Hops first began appearing in beer around the middle of the 18th Century with the East India Trading Companies transporting of beer to the colonies and its tendency to spoil during the long voyage to India.
Even the Stouts and Porters which were very popular at the time were arriving in a less than fresh condition. The breakthrough came when a brewmaster by the name of George Hudson came up with the idea of a lighter style of beer adding a hitherto unused ingredient in beer — hops. The hops oils provided a natural preserving quality to the beer, thus ensuring the beer remained unspoiled on its lengthy journeys.
But a lot has changed since then particularly when it comes to growing hops, factors such as what variety to grow, where to grow, what type of soil is best and a bunch of other variables come into play. Planting times will vary depending on where in the world you are planting your hops of course and availability of rhizomes.
RHIZOMES Vs. ROOTS
So what exactly does a rhizome look like and what is the difference between a rhizome and a root? Simply put, a rhizome is actually a root-stem that extends roots from its underground nodules. Also called rootstalks, rhizomes develop from buds and characteristically grow parallel to the ground. And this is the main difference whereas a root will generally only grow downwards, example of plants who have rhizomes include, ginger, bamboo and poplar trees.
GETTING STARTED
Depending on how forgiving your winter and autumn has been its generally safe to start plating hops around early Spring (although this can differ for some varieties). Hops need plenty of sunshine and water, drainage is also essential to avoid stagnant roots. Its best to plant rhizomes of the same species 3 feet apart as opposed to contrasting varieties should be around 5–6 feet apart.
You want the rhizome inserted around 12cm deep lying horizontally. The goal is to provide sufficient water to help the plant develop its roots while not permitting the rhizomes to rot. Things will pick up speed once the first shoots break the soil surface (2 or 3 weeks after planting). It’s not uncommon for plants to grow nearly a foot (4 inches) per day in the warmer months.
Hops are actually creepers and will grow vertically following the path of the Sun as they climb. Hops grow best vertically, Simple lengths of robust twine to advanced trellis systems all seem to be effective support methods. Make sure you ensure that whatever you choose is sturdy enough to take a fully grown heavy plant. Trellises as tall as 20 feet are used on commercial hops farms.
POTENTIAL PESTS AND VIRUSES
Just like humans and animals, Hops too are vulnerable to diseases and viruses. Therefore its important to identify these and know what to do to lessen the risk of it occurring and also to know what to look out for. Apple Mosaic Virus (APmV), Downey Mildew and Hop Latent Virus (HpLV) are just a few of the more common viruses to affect hops. As well as being attacked by aphids, mites and flies. For a more in-depth look at what to do to protect your hops check out this link.
https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/hop-humulus-lupulus-virus-diseases
HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN TO HARVEST MY HOPS?
The cones will lighten in appearance and begin to dry and feel papery by late August or early September (or late February or early March for Southern Hemisphere brewers). These visual and kinesthetic cues are your cue that it’s harvest time, though a dry matter test is a more systematic approach. When you’ve decided to harvest, simply cut the top of the twine that the plant has managed to climb and lay the bine flat on the floor.
Pick the cones from the bine and use them immediately (within 24 hours) in a wet-hopped beer or dry them for later use. Allow the bines to remain connected to the plant until the first frost, then snip the plants about a foot (30 cm) above the ground and toss away the bines to prepare for winter.
HOW CAN I STORE MY HOPS TO USE LATER?
A food dehydrator will suffice, but many home gardeners will construct makeshift trays to handle the yield. You can use a box fan to blow air over the rig and alternate window screens, air filters, or wire mesh with single layers of hops. You want brittle, crinkly hops cones with snappy stems if bent.
A hot garage is a perfect setting to dry hops because it is out of the sun but warm enough (but not too hot) to start encouraging quick dehydration. Vacuum seal them to prevent oxidation and freeze them to keep them fresh. Hops that have been properly stored should last at least a year. t (see “Harvesting Your Homegrown Hops”).
BITTERING, FLAVOURING AND AROMA HOPS
So what is the difference between bittering hops, flavouring hops and aroma hops? As you may or may not know the earlier into the boil your choice of hop is added the more bitterness it will incorporate into your beer. And as such different varieties of hops are used for different times to add to the boil. eg: You would be unwise to add a hop such as Admiral or Centennial towards the end of the boil as these varieties of hop have high alpha acid levels and would leave the beer very bitter.
Some hop varieties are dual-purpose which means they can be added at the beginning of the boil and also towards the end of the boil. Determining which hops have a higher IBU is influenced by which alpha and beta acids a variety of hop has as well as the oils it will extract into your beer. Because the essential oils that give each hop its distinct aroma dissolve during the boiling stage of brewing.
Some hops are added after that stage to get their aroma into the beer, a process known as late kettle hopping. If the brewer wants to add even more hop aroma to the beer, he will dry hop it in the fermenter. When developing a beer recipe, brewers consider all of these variables — bitterness, flavour, and aroma.
