HOP CONTROL's revolutionary methodology allows to optimize the brewing process by starting with a base recipe and immediately identifying the direction for improvement, reducing trial batches and costs.

Results from breweries and homebrewers show highly improved hop aroma and bitter quality.

Once you register on the official website, you can access the full range of features and the complete database of over 320 hops with a 7-day free trial.

The algorithms powering HOP CONTROL software were validated through experimental activities conducted in collaboration with the Italian brewery Birrificio Dada.

HOP CONTROL consists of two main components. The first is a comprehensive database of over 300 hop varieties, compiled from industry averages. This includes detailed information on aroma oil content and sensory data for each variety. The second component allows users to input basic recipe data and analyze the hop profile of the finished beer.

HOP CONTROL currently includes around 320 hop varieties in its database, with plans to expand to over 400 by 2025. The data is sourced from industry averages and offers more than just the typical alpha and beta acid levels; it also includes detailed aroma oil content and sensory data, all of which can be visualized in an easy-to-read color-coded spider chart. While some of this data is available from individual suppliers, having it all in one place is a major advantage.

The hop finder tool allows you to search for hops based on alpha, beta, and co-humulone percentages, and you can also filter by aromatic profile to quickly identify hops with the desired aroma. Clicking on any hop variety brings up its sensory spider chart, along with a description and technical data, including total oil content.

The hop comparison tool enables you to compare up to six hop varieties at once, displaying their sensory data in an overlaid spider chart, alongside key hop metrics for easy side-by-side comparison.

The calculation procedure requires input data like BJCP style, fermentation volume, boiling density, and hop additions. For the hop additions the user can insert the variety (among the 320 currently in the database) as well as the quantity, the boil time and the hop type (pellet, dry cones, wet cones).

Dry Hopping and addition in whirlpool can be managed as well. There is also the possibility to force the Alpha Acid content of each hop addition in order to take into account hop batch variability.

In addition to the hop database, HOP CONTROL allows you to create a "hop study," a mini hop recipe that helps analyze the hop character and content for a specific hopping schedule. Setting up the study involves entering basic details such as volume, BJCP style, boil density, gravity data, and hop schedule. The hop schedule includes the variety, boil time, hop type, as well as dry or whirlpool hops.

Once you input your recipe and hop data, the tool calculates and displays several key metrics for the overall recipe:

• Spider Chart: This visualizes both the calculated hop aroma and the BJCP style hop aroma. The chart is generated by the algorithm, which combines the contents of various essential oils (including the effect of thiols, where applicable) from the hop additions, factoring in the impact of time, temperature, and hop type.
• Bitterness: Displayed in International Bitterness Units (IBU) before fermentation.
• Overall Bitterness Ratio: The BU/OG ratio, indicating the balance of bitterness relative to the original gravity of the beer.
• Humulene/Caryophyllene (H/C) Ratio: Shows the balance of these two key hop compounds.
• Total Hoppy Level (THL): A macroscopic indicator of the overall hoppy character of the beer, based on the definition provided in Machado’s technical paper.
• Beta to Alpha Ratio: The BA/AA % ratio, showing the balance of beta acids to alpha acids in the hops.
• Bitter Quality Index: A new metric developed by Hop Control, which estimates the quality of bitterness, primarily related to the co-humulone content, as suggested in hop literature.
• Main Essential Oil Contents: Presented in “normalized diagrams,” showing the ratio between the quantity of each essential oil (such as myrcene, humulene, caryophyllene, farnesene, linalool, and geraniol) and its perception threshold.

While metrics like IBUs and bitterness ratios are commonly available in most beer recipe programs, the detailed aroma oil content, calculated spider chart, Bitter Quality Index, and Total Hoppy Level are unique to Hop Control. These features are especially valuable for brewers looking to fine-tune the aroma or bitterness profile of a beer, particularly IPAs.

In conclusion HOP CONTROL's advanced algorithm and extensive database enhance the art of brewing, offering a detailed forecast of the final aromatic profile due to hopping, streamlining the creation of beers with desired aromatic qualities.

Ingegnere aeronautico e manager di un team specializzato in simulazioni numeriche in ambito automotive. Consulente per i birrifici sulle tecniche di luppolatura e autore per il Giornale della Birra. Dopo numerosi anni dedicati allo studio delle qualità aromatiche del luppolo, sfruttando la sua esperienza nella creazione di modelli matematici, nel 2023 ha realizzato l’algoritmo alla base del software HOP CONTROL.