Riwaka™ Amplifire™ Oil
A hop with a powerful passionfruit 'citrussy' character.
Aroma Profile
Beer Styles
Ancestry
Switch Variety
Sensory Notes
Pairing and Swapping
Pairs Well With
Try Instead Of
Disease Resistance
Want to take your beer's flavour and aroma to the next level? Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is your secret weapon. It's a brewer's shortcut to maximum impact and minimal waste.
This popular farm–fresh liquid hop flavour and aroma product is designed to enhance the taste of beer. It can also boost yields, is exceptionally cost-effective and offers great value for money.
It's easy to use and integrate into the brewing process and its very low carbon footprint is setting a new benchmark in the industry.
HOP FLAVOUR AND AROMA MADE EASY
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is a hop variety specific flavour and aroma product, with no bitterness present. It adds beautiful top notes and complexity into brews. It is a highly flowable liquid – at cool, room and warm temperatures – that is beer and water soluble.
MADE FROM FARM FRESH
'WET' NEW ZEALAND HOPS, NOT REPURPOSED HOP PELLETS.
Our growers select only the finest farm fresh hops for our Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil.
We extract the oil from those hops — using our patent-pending process — on the same day as they are harvested. The hops are not kilned and are instead processed 'wet' to preserve volatile aromatics.
As generational farmers we strive to deliver the best products possible from our crops and we believe that Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil epitomises this strong commitment, noting that the vast majority of hop aroma extracts on the market are repurposed from unsold (often old) hop pellets with less of the volatile aromatic compounds.
PROCESS FOR MAKING AMPLIFIRE™ FRESH HOP OIL
Process takes less than 24 hours
PROCESS FOR MAKING OTHER HOP AROMA PRODUCTS
Process can take years
WHY DO WE USE FARM FRESH 'WET' HOPS?
IT'S ALL ABOUT EXPRESSION IN BEER.
For those of you who have visited a hop farm kilning operation – hops need to be dried before being pelleted – you will know that the kiln sheds are vibrant with hop aroma.
Those aromatics are essentially being lost into the atmosphere through the kilning (drying) process. By using 'wet' hops for our Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil those aromatics are being preserved.
Brewers might liken Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil to brewing with the soul of the hop.
Unlike the grassy or vegetal notes sometimes associated with seasonal fresh hop beer, Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is extracted directly from the lupulin glands of farm–fresh hop cones, contains no vegetative matter and delivers a clean, "true-to-variety" expression of hop flavour and aroma.
Here is a snapshot of key aroma differences in beer expression between Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil (using 'wet' hops) and hop pellets (using 'dry' hops):
| FEATURE | AMPLIFIRE™ FRESH HOP OIL | HOP PELLETS |
|---|---|---|
| Overall aromatic profile | Bright, vibrant, fresh zest | Mellowed, sometimes earthier or spicier |
| Volatile aroma compounds | More volatile aroma compounds present, especially thiols and monoterpenes, providing lively and expressive hop character | Less volatile aroma compounds present due to the hops being dried and further processed |
| Expression in beer | Brighter, cleaner and more vivid aromatics. Think juicy citrus, tropical fruit, pine or floral depending on the hop variety | Can introduce some grassy or green notes and also contribute to astringency |
In essence, Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil brings unmatched 'true-to-variety' flavour and aromatic outcomes to beer.
'TRUE-TO-VARIETY'
EXPRESSION
T90 hop pellets bring 'true-to-variety' expression in beer:
| VARIETY | AROMA PROFILE |
|---|---|
| CIP014 | Passionfruit, intense tropical, pineapple, stone fruit, pink grapefruit |
| CIP076 | Citrus, orange blossom, ripe peach, creamy vanilla, tropical |
| Green Bullet™ | Resinous, subtle floral, crisp lemon, dark and dried fruit, slightly peppery spiciness |
| Motueka™ | Fresh lime, lemon zest, mojito, orange spice, juicy, tropical |
| Nelson Sauvin™ | Gooseberry, lychee, passionfruit, sauvignon blanc, tropical, spicy |
| NZ Cascade™ | Lime, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, passionfruit, hint of pine |
| Pacific Sunrise™ | Orange, lemon, mango, melon, red berry, ripe and jammy apricot, subtle flower and pine |
| Pacifica™ | Orange, tangerine, clementine, apricot, blackberry cannabis, floral, spice |
| Rakau™ | Apricot, peach, mandarin, tangerine, pink grapefruit, pineapple, floral |
| Riwaka™ | Passionfruit, pink grapefruit, pineapple, lime, orange, citrus, blackberry candy |
| Southern Cross™ | Lemon, lime, hint of pine, clean spiciness |
Grown and Made in New Zealand
The New Zealand government has certified the New Zealand grown and made provenance of Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil by giving it the FernMark seal of approval.
