Ok, I am from here and know better, but damn, we have had a couple of 60 degree days – 55 the previous day then this. Generally the frost free time of year for here to plant your garden is May 15th. Hop rhizomes are hardy but the new bines won’t be able to take a hard frost.
I have the soil prepared since last fall on the south side of my garage, it is protected and receives sunlight all day long. It is the only garden space I have right now that isn’t frozen ground. I was figuring on getting the rhizomes planted and mulch about 4 inches over them to maintain the cool soil temps and delay the shoots from breaking ground. I get nervous about the hop rhizomes developing mold or fungus – and sometimes my refrigerator will freeze items in the back (where my family tends to push things they can’t or don’t want to eat).
Well, I am going to wait a bit, do a little more research and determine the best time to plant hops for my area. I guess I will hit a hop growing forum or 2, double check with a couple of my Minnesota home brewing, hop growing friends and see if my theories hold out. One friend of mine planted too early last year, the new bines froze and died and the rhizome was done – no other shoots from this hop rhizome. Next post, when they are in the ground.
It’s that time of year again and Bell’s Brewery nailed it again – HOPSLAM ale! If you are a hop connoisseur or IPA fanatic, this is it. A double IPA at 10% alcohol, it is not for the weak. This once a year specialty is available only in January and February and sells out fast. I honestly have to say it is my favorite ale of all time! If you grow hops and/or homebrew, this is what you shoot for.
As us Scandinavians say, “it’s a bit spendy”. At $16.99 a six pack, it better be good and it is! I can justify it by breaking it down to less than $3.00 a bottle. This stuff is so awesome it must be experienced. A tip – pour a glass and just smell it for a couple minutes. It has an incredible “nose” or bouquet to it, savor it. Ok, time to dive in, savor the smooth but commanding hop bite. This is as close to a flavor orgasm as you can get – ok, maybe it’s just me but, damn is it tasty!
If I could come close to duplicating this with my own hops, I would have reached the pinnacle of my hop growing / homebrewing craft. More likely I will have to wait for January and February to accommodate my taste buds. I will keep growing hops and dream of a homebrew that comes close to this. Once achieved, I would have more friends than I could want.
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.
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.
