Hop Creep: A Hidden Timebomb in Your Hazy IPA’s?

Good morning. It’s the time of the year where you’re either going skiing, or you’re watching your friends “après-ski” all over social media. If you are skiing, hopefully you don’t find yourself stuck in the lines at Park City, and if you do hopefully you have a lot of beers tucked away in your pockets.

-Brandon Copeland

Hop Creep: A Hidden Timebomb in Your Hazy IPA’s?

You thought you nailed your latest batch. The gravity readings were stable, the dry hop smelled incredible, and the first few pours were pure juicy perfection. Then, a few weeks later, something strange happens—the beer seems drier, maybe even overcarbonated. A hint of unintended funk creeps in. What gives?

If this has ever happened to you, you might have encountered hop creep, a phenomenon that’s becoming more common as hazy and heavily dry-hopped beers dominate the craft scene.

What Is Hop Creep?

It sounds like something lurking in the shadows of your fermenter, and in a way, it kind of is. Hop creep happens when dry hops introduce enzymes that break down unfermented starches and dextrins into fermentable sugars—long after you thought fermentation was done. Yeast, ever the opportunist, notices the fresh sugar supply and kicks back into action. The result? A slow, unintended secondary fermentation that can:

✅ Drop the final gravity lower than expected (drier than you planned)
✅ Increase ABV beyond what your recipe predicted
✅ Create excess CO₂, leading to over-carbonation in packaged beer
✅ Introduce off-flavors, including diacetyl (buttery notes) and unwanted esters

The kicker? Hop creep isn’t new. Studies dating back to the early 20th century mention this effect, but it largely went unnoticed in classic beer styles where dry hopping was more restrained. Now, with brewers dumping in massive late and dry-hop additions, the impact is hard to ignore.

Does It Matter?

For some brewers, hop creep is just a weird quirk to be aware of, nothing more. But for others—especially those brewing New England IPAs or juicy pale ales—it can throw off the balance of a carefully crafted beer. What was meant to be soft and pillowy might end up thinner and drier than expected. That’s a big deal if you love dialing in mouthfeel and body.

Then there’s the practical concern: If you’re bottling or kegging without accounting for hop creep, you might end up with gushers or, in extreme cases, bottles that explode from overcarbonation.

What Can You Do About It?

Some brewers embrace the chaos, letting the beer evolve and seeing where it takes them. Others swear by ways to tame hop creep, like:

• Cold crashing fast after dry hopping to limit enzyme activity

• Using hop varieties with lower enzymatic potential (though data on this is still evolving)

• Letting the beer rest longer before packaging to ensure all unintended fermentation is finished

• Pasteurizing packaged beer (rare for homebrewers, but some pros do it)

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Beer Trivia Question

🍺 Which seasonal beer style, traditionally brewed in the fall and enjoyed throughout the winter, was originally made by monks to sustain them during fasting periods?

Read to the end to find out if you're right!

Brewgr Recipe of the Week

Green Flash IPA Clone

Couldn’t help calling out a solid hazy IPA since we were talking about it above. Beware of hop creep in this one, because there are a lot of hops going into this batch (7.25 oz) including a lot of dry hop additions. However, the complexity ends at the hops - the grain bill is simple, with old reliable Safale US-05 for the yeast.

Credit: Hopphead

Poll Results: What’s Your Take on Blending Yeast?

This poll was fairly mixed - overall, there is a lot of curiosity around mixing yeast strains. In the comments, homebrewers urged simplicity and that they have tried it with poor results, but others commented that there may be advantages. The way I look at it is it could be a tool to create even more wild and expressive beers, which is what homebrewing is all about. However, for myself, I will likely keep it simple and stick to one strain at a time.

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And the Answer Is...

🍺 Doppelbock. This rich, malty lager originated in Germany and was first brewed by Paulaner monks in the 17th century. They called it “liquid bread” due to its high malt content and nourishing qualities, making it perfect for winter drinking.