Unlike other processors who use New Zealand hop materials that have been sent half-way around the world to them, Clayton Hops has a strong commitment to both growing and processing locally as this results in better quality product and is environmentally responsible.
Doing everything in-house also means a secure and stable product supply.
HIGHLY VERSATILE
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is suited to all types of beer styles and is not limited to beer:
- Lagers and lighter beer styles
- Pilsners
- Pale ales
- IPAs
- Hazy IPAs
- Pacific ales
- Summer ales
- Low and non–alcoholic beer
- Hop waters
- Seltzers
- RTDs
WHERE TO USE
Looking for flexibility in your process? Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is your go–to. Use it anywhere from whirlpool to fermenter to brite tank, to deliver intense hop character with greater precision, efficiency and less waste.
Whether you're layering flavours or fine–tuning aroma, Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is designed to maximise impact at nearly every stage of the brew.
WHERE TO USE
Kettle
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is not intended to be used in the kettle.
Whirlpool
Ready to rethink your whirlpool hop additions? With Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil, brewers can replace up to 100% of hop pellets in the whirlpool, unlocking bold flavour and aroma with unmatched efficiency. We recommend a starting rate of 25–50% hop pellet replacement and adjusting according to desired flavour outcome in final beer.
For maximum flavour impact, we recommend, if possible, chilling the whirlpool wort to <85°C prior to any oil addition (or hop pellet addition).
Dry Hop, Active and Post Fermentation, Brite Tank
Take total control of your hop expression. Add Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil during active fermentation to enhance biotransformation or post-fermentation for a clean, explosive burst of aroma that leaps from the glass.
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil can be used alongside hop pellets during dry hopping without sacrificing beer body and mouthfeel. We recommend a starting rate of 25–50% hop pellet replacement and adjusting according to desired flavour outcome in final beer.
Carbonation
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil should be dosed prior to carbonation to avoid any potential impact on head retention.
HIGHLY EFFICIENT
FLAVOUR TRANSFER
Hop oil is what brewers strive to impart into their beer when using hop pellets. The efficiency of dry hopping with hop pellets has been tested to be only around 30–40% of potential flavour absorption, with the remainder going to waste.
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is rich in highly desirable volatile aroma compounds – including those that are lost during drying and pelletising – with a far higher (circa. 100%) transfer rate into finished beer. It delivers ‘true-to-variety’ flavour and aroma that bursts from the glass.
Dose Rate – Outstanding Concentration
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is up to ten times more concentrated than other hop oil products. We recommend a 50:1 pellet-to-oil replacement ratio – just 100mL of oil delivers the same punch as 5kg of T90 pellets.
| T90 Hop Pellet | Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil |
|---|---|
| 1lb (454g) | ~9.1mL (~0.3oz) |
| 1kg (2.2lb) | 20mL (~0.68oz) |
| 2kg (4.4lb) | 40mL (~1.35oz) |
| 3kg (6.6lb) | 60mL (~2.03oz) |
| 4kg (8.8lb) | 80mL (~2.7oz) |
| 5kg (11lb) | 100mL (~3.38oz) |
Suggested Starting Trial Dose (mL/hL)
| Base Style | Dry Hopping Range | Trial Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Lager & light beer styles | 0.5 – 5g/L | 1 – 10mL/hL |
| Pilsners | 2 – 10g/L | 4 – 20mL/hL |
| Pale ales | 4 – 10g/L | 8 – 20mL/hL |
| IPAs | 8 – 15g/L | 15 – 30mL/hL |
| Hazy IPAs | 10 – 25g/L | 20 – 50mL/hL |
| Pacific ales | 4 – 10g/L | 8 – 20mL/hL |
| Summer ales | 4 – 10g/L | 8 – 20mL/hL |
| Hop water | 0.5 – 5g/L | 1 – 10mL/hL |
| Seltzers | 0.5 – 5g/L | 1 – 10mL/hL |
| RTDs | 1 – 5g/L | 2 – 10mL/hL |
Dose Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil into 2–3L of beverage to disperse before dosing into the tank. Alternatively, disperse in warm water first. Oil can also be dosed inline to the bright tank.
