Enhancing Hoppy Flavors in NABLAB: A Case Study

Brewing hop-forward Non-Alcoholic Beers or Low Alcohol Beers (NABLAB) demands new thinking. Traditional dry-hopping techniques, designed for full-strength brewing, fall short when confronted with the extraction, stability, and processing challenges of ~0.5% ABV production.

Among today’s approaches to intensifying hop character, Brewers have a few solutions available. In this email, we review the options with a focus on yeast-derived hoppy flavor in a case study with ÅBEN, a Denmark-based brewery.

The non-alcoholic beer market (<0.5% ABV) is booming – but brewing truly hop-forward NABLAB beers brings technical challenges that many brewers are only beginning to confront. Dry hopping, the cornerstone of modern aroma-driven beer styles, simply doesn’t behave the same way in low-alcohol environments. Without adapting their approach, brewers risk crafting beers that fall flat, lacking the vibrant hop character consumers expect.

Why Dry Hopping Falls Short in NABLAB Brewing

Hop oil solubility – Many hop oils rely on ethanol to dissolve and transfer into beer. Research shows that extraction of important hop volatiles dramatically decreases as alcohol levels drop. While terpene alcohols like linalool still extract relatively well even in NAB and LAB beers, mono- and sesquiterpenes – responsible for that “fresh hop” punch – struggle without alcohol’s solvent power.

Poor contact with hops – Making things tougher, fermentation in NABLAB is often deliberately restricted. Less CO₂ evolution means less natural convection inside the tank. Dry hops may not disperse fully, leading to poor contact and incomplete extraction. Brewers may attempt to compensate by increasing dry-hopping rates, but beyond a certain point adding more hops simply adds cost and beer absorption loss without delivering more aroma.

Hop enzymes – Hop-derived enzymes add another layer to consider. Amylolytic enzymes can free residual fermentable sugars (hop creep), potentially triggering secondary fermentations and unwanted diacetyl formation – a defect that’s difficult to clean up with few active yeast cells left in suspension.  

Microbial risk –Hops are agricultural products that are gently dried for stability and aroma preservation. The mild treatment opens the potential for harboring yeast and spoilage microorganisms. This, in addition to the simple act of opening the fermentation tank increases the risk of inoculating unintended microbes. The fermentable sugars remaining when fermenting with maltose-negative yeast can then be metabolized by contaminating yeast and bacteria. Dry hop extraction time prolongs the period before the beer is stabilized by pasteurization and increases the risk of additional fermentation or spoilage.

Advanced Hop Aroma and Terpene Products

New hop- and terpene-based flavor solutions let brewers add aroma after yeast removal. This avoids flavor loss to yeast cells, prevents unexpected enzymatic activity, and makes aroma dosing more precise and consistent than traditional dry hopping.

Early versions of hop oils – thick, pure distillates from steam or CO₂ extraction – were hard to handle and disperse, limiting adoption. Now, improved formats blend hop fractions with carriers like propylene glycol, glycerin, or food-grade emulsifiers, and are even pre-emulsified in water for simple, reliable use across alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers.

Interest in terpenes has grown with the cannabis market, which spotlighted their role as major aroma drivers. Many suppliers are applying that expertise to brewing, offering terpene products that boost hop character or add new aromas without vegetal material or THC.

Biotech firms are also producing yeast-derived terpene blends. These provide hop-like aroma with tight production control, better sustainability, and strong batch consistency.

Where Have All the Terpenes Gone?

A case study was done in collaboration with ÅBEN , a Denmark-based brewery, to evaluate real-world terpene loss across the brewing process, and test the impact of Yops® addition to boost terpene aroma. Samples from a 20 hl production trial of a 0.4% ABV hoppy IPA were analyzed. The fate of key hop volatiles was tracked through the fermentation and clarification process using SPME-GC-MS (Solid Phase Microextraction coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry).

Figure: SPME-GC-MS volatile analysis of beer in process

Cold-side production consisted of crash-cooling at target attenuation, dry hopping, 1-day hop maceration with rousing, clarification by centrifugation, dosing of Yops® flavors (details below), short storage in brite, packaging, and pasteurization. Samples from three separate stages were evaluated: (1) Post dry hop/pre centrifuge, (2) Post centrifuge, and (3) Post Yops™ addition.

The analysis revealed a significant loss of four major hop terpenes after centrifugation. Concentrations dropped dramatically by up to 89%, depending on the compound, compared to the pre-centrifuge samples. While clarification is critical for shelf-life stability, it may come at the cost of sensory quality.

Jack Delaney, Senior Brewer at ÅBEN, summed up his frustration: “In an ideal world, I would not add any hops to the beer because it’s a waste –they are all stripped.”

Recovering Lost Character – and Lifting It Further with Yops®

Among existing options to boost hop aroma, Yops® stands out as a curated collection of hop-inspired, yeast-derived natural flavors. It focuses on key terpenes that deliver vibrant dry-hop character, bringing NABLAB to life.

In the trial with ÅBEN, two Yops® blends (Fruity-FR1 and Citrus-C1) were dosed directly into the beer stream immediately after centrifugation, as the beer transferred to the brite tank. Adding hop flavors after clarification avoids the risk of terpene loss to yeast adsorption. The results were beyond expectations: the terpene profile was not only restored but, in several cases, significantly surpassed the original post dry hop / pre-centrifuge benchmarks. Concentrations of certain terpenes exceeded their pre-centrifuge levels by over 300%, restoring the juicy, vibrant character that dry hopping alone could not achieve.

Process-wise, Yops® dosing required minimal time and workflow disruption. Preparation and dosing took less than 45 minutes – a minor operational investment compared to the complexity and waste of additional dry-hopping cycles. With no risk of secondary fermentation, no added material losses, and a bright hop character, Yops® delivered both sensory and process advantages. By reducing losses and maximizing aroma, it helped unlock the full potential of this NABLAB.

Join ÅBEN and other leading breweries

ÅBEN shared their experience using Yops® in their award-winning “Y” beer. Senior brewmaster Jack Delaney noted that “Yops® makes it feel like a 3.5–4% beer in body and complexity.” That same beer went on to win Best Alcohol-Free Beer in Denmark (2024), finishing first among 58 beers from 29 breweries in a blind tasting.

Join ÅBEN and other leading breweries like Mikkeller, Stone Brewing, and BrewDog, and experience enhanced aromas, cleaner profiles, and increased yield.

Try Yops® Now