OUR PRODUCTS
WHAT WE OFFER
HVG offers a wide range of hop products for various applications in the brewery. We keep our promise to deliver the highest quality products, which go on to serve as a basis for the excellent beers brewed by our customers.
WHOLE HOPS (VacuPack)
PELLETS (TYPE 90, TYPE 45, ISO-Pellets)
EXTRACT (CO2, IKE)
STORABLE WHOLE HOPS
VACUPACK – Whole Hops Packed under Inert Atmosphere
Pressed whole hops packaged in VacuPacks have been used for many decades in breweries, primarily for hop additions in the brewhouse, either in the kettle or in the whirlpool. But this product is also ideally suited for “dry hopping” in the lager cellar. VacuPacks are the perfect solution for breweries that prefer whole hops to the diverse range of hop products available today. VacuPacks combine the advantages of whole hops (considered genuine or “natural”) with protection against oxidation, just as with pellets, due to the gentle handling during packaging operations. They contain all of the aromatic substances, polyphenols and bittering resins of the whole hop cones.
Why choose VacuPack?
- there are no analytical differences between the whole hops in farmer bales and VacuPack
- reduced transport and storage costs
- better storage stability due to inert packaging conditions
- during the pressing process, the lupulin glands are being squeezed (similar to pelletizing) — better usability and higher yields in the brewhouse
- increased transfer of aroma compounds especially during dry hopping
OUR BEST-SELLING PRODUCT
TYPE 90 PELLETS
TYPE 90 hop pellets are mainly used for hop additions in the brewhouse, either in the kettle or in the whirlpool but also for “dry hopping” during maturation and conditioning. HVG Pellets 90 contain nearly all-natural substances of the female flower of the hop plant in their chemical unchanged form.
Why choose TYPE 90 PELLETS?
- the natural spectrum of all hop substances is preserved
- a homogenous product
- significantly lower volume in the package than whole hops
- packed under an inert gas atmosphere in special foil bags – very good storage stability
- higher bitterness yields compared to whole hops
…
Extremely close to the natural product
HALF THE WEIGHT - DOUBLE THE EFFECT
Lupulin-enriched TYPE 45 PELLET
Lupulin-enriched TYPE 45 PELLETS. TYPE 45 hop pellets, like TYPE 90 pellets, are customarily used in the brewery for hop additions in the brewhouse. For some time now, this product has been garnering special attention from brewers who want to achieve maximum aroma yield through oversized hop additions in the whirlpool and on the cold side while also reducing wort and beer losses. Regardless of the degree of enrichment, HVG uses the designation TYPE 45 as a general product name for enriched hop pellets. The degree of enrichment, however, ranges from a highly enriched TYPE 30 pellet to a TYPE 85 pellet.
Why choose TYPE 45 PELLETS?
- all of the advantages of a TYPE 90 pellet
- enrichment of valuable substances present in whole hops by a factor of 2–3
- the quantity of hops required is thus reduced by about half
- less leaf material and therefore less introduction of compounds with vegetal and green aromas
- reduction of undesirable substances (nitrate, metals and pesticide residues)
- a halving of the packaging material as well as costs associated with transport and storage
HVG LUPULINATOR™
This product was created with one goal in mind – to boost aroma
These pellets have been known as TYPE 35 pellets since 1975. We have drawn on all of our experience in hop selection and in the production of enriched pellets to create this product line. Each year, our team of experts selects hop lots of the highest quality for each variety from countless hop farmers to deliver what creative brewers need: no bells and whistles, no hype – just the distinctive aroma of a specific hop variety in a nutshell. Our watchword for enrichment is not to achieve the maximum but to find the optimum for each individual variety.
THE BEST OF HOPS IN A FLUID STATE
CO2 EXTRACT
Hop extract can be used as single hop addition in hot wort or in combination with pellets. In particular, is frequently added at the beginning of the boil to achieve the requisite base bitterness. Hop extract is produced using a gentle process which extracts all essential substances in a natural and unaltered form from the hops. CO2 EXTRACT contains the natural relevant bitter and aroma compounds of the flower of the hops plant (Humulus Lupulus) in their natural chemical unchanged form. Hop polyphenols are hardly dissolved by CO2 extraction.
Why choose CO2 EXTRACT?
- a higher bitterness yield than pellets
- no solids are introduced, therefore wort losses are lower
- the smallest transportation and storage volume for all natural hop products
- stable for ten years when stored under refrigeration (0 – 5 °C)
- reduction of undesirable substances (nitrate, metals and pesticide residues)
ISOMERIZED KETTLE EXTRACT
(IKE)
CO2 extract is the base product for IKE. The alpha acids present in the CO2 extract are rapidly and almost completely isomerized at a high pH through the addition of a magnesium salt which serves as the catalyst for the reaction. The isomerized kettle extract contains approximately the same spectrum of substances as the original CO2 extract, except that the alpha acids are isomerized. IKE can be added to the kettle at the start of the boil or at any time during wort boiling. A minimum boiling time of five minutes is usually sufficient to dissolve the extract in the wort.
