Hop creep has gone from an academic curiosity to a real, costly problem for brewers — but what’s actually happening inside the tank?

In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, we sit down with Jessica Young, PhD candidate at UC Davis (Food Science, Brewing) and former Cellar, Quality, and Sensory Manager at Bearded Iris Brewing, to break down hop creep straight from the science.

In recognition of International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Wednesday, February 11), this episode highlights the vital role women scientists play in advancing brewing knowledge and solving real-world industry challenges.

We cover:

• What hop creep actually is (and what it isn’t)

• Why it’s showing up more often now

• How hop variety and hop product type influence risk

• Whether starch from hops can become soluble in beer

• How harvest timing may affect enzymatic potential

• Practical mitigation strategies brewers can use today

• Why yeast cropping and mid-fermentation dry hopping matter more than you think

If you dry hop aggressively, care about stability, or want science-backed answers, this is a must-listen.