BarthHaas® SPECTRUM – VIC SECRET® 1kg

Spectrum Vic Secret

Vic Secret first emerged in 2000 as a seedling and quickly progressed through the breeding program, leading to its official release in 2010.

This cultivar, commercially available since 2013, remained a well-kept secret for years—living up to its evocative name.

Its aromatic profile showcases green fruit notes such as quince and gooseberry, rounded out by sweet candied fruit, sharp grapefruit, and red berries like strawberry.

Spectrum: The Dry Hop Revolution

Extract all alpha acids and aromatic compounds from hops—without vegetal material. Maximum efficiency and guaranteed yield…

SPECTRUM offers numerous advantages over cones and hop pellets.

Fully soluble at fermentation temperature, you’ll lose no beer and spend less time cleaning.

SPECTRUM can fully or partially replace cones and pellets during Dry Hop.

Using Spectrum:

1kg of Spectrum = between 5 and 8kg of pellets.

It’s entirely possible to use Spectrum at 100%.

However, if you’re working with finely tuned recipes, Barth Haas recommends running tests and using 20–50% of your Dry Hop with standard formats, based on the above conversion ratio to adjust your dosage.

You can gradually move toward full Spectrum usage.

As seen in the chart above, the ideal moment to use Spectrum is during secondary fermentation. The earlier you add it, the higher the dosage—and the more intense the fruity aromas. The later you add it, the lower the dose and the more “green” hop notes will dominate.

Note: This product is specifically designed for Dry Hop. Spectrum does not contain iso-alpha acids, but does include non-isomerized alpha acids, which—at high doses added at the end of boil or in the whirlpool—can increase bitterness, especially in hazy beers where that effect is unwanted.

Storage:

Barth Haas advises storing the product between 2°C and 15°C. A dedicated fridge is ideal.

The resealable 1kg format should be purged before closing.

The manufacturer recommends using the product within one year of its production date (printed on the pouch).

Additional Benefits of Spectrum:

Brewery trials have shown a drastically reduced risk of Hop Creep compared to using T90 pellets. This is thanks to the absence of fermentation-reactivating enzymes.

Without solid matter, fewer residues remain on the fermenter walls — so you’ll use less product and less time cleaning your equipment.

Finally, Spectrum also reduces oxidation risk in heavily hopped beers.

Unlike pellets and cones, this product leaves no room for oxygen. Spectrum guarantees precise Dry Hop dosing without oxygen exposure.

Testimonials:

“SPECTRUM helped us increase our dry hop inclusion rates while minimizing beer loss during the process. This combination allows us to produce world-class beers with world-class brewing efficiency.” — Ross Koenigs / New Belgium Brewing

“We saw lower and more consistent loss rates in the beers we tested. We're very impressed with the aroma profile Spectrum delivers. We used it in up to 50% of the dry hop in one of our beers, which significantly reduced tank time thanks to less hop creep and a lower rise in VDK (Vicinal Diketones).” — SOPHIE DE RONDE / Burnt Mill Brewery