Brewing beer is one hobby that so many people worldwide are beginning to love because it is a hobby that fetches them money if they decide to take it up as a business.
In brewing beer, hops are one of the essential ingredients. And one beautiful thing is that you can grow these hops in your garden. If you are a beginner in growing hops, you don’t have to bother about how to go about it; we will guide you appropriately.
Hops are the flowers (also known as seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant Humulus lupulus, a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. The primary purpose of hops is to act as a bittering, flavoring, and stability agent in beer. They also impart the floral, fruity, or citrus flavors and aromas in beers. Apart from being used as an ingredient for making beverages, hops are also used for making herbal medicine. Hops are dioecious, which means they are male and female. The females produce flowers; the males have pollen. For beer making, you need flowers, so go for female rhizomes. You don’t need a male plant because it doesn’t matter if the cones are pollinated. Female hop plants are used for commercial production. The hop plant is a vigorous, climbing, herbaceous perennial groomed to grow strings in a Hopfield, hop garden, or hop yard when grown for commercial purposes.
Brewers also use hops when brewing because of their antibacterial effect over less desirable microorganisms. They also help in balancing the sweetness of malt with bitterness and a variety of flavors and aromas. The wort (sugar-rich liquid produced from malt) is boiled with hops before it is cooled down, and yeast is added to begin the fermentation process.
Before hope are used for brewing, they are dried in an oast house. But some brewers use wet or undried hops.
The effect that hops give to your final beer varies by type and use. There are two main types of hops–the bittering and the aroma hops.
Bittering hops contain a higher concentration of alpha acids and are responsible for the large percentage of the bitter flavor of a beer. European (so-called “noble”) hops have an average of 5–9% alpha acids by weight (AABW), and the newer American cultivars typically range from 8–19% AABW.
Aroma hops have a lower concentration of alpha acids (~5%) and are the significant contributors to hop aroma and (non-bitter) flavor. So, the main difference between bittering hops and aroma hops is that bittering hops have more alpha acids in them.
Usually, bittering hops are boiled for a more extended period, say 60 to 90 minutes, to fully maximize the isomerization of the alpha acids. They often have lesser aromatic properties because the aromatic compounds evaporate during the boil.
The amount of bitterness that hops gives to your beer depends mainly on the extent to which alpha acids are isomerized during the boil. The impact of a given amount of hops is specified in International Bitterness Units.
For hops that are not adequately boiled, they are mildly bitter. Also, the non-bitter flavor and aroma of hops emanate from the essential oils, which evaporate during the boil.
So, to avoid the evaporation of essential oils in aroma hops, they are usually added to the wort later and not immediately. Aroma hops are added after the wort has cooled, and while the beer ferments, a technique known as “dry-hopping” contributes to the hop aroma.
Also, a reasonable amount of “dual-use” hops are used. They have high concentrations of alpha acids and good aromatic properties too. You can add them to the boil at any time, depending on your preferred effect. Hop acids help to stabilize the foam qualities of beer.
There are also ornamental hops, such as Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus,’ which are not used for making beer.
Some brewers use software tools to control the bittering levels in the boil and adjust recipes to account for a change in the hop bill or seasonal variations in the crop that may lead to the need to compensate for a difference in alpha acid contribution. The beautiful thing about this software tool is that you can share your data with other brewers via BeerXML; that way, your recipe can be reproduced.
How to grow your hops
If you are a lover of beer that will love to explore home brewing, you should learn how to grow your hops which will serve as a significant ingredient of your brewing. It is straightforward and rewarding.
The hop plant is a hardy perennial plant. It will grow vines annually from the rootstock. Vines usually grow up to 25 feet every season and die back after the harvest. The rhizome belongs to the rootstock but has buds that aid propagation. If hops grow under excellent conditions, each hop vine will produce 1/2 to 2 pounds of dried flowers.
The process of growing hops is below.
- The moment you choose which hop variety you plan to grow, order them from a reliable source online or from around you. Adventures in Homebrewing is an online store you can patronize. Hop Rhizomes are harvested when the climate is suitable for harvesting. It is likely not to coincide with good planting conditions in your growing zone. Avoid panicking if there is still snow on the ground when the rhizomes you ordered arrive. When you collect your rhizomes, you should wrap them in a plastic bag before storing them. They are usually wrapped before they are shipped. The rhizomes should be slightly moistened but not wet, and you should keep them in a refrigerator or cool place. This will help to maintain its moisture and keep light away from the rhizome. Please keep them in this state until you are ready to plant. As soon as your growing zone has gone past any danger of frost, you will be safe to plant your hops.
- Select the location in which you want to plant your hops. The area you choose will require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day. Aside from sunlight, your plant will also need the following: Bine for the hops to grow on. A bine is a climbing plant that climbs by its shoots. It is pretty different from a vine, which climbs using tendrils or suckers. Hops need vertical space. The bines may stretch as long as 25 feet into the air. You could grow your hops on a tall trellis near your house or a tall pole using hop twine. Planted hops will grow ideally on an 18-foot trellis and thrive when limited to 12 – 15 feet of a trellis.