EXCEPTIONAL PRICING AND VALUE FOR MONEY
Not only is Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil more concentrated per mL than many (if not all) other hop aroma extract products, its price on a per mL basis is exceptional.
Please do the comparisons yourself as they are highly favourable – even against those products that claim to be the most cost effective on the market.
Compared to hop pellets, Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is far more cost effective in terms of how far it goes. However, hop pellets will always be an integral part in beer production for the different attributes they bring, including structure and background flavour to beer.
CARBON FOOTPRINT – THE NEW MARKET BENCHMARK
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil has an exceptionally low carbon footprint (independently verified by BX of London). A key reason for this – and unlike the vast majority of other hop extract products on the market – being that the oil is extracted from 'wet' hop cones, instead of hop pellets that have been kiln dried and subject to further processing during pelletisation. It also helps that the hops are grown in New Zealand and the product is also made in New Zealand.
Putting this into context, when producing 100L of pale ale using 10mL of Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil, the oil itself has a carbon footprint (farm to packaged product) of 0.35 kg CO₂e. These levels are around 6–10 times lower than for industry standard T90 hop pellets. To our knowledge these results make Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil in the top tier of the world's most climate–friendly hop products.
BX is a leading independent environmental farm management platform and is working with Clayton Hops to ensure hops are grown and processed with sustainability at the core.
Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil
ADVANTAGES
| Great and consistent flavour and aroma enhancer | Adds beautiful unique top notes and complexity into brews. Brighter, cleaner (no vegetal matter) and more consistent | |
| No bitterness | No bitterness imparted | |
| 100% efficiency | High flavour and aroma transfer into finished beverage | |
| Increase beer yield and revenue | Substitute some hop pellets for oil at whirlpool and/or dry hopping to increase beer yields and revenue (For every kg of T90s, you could be losing 8-10L of beer) | |
| Super easy to use and incorporate | Highly flowable liquid (at cool, room and warm temperatures) that is beer and water soluble. No need to warm. Reduces the need to lug around hop pellets. Use it anywhere from whirlpool to fermenter to brite tank. No workflow modifications required and integrates well with hop pellets | |
| Exceptional pricing and value for money | Far more concentrated than many (if not all) other products and exceptionally priced | |
| 'True-to-variety' | 'True-to-variety' flavour and aroma profile that bursts from the glass | |
| Pure New Zealand product | Both grown and made by us in New Zealand and carrying the FernMark seal of provenance from the New Zealand government | |
| Secure and stable product supply | We do not rely on third party hop supply nor third party processing, so we do it all in-house | |
| Elite low carbon footprint products | Top-tier climate-friendly product due to the raw ingredient – farm fresh 'wet' hop cones instead of hop pellets. And made locally in New Zealand – no shipping of hop material around the world for third party processing | |
| Extended beer shelf life | Anecdotal evidence of increased beer shelf life due to reduced oxidation and plant material for instance, ease of dosing can reduce oxidation potential in comparison to dry hopping and plant material can possess compounds that may oxidise over time | |
| Highly versatile | Works with all kinds of beer styles (including non-alcoholic), as well as hop waters, seltzers and RTDs | |
| Easy to trial | Easy to perform benchtop sensory trials (refer to the benchtop trial section below) | |
| Less brewing waste and mess | 100% absorbed into beer. Less waste water if substitute some hop pellets for oil and faster filtration. Does not stick to equipment | |
