypeck's Articles
Share Post

Brewers Association (BA) staff will conduct the Hopsource hop sensory assessment in Yakima again in 2019 during peak hop harvest season. Brewers visiting Yakima for hop selection will have the opportunity to evaluate over 100 varieties of hops that are being considered for advancement in the BA-funded United States Department of Agriculture Public Hop Breeding Program. 

Informing Public Hop Research

The purpose of Hopsource is to gauge brewer interest in experimental public hop varieties, by harnessing the power of dozens of noses to crowdsource hop variety acceptance. Hopsource is one small part of a very long-term multi-year effort to reinvigorate public hop research. By bridging a persistent gap between brewers and researchers, the ultimate goal is to inform public hop research, with an eye towards releasing varieties of interest to brewers.

How Hopsource Works

The BA partners with DraughtLab and Yakima Valley Hops to conduct Hopsource.

DraughtLab designed the sensory experiment to be short and clean, to allow brewers to get in and out quickly during their busy hop selection days in Yakima. Individual participants contribute 8-10 minutes per flight of hop samples, providing descriptive attributes and hedonic “liking” responses, in an easy-to-use tablet-based app format.

Yakima Valley Hops will host the event over two weeks, September 16 – 19 and September 23 – 26, 2019 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day. Brewers who visit Yakima during these weeks for hop selection are invited to attend Hopsource, and encouraged to participate during multiple sessions, as the varieties will change every morning and afternoon.

Can’t Catch Us in Yakima? We’ll Be at CBC Too!

For brewers not visiting Yakima in September, the BA will repeat the Hopsource assessment during the 2020 Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America® (CBC) in San Antonio, Texas to afford more members the opportunity to test drive the app and assess public hop varieties for themselves. Come see Hopsource at the Brewers Association booth during CBC next April!

Link to author biography
Technical Brewing Projects Director

Chuck joined the Brewers Association staff in 2013 after a long career as a craft brewer. He opened Tennessee’s first brewpub, Boscos, in 1992. As an owner and director of brewery operations for Boscos Brewing Company, he opened additional brewpubs in Memphis, Nashville, and Little Rock, Arkansas. In 2007, Chuck opened and operated Ghost River Brewing in Memphis. He has served as chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Advisors, chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Directors, and was a member of the first Board of Directors for the Brewers Association. In his capacity as technical brewing projects manager, Chuck works with the Technical Committee and the safety, sustainability, quality, draught beer quality, engineering, and supply chain subcommittees to encourage and facilitate best practices in all phases of Brewers Association members' brewery operations.

See Chuck Skypeck's Articles