- Prepare your soil before you plant your rhizomes. Select a spot with good drainage. The soil should be pretty loose and free from large clumps. Get rid of any debris, like stones and weeds. Also, uproot weeds near the root to prevent the weeds from returning. Then, go ahead to fertilize the soil with bone meal or blood meal and make sure the soil is loose and worked at a depth of 12 inches or more. Form a mound of earth for every rhizome you will be planting, about 3 feet apart, so they have plenty of space to grow. If you intend to produce more than one variety of hops, plant the mixed varieties at least 5 feet apart.
- Plant the hop rhizome. Dig a 4-inch hole in every mound placing the rhizome into the hole horizontally, with the root side down. Loosely pack the soil down over the plant and cover it with straw or mulch to hinder weed growth. Always keep the soil consistently moist until the vines begin to sprout.
- Gently wrap the bines around Hop Twine or a trellis. When the bines eventually erupt, they should grow about 6 inches. At this stage, they need to be “trained.” You will need to train the bines for some days continuously. They will start growing clockwise around the trellis and vertically on their own. If you discover weak or damaged shoots, you can remove them. It will give more room for the healthy bines to grow appropriately. About four to six bines can grow from each hop plant. You can trim the leaves off the bottom two feet of the bines after few months of growth. This prevents the plants from getting damaged by diseases or fungus.
- Nurture your new plants. The bines will start to grow tall and strong. You must keep the soil around the plants free from weeds. Water the hops every day so that the earth remains moist but not soaked. Continue to take care of the hops this way until late summer, when they will be harvested.
- Harvest the hops. Most times, your harvest date will vary based on your location and your season. It would be best if you lowered the bines so you can easily pick the flowers. Gently twist the ripe hop cones off as they ripen. If some ripen faster than others, allow the ones on the bine that still require more time to ripen to remain them. Once you cut the bines, lay them down flat and pull off the cones. Cut the bines to an inch above ground level and cover with mulch until next season.
- Dry the hops. Keep the ripe hops on a flat surface out of sunlight in a single layer. After they stay that way for a while, they will start to dry, so you will need to regularly flip them over to allow the other side to dry. Repeat this process until drying is complete. You will know when the hops are done drying if the inner stem (string) is brittle and breaks instead of bending. Pack the hops in an airtight container and freeze until they are to be used.
Choosing a hop variety
Many varieties of hops grow well in temperate regions. There are a few variables you should consider when choosing a variety of hops. There are many reasons why you may need to plant hops. If you are growing your hops for only their aesthetic value, then you are free to go for any variety you want. If you are in an area that sees a shorter growing period, you may want to plant a vine that will quickly grow, thus allowing you to enjoy your plants for the longest possible period.
Here are some hop varieties you should check out.
- Cascade is an aroma-type cultivar. It is developed by open pollination of a Fuggle seedling. Cascade is a well-known variety in craft brewing, and it has a unique floral, spicy, and citrus character with balanced bittering potential.
- Centennial is another popular variety in craft brewing. It can be used for bittering and aroma purposes. It had a lemon and floral aroma.
- Chinook is an excellent dual-purpose hop. It has a spice and pine aroma characteristic.
- Columbus hope is used in IPA, Pale Ale, and Stouts. They are primarily used for bittering. It is a high alpha variety. It has a dash of black pepper, licorice, curry, and a subtle citrus aroma.
Hops care according to season
Spring
Spring is the best time for growing your hops. If you don’t follow the required planting steps, your hops could be in trouble.
During spring, build support systems for your hops to grow. This is because hops need to be supported off the ground, and so you need to create a structure such as a tepee or large trellis that is at least 6–15 feet tall.
Also, practice planting rhizomes. Please place them in well-drained soil about 3 feet apart, then add mulch layers around the plants.
Test soil for nutrient needs. A soil test will help you understand what nutrients you may need to add to your soil. You can conduct testing through your local agricultural extension service. Generally, you will need to add nitrogen and potassium in spring.
Then, learn to train vines upward. Hops are vines that grow upward. When they grow to about a foot long, train them on the structure.
Summer
Always keep the plants well hydrated and ensure that there are no weeds at the base of the plants to compete for water and nutrients.
Fall
Fall is the best time for harvest. Based on the variety of hops and your location, hops are usually available for harvest from mid-August to mid-September. The cones will be papery and have a strong scent. The lower bracts of the cone will probably be brown. Carefully pick the cones and dry them naturally or in a food dehydrator or oven. Most brewing experts recommend drying at low heat to maintain the aromatic qualities of the hops flowers. One vine can produce ½ to 2 pounds of dried hops flowers.
Late winter
During late winter, prune off dead vines from the base of the plant. As the weather gets warmer, new shoots will erupt from the crown of the plant.
Conclusion
Growing hops in your garden are very easy and worth it. Ensure you follow the steps that were listed above, so you don’t make mistakes.