| No undesirable plant compounds | No plant material present. Oil extracted from the lupulin glands of the farm fresh hop cones | |
| No hop creep | Free of hop-creep inducing monosaccharides and enzymes | |
| Light stable | Does not cause light-struck off-flavours | |
| Easy to transport and store | Can be transported and stored at ambient (although note recommended storage below) | |
| Shipping and storage efficiencies | Occupies considerably less space than the equivalent amount of hop pellets, which reduces shipping and storage footprint and costs | |
| Reduced packaging waste | Bottles (or other receptacles) instead of the cardboard cartons and foil bags associated with hop pellet packaging |
AMPLIFIRE™ OIL COMPARED WITH OTHER PRODUCTS
DOWNLOAD COMPARISON TABLE| Feature | Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil | Amplifire™ Concentrated Lupulin Pellets | T90 Hop Pellets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Flowable liquid | Pellet. More lupulin (acids and oils) than T90s | Pellet. Less lupulin (acids and oils) than Amplifire™ Pellets |
| Plant material | None | Yes. Less plant material and higher levels of acids and oil compared to T90s | Yes. More plant material and lower levels of acids and oil compared to Amplifire™ Pellets |
| Process | Made through a patent-pending extraction process where the oil is extracted directly from the lupulin glands of ‘wet’ farm-fresh hop cones | Made through a patent-pending process by cryogenically separating the lupulin from the dried leaf and stem material of hop cones and concentrating and compressing the lupulin | Made by milling whole dried hop cones (leaf, steam, lupulin) and compressing them |
| Raw material | Fresh, undried whole hop cones | Kiln-dried whole hop cones | Kiln-dried whole hop cones |
| Name origin | Amplifire™ is Clayton Hops’ advanced hop products range, aimed at boosting flavour and aroma and reducing beer loss | Amplifire™ is Clayton Hops’ advanced hop products range, aimed at boosting flavour and aroma and reducing beer loss | T90 is from the principle that 90% of the original hop material is retained after pelletising |
| Processing time from harvest | Less than 24 hours | Weeks | Target of less than one week |
| Preservation of hop volatiles | Very high (no kilning of raw material) | Medium to low (kilning loss) | Medium to low (kilning loss) |
| Bitterness contribution | None | Yes (variety dependent) | Yes (variety dependent) |
| Flavour/aroma impact | High. Delivers cleaner, more vivid aromatics | More intense and reduced vegetal flavours compared to T90s | Moderate and increased vegetal flavours compared to Amplifire™ Pellets |
| Use rate (dry hop T90 replacement) | ~50:1 (by weight). For instance, 100mL of Amplifire™ Fresh Hop Oil is equivalent to circa. 5kgs T90s | ~2:1 (by weight). For instance, use 500-600g of Amplifire™ Pellets instead of 1kg of T90s | Baseline |
| Beer loss in whirlpool and dry hop | Minimal | Low to moderate | Moderate |
| Solubility | Fully water and beer soluble | Requires mixing/rousing | Requires mixing/rousing |
| Ease of use | Simple liquid dosing. Highly flowable product at cool, room and warm temperatures | Similar handling as T90s | Standard handling |
| Recommended storage | Cold storage (ambient is permitted) | Cold storage (ambient is not permitted) | Cold storage (ambient is not permitted) |
| Shelf life | 2 years commercially sealed | 3 years | 3 years |
| Carbon footprint | Very low – no kilning of raw material and made in New Zealand | Low – New Zealand made and ultra-concentrated, reducing total inputs and shipping needs | Moderate – New Zealand made but less concentrated so more volume and packaging per batch compared to the other two products, but a foundational brewing input |
| Light stable | Yes | No | No |
| Hop creep potential | None | Low | High |
| ‘True-to-type’ variety expression | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recommended applications | Dry hop, brite tank (can also use in whirlpool) | Kettle, whirlpool, dry hop | Kettle, whirlpool, dry hop |
AMPLIFIRE™ OIL PRODUCT OVERVIEW
DOWNLOAD PRODUCT OVERVIEW