How the Sprinkman Dry Hop Skid leads to Brewing Success at Rogue Ales

There are a number of lagers and ales produced by Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon, but among their more common brews is the India Pale Ale, or IPA.

Known for their strong hop profile and popularity, IPA’s require an extra step in the brewing process known as dry hopping, where more hops are added late in the brewing process. Like most breweries, Rogue Ales simply included the extra hops through the top of the tank. But there was a problem with that.

“We weren’t getting consistent dosing throughout the tank,” says Joe Shields, Associate Master Brewer at Rogue Ales.

So Rogue Ales began searching for a solution to improve their hop efficiency and profile. What they found was Sprinkman’s DHS-250 dry hop skid – a small, maneuverable unit that connects to the fermenters and safely introduces hop additions to the beer.

Click here for more information about Sprinkman Dry Hop Skids

“It makes things a lot more homogenous…a lot more consistent,” says Shields.

Right now, Rogue is using the dry hop skid to produce its legacy products. Taste tests show there was no distinct change in flavor or hop profile, but the hop efficiency has increased by 20% on average, producing a greater volume of useable beer.

“I think we’ll get better savings when we use it to develop products versus trying to match existing hop profiles,” says Jack Waibel, Director of Operations at Rogue Ales.

In addition to increasing hop efficiency, the Sprinkman dry hop skid has enhanced worker safety at Rogue Ales. A brewer no longer needs to climb ladders or use scissor lifts to add dry hops. Another safety benefit? The dry hop skid hooks hoses to the fermenters and circulates beer into the skid and back without opening the tanks. Shields says, “You can’t overweigh making your brewery safer.”

Sprinkman’s dry hop skid is a versatile unit:

• It doubles as a mobile CIP unit
• Can be used for fruit and botanical additions allowing for more efficient production of flavored beers and ciders
• Brewers no longer rely on adding fruit and botanicals using brewing bags, which can become waterlogged and are a hassle to work with.

If you’d like to conduct a trial or get more information, find out more here. Trust the Sprinkman brand for quality design, affordability, and innovation.