Whirlpool Hop Additions and Added Bitterness

 There is no doubt that the explosion in popularity of IPA has changed the landscape for craft beer producers and consumers, as well as homebrewers.  Between the evolution of the style to fit the wants of the drinking public, the many stylistic offshoots of IPA that have become commonly available, and the increasing quality of flavor and aromatics that many brewers seem to be achieving, it is no wonder that exploration of ingredients and techniques for brewing IPA is at an all-time high.
 Many of the best IPAs are made with generous additions of hops both late in the boil and post-boil, or in the whirlpool.  There is even a technique that has spawned off of this thinking called hop bursting, where massive additions of flavor and aroma hops are used to obtain bitterness, in addition to huge amounts of hop character in both flavor and aromatics.
 Mitch Steele, formerly of Stone Brewing Company, has been one of the foremost experts on this technique, and has discussed it in numerous forums, including his book, IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale, presentations at the National Homebrewers Conference and in an article in the November/December 2013 edition of Zymurgy magazine.  In that article, in reference to whirlpool hop additions, Steele stated, “Many brewers neglect to consider the bitterness obtained from this addition, but it can be substantial, depending on the volume of hops added.”
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Is The Craft Beer Market In Grand Rapids Saturated?

By Amy Biolchini | amy_biolchini@mlive.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Pour a cold one and consider: the number of craft breweries in Grand Rapids has tripled since 2011, the year before beer lovers voted it "Beer City, USA."
 Much of that growth occurred last year as established Michigan breweries Atwater and New Holland Brewing tapped into the Grand Rapids craft beer scene -- and six new breweries opened their doors in the area.
 Can the beer bubble sustain itself -- or will it burst?
 Economists say closures are likely coming as the local industry ages, and the next decade will test brewers' skills -- both with their books and with their beer.
 "We're certainly going to see closures rise," said Bart Watson, an economist with the Brewers Association. "We'll see a mature market when it looks more like the restaurant market -- where they close and another brewery opens in its place."  
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Eau de toilette Beer!

  Stone Brewing Co.’s latest sudsy creation earned a quick nickname: “Toilet to tap.”
 The southern California brewery’s new craft beer is made with treated wastewater.
 The brave souls who taste-tested the Full Circle Pale Ale on Thursday were flush with excitement, calling the beer “delicious,” “hoppy” and “outstanding,” according to local media reports.
 “It is fantastic,” San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer told The Times of San Diego after sampling it. “There’s no better way to highlight the purity of this water.”
 The Escondido-based craft brewing company, one of the largest in the country, brewed five barrels of the beer with purified water from San Diego’s demonstration Pure Water Facility, according to the Times.
 The goal of the city’s Pure Water program is to clean enough wastewater to provide one-third of its water supply in the future.
 City officials hailed the beer as a milestone for its efforts, and some can’t wait for the recycled water to be made available to other breweries in the area.  More here...eau de toilette