SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) – A South Dakota man receives a state grant to further examine his patented method of preserving ales.
Rapid City Journal reports Spearfish native Steve Polley obtained a $15,000 grant from the U.S. Agriculture Department to research the effect of quick-freezing hops to maintain beer’s taste and quality.
Hops are filled with bittering amino-acids that provide tartness in the early stages of brewing to balance the sweetness of grain.
Freshly harvested crops are either frozen in a home or with nitrogen in a cryogenic freezer.
Polley says the latest specialty-crop grant to hire a local brewmaster to test different variations of his frozen hops.
