grow your own hops

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R ecent hop shortages are debasing your homebrews and putting adent in your wallet, so why not grow your own? Hops are easy

to grow, and their requirements are simple, including plenty ofsunshine, well-draining soil, and yearly additions of compost. Youdon’t need a green thumb to give your homebrew its own terroir withhomegrown hops.

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF HOPSEarly European settlers brewed the first American beers with hops grow-ing wild in New England. In 1628, rhizomes were brought over fromEurope. Interbreeding soon conceived the “wild tasting” AmericanCluster variety. After the Civil War, hop production concentrated infertile upstate New York. As settlers ventured westward, they broughttheir rhizomes along. Wisconsin andMichigan saw a brief period of pro-lific hop production, but the extraordinarily high yields in California,Oregon and Washington soon dominated the marketplace.

Today, Washington’s Yakima Valley leads the way in hop production,followed by Oregon and Idaho. However, homebrewers grow hops inevery state with great success. With careful planning and diligence,you could supply your entire homebrew hop bill for the year.

GIVE YOURHOMEBREWTERROIR:

GROW YOUROWN HOPS

BY ALI HAMM


THE ROOT OF IT ALLWith more than 80 varieties of hops avail-able, how will you choose which to plant?Ask yourself three important questions:What varieties do I like to brew with? Whatvarieties will perform best in my location?And where do I get these rhizomes?

First, pick the varieties that you’d like tobrew with. Consider your objective forgrowing hops; to supply your entire year’sdemand, or to supply a few special brews?I recommend planting as many varieties aspossible, both aroma and bittering, to coverall your bases.

Next, research your location. Hops growbetween the 35th and 55th parallels; localesoutside these latitudes will not provide suf-ficient day lengths for vegetative growth andflowering. Try to pick varieties that typical-ly grow closest to your latitude. For example,the Zatec region of the Czech Republic islocated at 50° N; therefore Saaz grown at35° N may produce few flowers, if any.

The difference between producing a fewcones and a few pounds is climate. Hopsare obstinate, but they survive if exposedto extreme conditions such as high winds,hail or intolerable heat. Compare your cli-mate to traditional hop growing regions. Asa general rule of thumb, aroma varietiesperform poorly in hot and dry climates,unless afternoon shade is provided.

Do a background check on each variety’sresistance to disease and pests. In general,newer varieties are fairly tolerant of com-mon hop pests and diseases, whiletraditional European varieties hardly standa chance. Most U.S.-bred varieties such asChinook, Nugget, Willamette and particu-larly Cascade perform well everywhere. Hopgrowers living in non-traditional growingareas with a low risk of disease, such as theRocky Mountain region, have more flexi-bility in choosing varieties. Performing asimple Internet search on hop varieties (seethe sidebar for suggested resources) willprovide adequate background informationto help you choose varieties appropriate foryour location.

With your list of varieties you’d like to grow,it’s time to shop for rhizomes. Explore localsources first, including your local home-brew shop. Befriend nearby backyard orcommercial hop growers and offer to digup rhizomes early spring. This way, theplant’s history on performance, pest anddisease incidences is known. If a localsource is not available, search “hop rhi-zomes” online to find several retailers. Keepin mind that fungal spores and viruses canbe carried with rhizomes, so watch for earlysigns of disease.

BUILDING THE PERFECT HOMESince hops live 25-50 years, site planningis critical. Keep in mind that they need 6

to 30 feet of climbing space in a sunny loca-tion with well-draining soil. To preventscorching in areas of intense sunlight,choose a location that provides afternoonshade, especially if planting European aromavarieties.

Planting months are flexible depending onclimate (e.g. February in California, butApril-May in Colorado).

TrellisingHops are a climbing bine, different from avine that has tendrils. Hop bines climbclockwise up a narrow support by the aidof tiny hairs. While mature plants will coilaround diameters the size of tree trunks(which were used before modern wire trel-lising), a narrow string will better coax theyoung shoots upwards. Commercial hopyards use coconut-husk twine. Any type ofstring will suffice, especially coarse materi-al such as hemp. Garden lattices, chain-linkfences, and netting will also work. Manybackyard growers simply run string down

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Photos©2009ShutterstockLLC

andAliHamm

PERFORMING A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH ONHOP VARIETIES WILL PROVIDE ADEQUATE

BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO HELP YOU CHOOSEVARIETIES APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR LOCATION.

Hop Variety Resources

HopUnionwww.hopunion.com (direct link: www.hopunion.com/hopunion-variety-databook.pdf)

Yakima Chiefwww.yakimachief.com (direct link: www.yakimachief.com/hopvarieties/hopvar.html)

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from the roof of their house, create ahedgerow along a fence, or erect a home-made trellis. In the wild, hops are foundclimbing amongst willows, hence their Latinname Humulus lupulus, meaning “like awolf between sheep.” With that said, be care-ful to control wandering hop bines ready tosmother nearby plants or structures.

Soil PreparationHops thrive in loamy, well-draining soilwith a pH of 5.5–8.0. To plant your rhi-zomes, dig a hole 1-foot deep and add ashovelful of compost. To boost healthy rootgrowth, sprinkle in mycorrhizal inoculum.Mycorrhizae, available at local nurseries, isa symbiosis of fungi and plant roots thataids in nutrient uptake of the plant, espe-cially water and phosphorus. If you havepoor-draining soil, add some potting mixand form a hill. Plant one to six rhizomes2 inches below the soil surface, either ver-tically or horizontally so that the shoots (or“eyes”) point upward. Planting more thantwo rhizomes per hill will jumpstart yourfirst-year crop. Be sure to space differentvarieties 3-5 feet apart to avoid mixing. Top-dress the area with more compost, andcover with mulch such as grass clippings,newspaper, straw, etc. Mulch will suppressweeds, protect young plants from a latefrost, and add organic matter to your soil.

