How to Grow Your Own Hops for Great Beer

It takes great hops to brew great beer. Any self-respecting home brew expert knows that. What he may not have considered is the control he can add to his brewing experience by growing his own. Hops have been assigned the Latin name, Humulus lupulus. Although strictly termed bines, for all practical purposes, hops grow as a vine, generally 20 to 25 feet along coarse, strong twine, later reaching even greater lengths. Hops are grown vertically, though some prefer a stretch of twine angled from the ground at one end to a pole at the other end.

It is not generally desired to include male plants, as fertilization produces seeds, which merely interfere. The flowers resemble cones, complete with scales. The scales secrete "lupulin," a yellowish resin which contains compounds called alpha-acids and essential oils.

Grown from Cuttings

Hops are not generally grown from seed, but from rhizome cuttings. There are good reasons for that. Cuttings do well for one thing, and by so doing one avoids growing male plants that merely take up space. Commercially, hops were commonly grown along the East Coast; however, due to moist air Downy Mildew became a major problem. They are now largely grown along the drier West Coast, in states such as Oregon and Washington. Hops plants sprout about March to April, and prefer deep, fertile soil with good drainage, at the same time receiving sufficient moisture. Sun should be full. Wind should be moderate.

It will be probably be necessary to start the vines by hand along the strings, twisting them counterclockwise, as that is their natural growth pattern. The vines will grow into summer, and when ripe, will have a paper-like texture, be light, and produce lupulin that is canary-yellow in color. The lupulin of immature flowers will be a lighter yellow. When it is time to harvest, a tall ladder is necessary, as the cones are picked by hand. Rather than pulling them, it is good to snip the cones from the vine. Commercially, they are machine-harvested in the United States. Harvesting is continuous-it is important to pick the cones when they are ripe, but not overripe.

Insects and Fungus

Pests include Hop Downy Mildew (Pseudoperonospora humuli), Japanese beetles, mites, aphids, and deer. The preferred method of dealing with the mildew is to choose resistant cultivars, reduce humidity, and maintain a modest airflow. If these do not suffice, an appropriate copper-containing spray fungicide may be employed. Japanese beetles may be dealt with in part by avoiding other plants in the area that draw Japanese beetles, using traps to capture the beetles, treating the surrounding ground to kill larvae, or, least desirably, spray the plants themselves. Care should be used in the lattermost instance to avoid contamination of the lupulin.

Storage

It is best to use hops as close to harvest time as possible. Storage at cool temperatures away from the atmosphere as much as possible is desirable. Some store hops under carbon dioxide gas to avoid oxidation. Commercial providers of superior hops may vacuum pack them.

References and Resources:

University of Vermont Extension Service - Hops Web Pages

Oregon State University, Extension Service - Hops Fertilizer Guide

Real Beer - Welcome to the Hop Page (Glenn Tinseth)

University of Idaho, Department of Plant, Soil, and Entomological Sciences - Hop Downy Mildew