What varieties of beer hops are there?

Beer Hop Cones

Hop Rhizomes

Before you can decide what variety of hops to plant, you need to know the characteristics of different varieties of hops.  The variety you choose depends mainly on the styles of beers and ales you like to drink.

Two main characteristics of hop cones:

1. Bittering – measured in IBUs (International Bitterness Units – according to the IBU scale).  The bittering attribute of hops is used to counteract the sweetness of the malt in the beer or ale.  Alpha acids and beta acids of the hop contribute to the bittering effect.
2. Aroma – there is no scale to measure aroma, it is used to impart a pleasurable aroma or “nose” to beers and ales, also referred to as a finishing hop.  Essential oils of the hop cone are the source of aroma.

There are other characteristics that hops contribute to brews:

• Natural preservative
• Flavoring – various attributes such as – spicy, piney, citrus, woody, floral…
• Calming effect

All hops have both qualities of bitterness and aroma, it is the proportion of each that determines if it is called a bittering hop, an aroma hop or some hops are in the middle and considered both bittering and aroma hop.  The main component of the hop cone is lupulin, a yellow powdery component of the female hop cone.  It contains the resins of the hop cone.

Here is a comprehensive list of the varieties of hops

From  http://www.beersmith.com/hops_table.htm

So depending upon the beer styles you like to drink and or brew, determines which hop varieties to grow (assuming they will grow in your climate and soil).  The above list provides the name of the hop, country of origin and alpha acid percentage (bitterness).  There are many hop description pages out there, this one is the most comprehensive list of hop varieties I have found.  You will only be able to buy a few varieties of hop rhizomes depending upon your country and some on this list are proprietary (not commercially available).

Beers and Ales – the difference between beers and ales is the type of yeast used and temperature of the wort (mash/sugars) during the fermentation process.

• Beers/Lagers/Pilsners – bottom fermenting yeasts – lower temp fermentation – 40 -50 degrees fahrenheit
• Ales – top fermenting yeasts – higher temp fermentation – 60 to 75degrees fahrenheit.

The above are generalities that cover the majority of styles, there are exceptions to every rule.

Beer/Ale style and hops used – http://brewery.org/library/Hopprofs0497.html

This post would go on forever if I listed every beer style and hops used so I won’t attempt that.  Checkout the above referenced link to get your hop rhizome list together (you can sometimes find hop plants for sale).  Depending upon where you live, you may be able to plant right now (ground is still frozen here in Minnesota) but warmer regions can plant now.

One more resource I stumbled across http://www.hopunion.com/hopunion-variety-databook.pdf

One of my most popular posts will list a variety of online sources to:

buy hop rhizomes <== Click Here

Get your hop garden started!

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Finally, Hop harvest time!  My Cascade hops and Magnum hops were ready to harvest at the same time.  My Nugget hops are still on the bine.  Here is 1.8 pounds of wet harvested  Cascade hops drying on a screen in my living room under a ceiling fan (air conditioned – low humidity).  My wife was so happy to have the hops in our living room – ok, I made that part up, but I have priorities (won that battle!).  They are out of the living room now, donated to friend who has far surpassed my homebrewing abilities (I get some excellent ales in return!)

Cascade Hops Drying

The Magnum hops I dried in a couple of paper bags (single layer under the ceiling fan also).  The Magnum hops were exactly 1 pound wet.  When I say wet, they have actually dried quite a bit on the bine.

Magnum Hops oozing Lupulin!

Not sure if you can see the yellow lupulin in this picture but it is plentiful.  For a bittering hop, they are more aromatic than the Cascade – at least freshly picked off the bine.  I am sure the aromatic quality of the Cascade will come out in a late boil and dry hopping.  Here is a cross section of a Magnum hop cone (left) and a Cascade hop cone (right).  The yellow lupulin does not show in this web compressed picture as well as I wished.  I may set up a separate picture site to do it justice.  The yellow lupulin follows the strig (stem) down the center of the hop cone.

Hop Cones Showing Off Lupulin!

The harvesting went well.  I had to use a ladder to cut the lateral shoots that wrapped around the rope used to let down the bines (pulley setup) but my ladder time was minimal.  I let the bines down on to a tarp and picked the hop cones off the bines while standing up – much easier on my back.  When I was done harvesting, I raised the bines up again and will let them go till they freeze, allowing them to store energy for the root stock for next years growth (these are first year hops).

Easy Magnum Hop Cone Picking

The tarp worked great, I did not lose a single hop cone.  I will definitely use a similar hop trellis system next year with a few improvements.  Next years hop harvest will be much greater with established hop plants.  I anticipate double the beer hop cone harvest with an earlier start and more robust hop root stocks rather than just planted hop rhizomes.  The re-hoisted bines are loading up the hop crowns with energy for next years beer hops.

Pretty simple huh?  Why aren’t you growing your own hops?  Try it you’ll like it.