WE OFFER MODIFIED HOP PRODUCTS
increased yields of bitter substances in the brewing process
The chemical conversion of α-acids to iso-α-acids is particularly effective at a high pH through the application of heat. Since this conversion takes place in our hop products through the use of additives, these products are not compatible with the Reinheitsgebot purity law for beer. When using pre-isomerized products, brewers should note that this heat treatment not only modifies the composition of the bitter substances but changes the aroma compounds to some extent as well. Therefore, the use of these products may have an effect on beer quality and should be tested prior to adopting them on a large scale.
ISOMERIZED PELLETS
created with one goal in mind – increased yield of bitter substances
In the production of isomerized pellets, a small amount of magnesium oxide is added to the hop powder to catalyze the reaction prior to pelletization. The pellets are packaged under an inert atmosphere and then kept warm at 50 °C for 1–2 weeks, which accelerates the isomerization reaction of the α-acids.
ISOMERIZED KETTLE EXTRACT
(IKE)
CO2 extract is the base product for IKE. The alpha acids present in the CO2 extract are rapidly and almost completely isomerized at a high pH through the addition of a magnesium salt which serves as the catalyst for the reaction. The isomerized kettle extract contains approximately the same spectrum of substances as the original CO2 extract, except that the alpha acids are isomerized. IKE can be added to the kettle at the start of the boil or at any time during wort boiling. A minimum boiling time of five minutes is usually sufficient to dissolve the extract in the wort.
WE OFFER MODIFIED HOP PRODUCTS
increased yields of bitter substances in the brewing process
The chemical conversion of α-acids to iso-α-acids is particularly effective at a high pH through the application of heat. Since this conversion takes place in our hop products through the use of additives, these products are not compatible with the Reinheitsgebot purity law for beer. When using pre-isomerized products, brewers should note that this heat treatment not only modifies the composition of the bitter substances but changes the aroma compounds to some extent as well. Therefore, the use of these products may have an effect on beer quality and should be tested prior to adopting them on a large scale.
COLD STORAGE SERVICE
We are pleased to offer the following services
Beer quality is enhanced and more consistent through the utilization of hops and the hop products created from them when they have been stored under cold, climate-controlled conditions: Our HVG Cold Storage Service offers you the option of increasing your flexibility when it comes to hop logistics and the capability to exploit market opportunities through an extended period of gentle storage for hops. Any qualitative prejudices associated with hops dating from previous harvests are completely unfounded as long as the products are properly stored, i.e. at approximately 0–5° C. Pellets are quite stable for four years when stored under these conditions, while hop extracts retain their stability for significantly longer periods.
- We will store your hop products at our warehouse
- We will monitor your inventory with our warehouse management system
- We will ensure your hops and hop products in storage
- We document the temperature and the humidity of our cold storage rooms
Did you know that...
…our products are created in the largest hop processing plant in the world?
HVG is a joint shareholder of Hopfenveredlung St. Johann GmbH, the most modern and largest hop processing plant in the world. Around 200 employees work at the St. Johann facility, where up to 35,000 tons of hops are processed into pellets and extract. We are the only company in the Hallertau capable of producing traditional bales (ballots) of whole hops, which we do at the HVG Leaf Hops Centre in Mainburg. Likewise, some of our whole hops (unmilled) are packaged in handy 5 kg vacuum packs, our VacuPacks.
HOPS, PEOPLE, HOMELAND
Synergistic effects for hops from Germany
The experience of the growers, the practical focus of hop research and consulting as well as the competence of the hop processing companies and hop merchants are integral in the worldwide success of German hops.
CERTIFICATION OF HOP PRODUCTS
Unique in the world: The attendant certification document makes it possible to trace every lot of hops back to the hop farm it originates from
The emphasis placed on the quality of hops by our hop growers is especially evident in their certification by the relevant agency, which enables thorough and complete traceability of each hop lot with regard to its cultivation area, variety, crop year, hop grower, farm location and form of processing.
NEUTRAL EVALUATION OF QUALITY
Quality is not an empty promise with our products
In addition to the official certification procedure, all hop lots are analyzed by a neutral testing laboratory. Only after the confirmation of origin, crop year and varietal purity can the hops receive the German seal of quality and be officially certified as German hops.
HOPS, PEOPLE, HOMELAND
Synergistic effects for hops from Germany
The experience of the growers, the practical focus of hop research and consulting as well as the competence of the hop processing companies and hop merchants are integral in the worldwide success of German hops.
CERTIFICATION OF HOP PRODUCTS
Unique in the world: The attendant certification document makes it possible to trace every lot of hops back to the hop farm it originates from
The emphasis placed on the quality of hops by our hop growers is especially evident in their certification by the relevant agency, which enables thorough and complete traceability of each hop lot with regard to its cultivation area, variety, crop year, hop grower, farm location and form of processing.
