Timing Is Everything, especially when dry hopping

At TNS, we’re always exploring new ways to help brewers gain more control, consistency, and creativity through hop innovation. Our latest pilot brew focuses on one key question: when is the most effective time to dose HopBurst® during fermentation?

To find out, we ran a controlled trial designed to show how timing affects hop expression in the finished beer. The results will help brewers make more informed, data-driven decisions about when and how to dose hop oils for maximum impact.

The Brew

We brewed a 600L pale ale, using FLOE in the kettle as the only hop addition. FLOE delivers clean, late-hop flavour without solids, making it ideal for trials like this where we want clarity on how a single variable affects the outcome.

On transfer, we split the wort into three 200L vessels:

Tank A HopBurst® was added mid-fermentation

Tank B HopBurst® was added at the end of fermentation

Tank C was left as a control, with no dry hop pellet or HopBurst®

Everything else stayed the same, allowing us to directly assess the impact of timing on aroma and sensory character.

What We’re Looking At

• Whether mid-fermentation dosing affects biotransformation, and does it build deeper, more complex hop character
• How end-of-fermentation dosing compares in terms of freshness, intensity, and expression
• How timing shapes the aroma profile when HopBurst® is used as the sole dry-hop input.

The control beer will be used in our lab to support sensory testing and flavour matching, helping us fine-tune guidance for brewers working across a range of styles and goals.

Why It Matters

HopBurst® is already known for delivering consistent dry-hop character without beer loss, solids, or extra tank time. But fermentation is a dynamic process, and small changes in timing can make a big difference in flavour.

Understanding how timing affects aroma opens more options for brewers looking to improve process efficiency or adapt recipes. Whether you’re trying to hit a flavour target, reduce waste, or create a more stable hop expression, getting the timing right matters.

What’s Next

The beers are now undergoing full sensory analysis, including panel tastings and lab-based flavour mapping. We’ll be sharing the outcomes in the coming weeks, including:

• Detailed sensory and analytical feedback across all 3 variants
• Insights into how timing influences aroma quality and intensity
• Practical guidance for brewers looking to apply HopBurst® during fermentation

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