Start planning now for next years hops.  Select your spot, sunny southern exposure is best but an eastern or western unobstructed (no trees blocking sunshine) will work.  Make sure you have vertical space, more the better.  Start thinking about how you will rig the bines – trellis, ropes secured to a pole or tall structure…  You have until spring to figure it out.  If nothing else Google it – a great source of ideas.

Prepare the soil now.  Dig down at least a foot and at least 2 foot diameter.  Make the soil well drained and mix organic materials with the soil – leaves, grass, compost, composted manure, green sand…  HOP ON!

Cascade Bines Before Harvest

Cascade Bines Post Harvest

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Hops Have Reached the Top

Cascade Hops in July

Hops - Humulus Lupulus – in July (7/20/2009) status report.  It has been a couple of weeks since my last growing hops post.  All three hop plants have topped their ropes.  The Magnum hops finally made it to the top – about 15 feet tall.  The Cascade hops and Nugget hop bines have reached the top of their hop trellis rigging twice and I have looped them around hose hangers and pulled back slack to give them more vertical space for the hop vines to grow.

I have decided to let them top out and and leave it at that because the looped portion of the hops bines do not seem to be putting out lateral shoots (for hop flowers / hop cones) like the un-looped portion of the hop bines are.  They still may produce side shoots, but that is one thing learned from this hop experiment so far.  Next year I am leaning towards a spiral approach, the point being giving them as much vertical growth possible with a limited vertical space (Although many folks grow them even shorter).  I am trying to maximize hop cone production with limited vertical resources (without freaking out my neighbors with hop skyscraper towers).

Who knows, I may come up with a commercial approach to maximized hops production that will be financially and labor-wise feasible.  Presently I am simply looking to maximize hops production for myself and other homebrewers.  To grow hops, I have held true to keeping it organic.  They seem to be growing very nicely for first year hops started from hop rhizomes only 3 months ago.

The Magnum hops plant is currently 15 feet tall.  The structure of this hop bine is smaller leaves, more compact – but denser foliage.  The Cascade hops bine is at about 23 feet tall with the topped out bine now making it’s way back toward the ground.  The Nugget hops bine is about 21 – 22 feet tall (with the length of the looped bine on the hose hanger – see previous posts).  The Cascade hops lateral shoots are impressive at 3 to 4 feet in length.  A couple of the side shoots have wrapped around the the lowering rope and are now spirally up that rope!  The Nugget hop bines are starting to send out some impressive lateral hop shoots as well.  Just hoping these lateral hops shoots will fill in with lots of hop cones.  Time will tell.

Nugget Hops Thrive

Magnum Hops Have Peaked

The hops I am growing will be used for a relaxing hop tea, combined with other calming and relaxing herbs like chamomile, lavender, kava kava and others to make sleep aids and de-stress formulas.  And of course the main function of the hops will be for making awesome beers and ales.  Of the beer hops, I have 2 bittering hops (Nugget and Magnum) and the Cascade hops are for aroma hops in the beer/ale making process.

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Beer Hops on the Bine

Beer Hops

Beer hops are a vital ingredient for brewing beer. Beer hops are one of the main 4 ingredients for making beer or ales: water, barley malt, hops and yeast – (other than yeast, were the only allowed ingredients of the original beer law Reinheitsgebot – since replaced by the provisional German Beer Law). When the Reinheitsgebot was written, they were unaware of yeast; it (yeast) was added as beer from a previous batch or occurred naturally. Anything else added to the beer or ale making process is referred to as an adjunct.

The purpose of hops in the making of beer or ale is:

• Bitterness – to overcome the malted barley sweetness
• Flavor – imparting its own flavor as well as bittering
• Preservative – hops have an anti-bacterial quality and extends shelf life
• Aroma – hop oils impart a pleasant aroma and flavor
• Clarity – removes some unwanted proteins for a clearer beer or ale
• Head retention – contributes to a foamy “head” that stays around

The beer hop is actually the flower of the hop vine referred to as bine. Hop bines use stiff hairlike follicles and twirling or wrapping around structures (fences, twine…) to climb where a vine has shoots that wrap around structures to support the vine. What gives the hop flower its qualities are hop oils produced from the lupulin glands of the flower and alpha acid resins. The alpha acid resins of the hop contribute the bittering effect and the oils contribute flavor and aroma. Different hop varieties have different bittering strengths, flavors and aromas. They fall into two categories: bittering and aroma – although both have a lesser amount of the other category.

The bittering of the beer hop is measured in IBU – International Bitterness Units (a standardized measurement of bittering – measuring the alpha acid content). The higher the IBU rating, the more bitter the hop. The hops used for bittering are added early in the boiling of the wort (pre-fermented beer – no alcohol exists until after fermentation).

The aroma hops are added in the last 5 minutes of boiling of the wort so as not to boil off the aromatic oils. Aroma hops are sometimes added to the beer or ale in the fermenter in a technique called dry hopping to add hop flavor and aroma.

The hops have nothing to do with the amount of alcohol in a beer or ale, that is a function of the malted barley and yeast (and any other sugars added to the wort). A quality beer or ale has a “nose” to it – the aroma. Home brewing and craft brewing have expanded upon the possibilities of flavors and aromas.

