A case study by BarthHaas®

When BrewFist, one of Italy’s most innovative craft breweries, set out to reimagine their flagship IPA Spaceman, they weren’t just looking for new ingredients, they were looking for meaningful gains in efficiency, yield, and flavour consistency. They found all three through a close partnership with BarthHaas. The result? Liquid Spaceman, a bold, fully hopped West Coast IPA brewed using 100% flowable hop products. And a case study in what’s possible when hop innovation meets brewing ambition.

Rethinking Efficiency with Purpose 

At Hops Connect, we believe that advanced hop products, like liquid hop extract, are more than just a technical upgrade, they’re a tool for creative problem-solving. That’s why we worked closely with BrewFist’s brewmaster, Pietro Di Pilato, and his team to support the design, process, and execution of Liquid Spaceman from the ground up. Using a tailored combination of Flex®, Incognito®, Spectrum, and LupoMAX®, the project aimed to: 

• Improve brewhouse efficiency
• Reduce material losses and manual cleaning
• Maintain, and even improve, the signature flavour and aroma profile of Spaceman

The Process: Collaborating Toward Impact 

This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. BarthHaas Brewing Solutions specialists collaborated hands-on with BrewFist to evaluate the ideal dosing rates, hop formats, and process points for each product. 

• Flex® and Incognito® enabled zero-loss kettle and whirlpool hopping. 
• Spectrum, a flowable dry hop product, delivered a clean, stable, and refined aroma, with no beer loss and no post-dry-hop mess. 
• Regular sensory testing confirmed: the beer’s hop character remained fresh and expressive, even months after packaging. 

The transformation wasn’t just in the beer, it was across the entire production flow. 

The Measurable Gains

Metric	Spaceman	Liquid Spaceman	Change
Extraction Efficiency	520 hlx°P	551 hlx°P	+5.6%
Malt Usage	Standard	3 tons saved/year	Lower cost, better yield
Wort Loss	~200L	0L	Fully recovered
Cleaning Time	15 min	30 sec	-93%
Production Loss	10%	3.45%	+150L packaged beer
Centrifuge Time	2 hrs	45 min	-62.5%
Aroma Stability	Fades over time	Stable & fresh	Proven in sensory testing

“Cleaning the kettle was a matter of seconds, not 15 minutes like before,” says Pietro. “And with 50% less turbidity, the overall beer was spot on. Since packaging, the aroma has stayed just as fresh as packaging day.” 

These improvements didn’t require new equipment, just better tools and the know-how to use them.

Ready to Explore What’s Possible?

Download the case study here and watch Pietro’s full video testimonial to hear how Liquid Spaceman came to life.