Archive for homebrewing
Homebrew – Why We Grow Hops
Posted by: | CommentsHomebrew- that’s what we do with our hops. Hops can be used for other purposes as well, such as
Homebrew Wort
herbal treatments, hop pillows, hop tea, hop bine wreaths, privacy fences, cover for arbors, pergolas, gazebos… Hops as an herbal ingredient has relaxing qualities that can be combined with other relaxing herbs to create stress reducing teas and supplements and sleep aids. In this high stress world, who couldn’t use a little help relaxing, de-stressing and sleeping?
Stress Reducing Herbs
- Hops
- Camomile
- Kava Kava
- St. Johns Wort
- Lavender
- Valerian
- Skullcap
- Schisandra
- Motherwort
- Catnip
- Lemonbalm
- Passionflower
- Ashwaganda
- Red Clover
- California Poppy
- Many More herbs
Homebrewing
Back to homebrewing and the major focus of this blog, growing hops. Hops counteract the sweetness of malts (sugars) used in the making of beers and ales. That is the bitterness factor of hops. They also add aroma, clarity, head retention, anti microbial and natural preservative properties. As you can see, hops are very important to beer/ale making. Hops are one of the 4 must have ingredients of beer – hops, malt, water and yeast. German beer law – Reinheitsgebot, also known as the beer purity law or purity order, demands only water malt and hops – yeast was acquired naturally from the air or added as a sample of wort from a previous batch of beer or ale.
Variations of the amounts and types of malts, hops and yeast (and sometimes, other adjuncts), create the almost limitless styles, flavors and aromas of ales and beers. The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to making your own beers and ales. Unless you have your hops analyzed for bitterness (alpha and beta acids), you never know for sure how they will turn out. Variations in weather and nutrients can alter these properties year to year. To me, that is a good thing, something new and different each year. Like fine wine, some years will be better than others.
We grow hops to further our experience into home brewing. Saving money on growing our own hops, avoiding shortages, sharing hops with homebrewing friends are some of the benefits. As an avid gardener, I simply enjoy growing them and watching their daily growth – up to a foot a day! Hops are easy to grow. All they require is direct sunlight, water and fertile soil and something to climb (rope or twine is best). Hops are inexpensive to grow on a small scale and once established, come up every year for up to 50 years of producing hop cones!
If you make your own beer or ales or are considering it, grow some hops. Depending upon the styles of ales or beers you want to make, determines what type of hops you should grow. Basically, you want at least one bittering hop and one aroma type hop – more hop varieties are better. A basic instruction on growing hops can be found here ==> growing hops . That is why we grow beer hops – to homebrew.
Beer Hops
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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 hop rhizomes, so if you are a home brewer, 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
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Growing Hops on the Bine
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…).
USA Latitude Map
Hops (Humulus Lupulus) are a fast growing vine (referred to as bine) that requires large amounts of sunshine and nutrients from the soil to sustain their rapid growth. Hop bines 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, garage, deck 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 (the previous season is better) 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 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 bines, 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. Keep away from direct sunlight as that will affect the properties and freshness of the hop cones. 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.
See: Growing Hops From Rhizomes
