A-BREW-cadabra! Beer gadget lets you personalise your brew by instantly adjusting the 'hoppiness'

  • Engineers at Cambridge Consultants developed the prototype machine
  • It's a hybrid of an espresso machine and a beer font
  • Device uses high pressure to extract flavour from the hops quickly
  • Drinkers can choose between flavours to personalise a pint of beer 

By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

You can order a cup of coffee in hundreds of different way – and soon you could be able to personalise a pint of beer too.

Engineers have developed a ‘barista-type experience’ for beer drinkers where a barman can adjust a gadget fitted to a beer tap to adjust the ‘hoppiness’ level on demand.

The 'Hoppier' device means that new flavours of beer could be created by drinkers to suit their tastes.

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Engineers have developed a ‘barista-type experience’ for beer drinkers where a barman can adjust a gadget fitted to a beer tap to adjust the ‘hoppiness’ level on demand
Engineers have developed a ‘barista-type experience’ for beer drinkers where a barman can adjust a gadget fitted to a beer tap to adjust the ‘hoppiness’ level on demand

Engineers have developed a ‘barista-type experience’ for beer drinkers where a barman can adjust a gadget fitted to a beer tap to adjust the ‘hoppiness’ level on demand (pictured left and right)

In recent years, there has been a big rise in the number of speciality beers available in Europe and a huge growth in the craft beer scene in the US.

Engineers at Cambridge Consultants claim to have ‘transformed’ the brewing and dry-hopping process, which usually tales two weeks, to enable consumers to change the flavour of beer in seconds.

‘Essentially, we’re making an “espresso” of beer, said Edward Brunner, head of food and beverage systems at Cambridge Consultants. 

The beer is pumped at high pressure (nine bar) across natural hops (pictured) .This allows the flavour of the hops to be extracted very quickly .Drinkers can choose between different hops flavours 

The beer is pumped at high pressure (nine bar) across natural hops (pictured) .This allows the flavour of the hops to be extracted very quickly .Drinkers can choose between different hops flavours 

HOW DOES 'HOPPIER' WORK? 

The 'espresso machine meets beer font' gadget is attached to a barrel of standard beer.

The beer tap has an attachment on it that looks like it comes from a coffee machine.

The beer is pumped at high pressure (nine bar) across natural hops.

This allows the flavour of the hops to be extracted very quickly.

Drinkers can choose between different hops flavours and intensities to personalise their beer.

The gadget is currently a prototype.

‘We’ve taken our expertise in fluid technology and beverage systems, and transferred that knowledge between different industries – using some of the secrets of successful coffee machines to enable us to create personalised beer that is fresh and natural.

‘We knew, for example, that pressure is fundamental to extracting flavour in espresso machines – so part of our investigation was to see whether it does anything for beer.

‘As a result, we have speeded up the dry-hopping process – and, by adding extra hops at the point of dispense, their volatile aromas are as fresh and intense as possible.'

The beer tap has an attachment similar to one seen on an espresso machine through which beer is pumped at high pressure.

The liquid passes across hops to rapidly extract their flavour. In this way, the flavour of the beer can be changed.

Mr Brunner added: 'The aroma of the finished pint can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the quantity of hops and by changing the type of hops used.’

He believes that the machine gives brands to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

‘It’s a way of building on the current trend of personalisation to create new experiences and add value for the consumer,’ he said.

The scientists will demonstrate their personalised beer technology at the 3rd Annual Canadean Alcohol Innovation Congress, on December 2 in Kensington, London.

The 'Hoppier' device (pictured) means that new flavours of beer could be created by drinkers to suit their tastes. The beer is pumped through a pressurised nozzle to rapidly extract the flavour of hops

The 'Hoppier' device (pictured) means that new flavours of beer could be created by drinkers to suit their tastes. The beer is pumped through a pressurised nozzle to rapidly extract the flavour of hops

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