Top-dress your hops with a shovelful ofcompost every spring and late fall. Com-post degrades slowly and promotes healthysoil ecology, preventing the need for quick-fix liquid fertilizers. It will also slowly raisethe pH of acidic soils and lower the pH ofbasic soils. You can easily make your owncompost, using your spent brewing grainsand hops, grass clippings, and kitchenscraps. Otherwise, your local nursery

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A diagram of how to plant rhizomes.


should have several types of compost tochoose from.

FROM ROOT TO FLOWERPruning and TrainingMature plants over three years old requireroot pruning in early spring. Without annu-al pruning, rhizomes will spread throughoutthe yard, hoarding nutrients and water fromthe crown needed by the shoots. The first

spring shoots could also be pruned, encour-aging more robust secondary shoot growth.

Once these shoots are 1-2 feet tall, pick twoto three bines of equal size to train clock-wise from the top. Most sources will instructtraining no more than four to six bines perplant. However, the older the plant andshorter the height, the more bines a singlerootstock can support.

WateringHops require a lot of water, especially intheir first year. Mature plants grow roots 12feet deep and require less frequent water-ing. In areas where irrigation is necessary,never apply overhead water such as sprin-klers. Wet hop foliage and pooling at thebase is an open invitation to fungal diseases.A drip irrigation system is the most water-efficient way to go.

On brew days, irrigate with excess waterfrom your chiller. If you have basic soilswith a pH of 7 or higher, use the slightlyacidic mash water leftover after lautering.Never use water that is too hot or acidic.Also, never water with your sanitizing orcleaning solution, as this will kill beneficialsoil microorganisms.

Pests and DiseaseThe most common hop pests are aphids andtwo-spotted spider mites. Both multiply rap-idly, turning a minor infestation into anightmare overnight. Research in NewZealand hop yards has shown that a preda-tory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis is moreeffective in controlling spider mites thaninsecticides. Likewise, the most effectivecontrol for aphids is ladybugs. Predators canbe purchased at a local nursery, or attract-ed to your yard by colorful flowers. If youdo choose to spray, insecticidal soaps areeffective and have a low incidence of evolvedresistance. Always spray in the morning toprevent sunburn, and remember not toapply chemicals to maturing cones.

The most serious threats to hops, especial-

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Research in New Zealandhop yards has shownthat a predatory mite

Phytoseiulus persimilisis more effective in

controlling spider mitesthan insecticides.

Likewise, the mosteffective control foraphids is ladybugs.


ly in cool and damp climates, are the fun-gal diseases powdery mildew, downymildew, and verticillium wilt. Powderymildew appears as white patches on leaves.Downy mildew forms “basal spikes,” orstunted shoots and laterals with silverycurled leaves black on the undersides. Ver-ticillium wilt appears later in the season,having symptoms of streaked yellow andwilted leaves. It is critical to catch fungalgrowth early by removing and burninginfected tissues. Also, sulfur-based fungi-cides are effective in halting early fungalgrowth.

Preventative measures and constant moni-toring will prevent devastating outbreaksof pests and diseases. The idea is to createan environment inhospitable by pests anddiseases, through encouraging predatorsand promoting good air circulation. Strip-ping the lower 3 feet of the bines in June isthe most important preventative approach.In the event of an outbreak that cannot becontrolled by methods mentioned above,consult your local nursery.

CASHING IN THE GOLDYou’ve planned, pruned and prayed all sum-mer long, and finally, the lupulin arrives!But be patient: a common mistake neophytehop growers make is harvesting premature-ly. Depending on your location, harvestoccurs mid-August through September,with aroma varieties maturing first. As resinsand oils are synthesized, the cone will sendwater and nutrients from the bracts into thelupulin glands, leaving the cone slightlydull and papery. When the cones are dry totouch and the aroma has a euphoric pun-gency, it’s time to harvest. You have overshotyour window if the lupulin turns orangeand smells rancid. If possible, leave thebines intact while picking, so the foliagecan lend its nutrients back to the roots forthe winter.

Freshly harvested hops can either go direct-ly into the kettle or onto a drying screen.Another common (and devastating) mis-take is to improperly dry and store yourharvest. Keep in mind three important fac-tors: time, heat, and moisture content. Toprevent oxidation, drying should never lastmore than three days. Speed up drying byblowing hot air over hops spread out on ascreen. Heat should never exceed 140° F

to prevent rancidity. Dried hops need amoisture content 8-10 percent by weightto prevent molding. When the central strig(inner stem of the cone) is almost brittleenough to snap in half, drying is done.Over-drying will shatter the bracts andshake out precious lupulin.

TUCKING INTO BEDFOR THE WINTERFor all your hard work, you can finally sitback and relax with a fresh, wet-hoppedhomebrew to admire your art. Throughoutthe fall months, the bines will send nutri-ents back down to the roots as cache fornext year’s growth. Your only job now is tocut back the dead bines, cover with com-post and mulch, and start planning for nextyear’s yard expansion.

Ali Hamm is a graduate student atColorado State University studyingorganic hops. She is also "brewmas-ter" of CSU for the undergraduatebrewing science and technologycourse. Ali is joining with the RockyMountain Hops business group topromote a local hop industry.

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