Creative Commons Photo Credit: fimbrethil
As any IPA lover will tell you, the Humulus lupulus (the scientific name for hops) is where it’s at. This climbing plant produces flowers that brewers have been picking for centuries to add bitterness to balance the sweetness of the malt, as well as an entire spectrum of flavors and aromas ranging from citrus to pine to earthy spice. Almost every craft beer drinker goes through a phase where they get really into hops in their beer… for some this may only last months before they seek out maltier beers again. For others, they may end up chasing the hop for the rest of their lives.
For many homebrewers, a large part of the enjoyment comes from being able to do something themselves. This can certainly be applied to growing hops as well. At one point in history, hops were pretty widely grown in this country, but a variety of factors has led to the hop growing industry being concentrated in the Pacific Northwest. For years there has been a movement by homebrewers across the nation to reclaim their hoppy birthright by growing their own by purchasing hop rhizomes (basically a specialized root that spreads horizontally). This has even become larger scale than just a few brewers backyards or the occasional decorative plant at a brewery or bar, with small hop farms cropping up, and the recent push by The Ohio State University to establish a hop research program.
So what does one need to know to grow hops? Hops will do well with a decent amount of sun each day (south or west facing), in well-drained soil with frequent watering. In addition to the proper location and soil, you’ll want something for the hops to grow up, as the bines (yes, with a b… it’s a botanical thing) can reach 15-20 feet and produce quite a bit of vegetation… maybe just the thing to block out that nosy neighbor’s view of your patio? Hops are generally hardy plants, and can tend to spread, so if you have a section of your yard that is contained, so much the better. For renters, hops will be more difficult to grow, but people growing them in large pots is not unheard of.
Rhizomes are typically planted a few inches under the soil in early spring after the last frost. Digging a deeper hole and filling in with compost and topsoil can help ensure that the hops will be well drained. Rhizomes available for purchase are harvested by digging up a portion of an existing plant and cutting the rhizome into sections (usually 4-8″ long). Since the rhizome is a cutting from a parent plant, growers are able to reproduce a strain with particularly desirable traits without having to do any breeding. Any hop varieties you may be familiar with (Cascade, Hallertauer, East Kent Golding, Simcoe, etc.) were originally selected from a single plant. A hop researcher decided that that very first Cascade was nice, grew it up and split off some rhizomes and grew more and more plants that were all genetic copies of that original parent. This also means that all the hops used in brewing come from female plants. Male hops only exist in the wild or under controlled conditions at research facilities where they do careful selective breeding to develop new hop varieties.
To harvest hops, the flowers or cones can just be plucked off the plant when they are ready. Those hops can be added directly to a batch of beer, or dried down to prevent mold growth for storage. Seasonal wet hopped beers are becoming more popular, but for a home brewer it is often difficult to get their hands on fresh, undried hops without having their own plant to pull from.
If this process piques your interest and you are considering trying out your green thumb on something useful… (these flowers make BEER!) or if you are already growing hops and are just looking to add a few more plants or varieties, you can currently preorder rhizomes from Gentile’s the Wine Sellers. The varieties available are some of the staples of the craft brewing scene, including Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Northern Brewer, and Tettnang. If I had to recommend just one variety, it would be Cascade, one of the most ubiquitous of the citrusy American hops, which has the added benefit of being resistant to most of the diseases (mildews) that can show up on hops grown in Ohio. Centennial, Chinook and Tettnang should also do well in this region, and Northern Brewer is resistant to some, but not all of the diseases that may be common. Unfortunately for central Ohio, the most problematic in terms of disease and pest susceptibility of that bunch is Columbus.
If you’d like to preorder rhizomes from Gentile’s, call them at (614) 486-3406 or stop in the shop at 1565 King. Each rhizome is $4.49 (to be paid at time of preorder) and will be shipped to the store for you to pick up in early April. Deadline to order is Wednesday, February 12th. has been extended through Sunday, February 16th.
Happy growing!
Hop aroma descriptors:
- Cascade – citrusy grapefruit
- Centennial – floral, lemony citrus
- Chinook – spicy pine, grapefruit
- Columbus – pungent, spicy, citrus
- Northern Brewer – woody, pine, mint
- Tettnang – spicy
