Hop oil (CO2-extracted) also: Resinate, CO2 hop extract, Pure Hop

CO2-extracted hop oil — better for kettle additions than dry-hop.

Manufacturer
Yakima Chief Hops (Resinate), various

What it is, in plain English

CO2-extracted hop oils take a different approach than steam-distilled Hopzoil. Liquid CO2 is used as the solvent under pressure to extract a broader fraction of hop compounds, including some that steam doesn't pull out. The result is more comprehensive but less aromatic than pure essential oil. Yakima Chief's Resinate is the best-known craft-scale product. CO2 extracts have been used by industrial brewers for decades as a bittering agent (cheaper than buying whole hops for IBU only).

The technical version

Hops are extracted with supercritical or liquid CO2 under high pressure. The CO2 dissolves alpha acids, beta acids, oils, and resins, then is depressurized to evaporate, leaving a thick green-gold paste. The result contains both bittering precursors (alpha acids) and aromatic oils.

How brewers use it

Excellent for early kettle additions where you want clean bitterness without grass or vegetal character. Less useful for dry-hopping than Hopzoil — Block 15 reported using Resinate alongside lupulin powder in their Juice Joint IPA series, but typical brewer feedback is that CO2 extracts are difficult to dose for aroma. Stable in storage. Some breweries use it for IBU baseline and add aromatic hop products on top.

Who uses it

Industrial lager producers (long history, low cost per IBU), and some craft brewers wanting clean bittering. Block 15 was an early adopter for craft IPA work. Less common in modern hazy IPA than Cryo Hops or Hopzoil.

Tradeoffs
Lacks the bright aromatic punch of steam-distilled oils. Produces a more 'flat' bittering character than fresh hops. The 'organic, all-natural' positioning can be hard to defend for breweries marketing on traditional hopping.

References

Explore more

→ All advanced hop tech

→ Hop varieties

→ Malt guide