Stop hop creep before it happens with ALDC from CellarScience. As modern beer styles call for increasing amounts of dry hops, a new risk for off-flavor in the finished beer arises. Hop creep is the result of yeast beginning a new fermentation when dry hops with trace amounts of fermentable sugars are introduced to the finished beer. This results in further production of Diacetyl and, if yeast are not given enough time to clean up after themselves, can lead to higher levels of Diacetyl in the finished beer. Diacetyl is often referred to as a butter or butterscotch like flavor and is not desirable in most styles, especially at high levels. ALDC, or alpha acetolactate decarboxylase, is a helpful enzyme that can be added at yeast pitching or along with your dry hops to limit the production of Diacetyl to protect your finished beer from off-flavors and reduce the conditioning time needed before its ready to bottle or keg.

Use:
Packaged in 1 oz dropper bottle. Add to fermenter at time of yeast pitching or dry hopping at a rate of 1 dropper full per 5 gallons or 3 mL per bbl.

Additional Notes:
Although commonly added to heavily dry hopped beers, using ALDC during fermentation can benefit any beer style by reducing Diacetyl production. Brewing hops all contain the naturally occurring enzyme AMG or amyloglucosidase which breaks down long chain sugars into simple sugars that yeast can ferment. The reason hop creep is a relatively new phenomenon is due to the changing ways in which hops are dried and processed. As brewers started to demand more aromatics from their hops, growers began to lower the kilning temperatures to preserve volatile oils. This led to higher levels of AMG left on the hops as well, where they were previously denatured at the higher kilning temperatures. With more AMG present on the hops, dry hopping now leads to more fermentation activity and higher levels of Diacetyl produced after the primary fermentation is complete. Although the simplest remedy to hop creep is time—waiting for the yeast to naturally clean up the extra Diacetyl—ALDC is a great way to reduce lag time and the risk of off-flavors in your finished beer.

HBF Commentary: It’s really nice to see ingredients and gear that the pro use available in homebrewer sizes from homebrew retailers. Recently we saw EPDM O-Rings announced in homebrewer quantities and MoreBeer has just released ALDC.

CellarScience® ALDC Enzyme – 1 oz AD108A

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