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[[File:Cantillon aging hops.jpg|thumbnail|right|Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon aging their hops; image provided by Dave Janssen.]]
Modern lambic traditionally uses aged hops at a moderate rate to help limit and select for microbes and regulate acid production. Modern Lambic brewers cite rates in the range of roughly 450 grams of hops per Hl of finished beer <ref name="Jean Van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio"> [http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/a/2/ea26e00136fe1638/bbr05-30-13cantillon.mp3?c_id=5723890&expiration=1443888327&hwt=8dd886677defabdd73669cdc262ef446 Jean van Roy on Basic Brewing Radio] </ref> (~43 min in) (see also the notes pertaining hopping rates on the [[Cantillon]] page), with some brewers possibly going above this range. The age of hops used depends on the producer and their preferences/stock. Cantillon uses hops that are roughly 3 years old<ref>D. Janssen personal communication with Jean Van Roy, 9-Nov-2013</ref>, while 3 Fonteinen reports using hops that are over 10 years old<ref name="Drie Fonteinen on Belgian Smaak"> [http://www.belgiansmaak.com/armand-debelder-michael-blancquaert-drie-fonteinen/ Drie Fonteinen on Belgian Smaak] </ref> (~48 minutes in). Jester King reported using 0.66 - 0.75 pounds of whole leaf aged hops per BBL (0.34-0.39 ounces per gallon) in their spontaneously fermented ales <ref>Averie Swanson. "Sour Power! A Pro Brewer Spontaneous Fermentation Roundtable". HomebrewCon seminar. 2018.</ref> (~31:00 mins in). Lambic brewers either add their hops while still collecting wort, sometime before the wort comes to a boil<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lambic.Info/permalink/1831338433787524/ Video of Cantillon wort reaching a boil from Bill on Lambic.info]</ref> (also known as "first wort hopping"), or shortly after boil is reached<ref name="Drie Fonteinen on Belgian Smaak"/> (~48 min in). The hops are then boiled with the wort for essentially the full length of the boil <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1593059604055581/?comment_id=1593928187302056&reply_comment_id=1593938693967672&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D Conversation with Dave Janssen on MTF. 02/24/2017.]</ref><ref>[http://www.lambic.info/Brewing_Lambic#Hopping "Brewing Lambic", section "Hopping". Lambic.info website. Retrieved 02/24/2017.]</ref>. The resulting lambic beers are often surprisingly bitter, especially when young. Historically, there is [http://www.horscategoriebrewing.com/2016/04/hops-in-spontaneous-fermentation.html some evidence] that lambic brewers used a combination of aged hops and fresh dried hops. Not all aged hops are the same; different varieties/sources result in different levels of IBU's, perceived bitterness, and inhibition of lactic acid bacteria.
Homebrewer Caleb Buck performed an experiment comparing two different hopping rates for spontaneously fermented beer at home using whole leaf aged hops that were independently tested to have 0.5% alpha acids and 0.2% beta acids and were obtained from Hops Direct in Junuary 2016 <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/?comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Caleb Buck. Milk the Funk Facebook group thread on Caleb's aged hop experiment. 10/01/2018.]</ref>. The two rates tested were 0.3 ounces of aged hops per gallon and 0.6 ounces per gallon. Samples of the two worts were sent to Sweetwater Science Labs to perform IBU analysis using the ASBC standard IBU test. Interestingly, the results were 72 IBU and 127 IBU respectively. The unexpectedly high IBU might be due to the variety of aged hop, as well as oxidized hop acids showing up in the standard IBU test (see Peacock's data [[Hops#Acids_2|here that showed that aged and fresh dried hops produce a similar IBU]]). After about 7 months, one of the 0.3oz/gal batches got down to a pH of 3.6, a second batch at 0.3oz/gal got to a pH of 4, while the 0.6oz/gal batches remained within a pH of 4.2 - 4.3. From this experiment, Caleb will attempt using only 0.15 oz/gal of aged hops which should be closer to 30 IBU and so that more acidity can be achieved. James Howat from Black Project Spontaneous Ales suggests making sample wort with the hops that will be used for a larger batch and sending that sample off for IBU testing in order to more easily achieve the desired IBU's. More detail can be found on [http://www.archaicpursuit.com/2018/08/2017-coolship-experiment-hopping-rate.html?m=1 Caleb Buck's collected data on cooling rates, acidity from hopping rates, and other collected data over a multi-year, multi-batch experiment] and [http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/b/d/2/bd2703ec2214a5c7/bbr09-27-18souribus.mp3 Caleb's interview on this experiment on BasicBrewing Radio].