Growing hops is possible in just about any of the United States of America. Basically between 30 – 50 degree latitude (northern and southern hemispheres). There has been a hop shortage the last couple of years due to demand, weather conditions and some disease. Hops are simple to grow from seed or rhizomes so if you are a homebrewer, try growing hops yourself. Grow beer hops and be self sufficient! Any farmers looking for a cash crop – think beer hops. The best article I have come across explaining the hop shortage is here.

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Growing Hops on the Bine

Growing Hops

Growing hops is possible in almost every one of the United States of America.  Hops obviously exist in Europe, Asia and other locations but I will stick with what I am familiar with, the USA.  To grow hops you generally must be between the 35th and 55th parallel (see diagram below) elevation may make it possible to grow hops at slightly lower lattitudes.  Some varieties of hops do better than others in the extremes of this range (some like it hot, some not).  Currently, the northwest USA produces the largest crop of hops plants (Oregon, Washington Northern California…).

Hops (Humulus Lupulus) are a fast growing vine that requires large amounts of sunshine and nutrients from the soil to sustain their rapid growth.  Hop vines can grow up to 30 ft in length.  A perennial, which dies back every winter to the root stock also known as the crown.  Hop plants can be grown from hop rhizomes (underground stems) or seed (but usually hops rhizomes – only want female hop rhizomes).  Hop plantings are generally grown vertically but can be grown horizontally.  Most Hops plants require a 4 month growing season.

Only the female hop plants flower (the flower is the hop).  Males are used for pollination to seed the females but generally un-pollinated or seedless hops are preferred for brewing.  Beer hops are used for brewing beers and ales to counteract the sweetness of the barley, to provide aroma and also works as a preservative.  Hops have medicinal qualities and calming effects but that is out of scope for this blog.

Planting hops requires a nutrient dense, well drained soil with a PH between 6 and 8.  Most hop growers  go vertical with their plants so that must taken into consideration for planting.  Since most people (at least in the cities) have a 1/4 acre or less, use a side of their house or garage or tall poles and twine or rope.  Running twine from the ground to a roof line or overhang is very popular.  A common configuration is twine from a ground anchor to an eyelet attached high on a pole, house, garage or other building and zigzagged up and down (using a latch hook on the high end for easy removal).  If using a single pole, it would be a tee pee configuration.  There are many ways to rig the vines but rope seems to work the best compared to trellises when it comes to harvest time.

Soil should be prepared at least a couple weeks before planting to allow the soil amendments to blend together.  Soil should be dug down  a foot or more to ensure the root stock can grow unimpeded.  The soil should be mixed with organic materials (I am an organic kind of guy).  Decomposed manure, compost, leaves and/or grass clippings and wood ashes are all good soil amendments for hop gardens.  Drainage is very important for hop plants so be aware of slopes and valleys in the ground.  If planting against a house or garage without gutters (on the down slope side) beware the roof runoff.  A raised mound and drainage paths help in these cases and is a good idea for all hop planting.

Most hops are propagated from rhizomes, so that is what I will cover (besides I have never started from seed).  If you have a short growing season, you can start hop rhizomes indoors.  Once the threat of frost has passed, it is time to plant.  Plant 1 to 3 hop rhizomes in a grouping or mound (1 is usually sufficient), 1 to 4  inches below the soil’s surface (I go 3 to 4 inches deep).  Plant buds up and mounds about 3 feet apart, more (minimum 5 feet) if the next grouping is a different variety of hops.

When the shoots break ground and are about 1 foot long, select 1 to 3 of the hardiest hop bines (similar to, but different from vines) and train them to climb the rope in the same direction – most advise clockwise (not sure why).  Like everything, there are different ways to go about this, either 1 pole or rope per mound or 1 on each side of the mound (2 ropes/twine)  per mound – prune all other bines to focus all the growing energy to the selected vines or bines.  Difference between bines and vines: vines send out grasping shoots.  Bines use stiff hairlike follicles and wrapping around things to support themselves.

Depending on when you started or when the existing crowns started vines, the hops should be ready for harvest around mid August to mid September.  When mature, the hops will be squeezable rather than solid and have a paper like texture.  When you determine it is harvesting time, bring down the ropes or poles and pluck the hops from the vines.  The hops must be dried, either in a dehydrator, an oven no more than 140 degrees(with the door open) or at room temp spread out on a single layer on a raised screen to allow airflow.  Room temp drying is best for retaining flavor and aroma.

Once dried, the hops should be vacuum sealed and frozen for best results or fresh hops may be used immediately (after drying the hops).  If not vacuum sealed, at least remove as much air as you can from a sealable freezer bag and then freeze.  Shield the hops from light as that will prolong freshness also.

This is a bit abbreviated but gives you enough information to grow your own hops!  Read some books on how to grow your own hops and/or do some more Internet research to gain additional tips, tricks, methods and theories to maximize your hop growing abilities.  Just say no to hop drought and start growing hops.

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