Hop plants have been around for many years, from things I have read and studied, it seems hop plants have been being used for 1,000's of years. Many countries have many popular festivals even about the harvesting time. So what is it about this plant.
I will start by saying there are two species with the first and most common being Humulus Lupulus . The second is a variety Humulus Japonicus. Both species belong to the Cannabinaceae Family. For those that don't know cannabis (Marijuana) is also in the Cannabinacea Family which makes hops a cousin. The Humulus Lupulus variety is commonly found growing in North and South America along with Europe and Asia. The Humulus Lupulus is the common variety that provides us with the magic ingredient in beer. The Humulus Japonicus is usually found in Japan. I do not know much about the Humulus Japonicus other then the plant is usualy grown as a barrier.
Of course different regions grow different varieties and have a wide range of flavors and bitterness. The part of the hop flower that we get the most flavor and bitterness from are yellow sack which appear to be pollen found inside each flowered cone of the plant. In brewing the important parts for us are the resins, which hold the essential oils and tannis, giving us flavor and bitterness.
This photo shows a hop flower cut open and exposing the pollen sacks inside.
Here are some hops that I grew, the larger is Magnum hops and the smaller being Cascade hops. So you can see even the size can be drastically different.
I have been brewing beer for about 30 years now. When I first started with my dad and brother in my parents garage there were only about 5 varieties of hops to choose from. Now the hop varieties are in the 100's and seems more are being cultivated every year. When I first started brewing, hops either came from Europe or Yakima, Washington. Now, living in the bay area of California I see hop plants grown in some of the rural areas nearby.
A little bit information on the hop flowers themselves, besides being used for brewing people have used and contiue to use the hop flower as a dietary supplement. The hop flower has many special qualities one being it inhibits bacteria. Due to the hop stopping bacteria you can see old beers not rot, however they may not taste very good. Other properties that the hop provides are;
Almost seem to be a magical ingredient don't they.
So now that you know a little about the plant. Lets talk a little about how the hop is used in the beer. There are many different lengths and ways of adding hops for this I will discuss a simple beer that is brewed for an hour.
So if you add hops at the beginning of your boil and boil them for 60 minutes they loose much of their flavor and aroma, so you are left with bitterness. The majority of your bitterness comes from this addition.
Once your boil has been on for about 30 minutes you may add additional hops that with still have bitterness but provide you with flavors. Some hop varieties may give tropical fruit flavors, citrus fruit flavors, or piny flavors depending on what you are looking for.
When your boil has 0-10 minutes left you would add another addition of hops and this one provides mostly aroma. It still gives flavor and bitterness but mainly aroma is what we are looking for.
The last time you would add hops to you beer would be while it is ferementing and that is most commonly done on something with the high bitterness and strong hop taste of something like an IPA. At this point hops are tossed into the fermenting beer, each brewer decides how many days the fermentation will occur before adding this last addition of hops.
So hops can have health benefits, It for sure stops bacteria growth in the beers which is what allows some beers to age for months without spoiling. Hops come in many sizes with numerous flavor and bitterness combinations. So next time you enjoy a frosty beer think about that magical hop that made that beer, what try to figure out what hop it is. You may also think of the brewer who spent hours adding just the right bitterness / flavors from the hops to give you that perfect beer.
I wrote this article because I enjoy IPA beers so much and the Hops are the star.
Besides me almost always having a homebrewed IPA on tap my bar refrigerator is usually stocked with them as well and always a Guinness. Guinness for the black and tans and my favorite black and IPA.
So one last photo of my happily finishing harvest of my magnum hops. I grow 4 different varieties of hops Magnum, Cascade, Northern, and Columbus. Hops are very easy to grow. Two things to look our for though when growning. The first is that they can completely take over an area. The second is the vines have stiff hairs on them and some people can feel a burning sensation and red welt if the hairs drag across your skin.
I felt I would add this about the four hops i grow.
Magnum hops are high in bitterness. Smell like apple, spearmint, and lemon. They have a flavor of citrus and spice
Cascade hops are mildly bitter. Smell like citrus, floral, and spices. They have a flavor of grapefruit.
Northern hops are moderatly bitter. Smell like evergreen, wood, and mint. They have a flavor of earth and pine.
Columbus hops are high in bitterness. Smell like black pepper, licorice, and spice similar to curry. They have a flavor of earth and spice with a slight citrus.
There is such a wide world of hops flavors, bitterness, and aroma our there. Many IPA's list the hops on the bottle or can so try something new.
Hopefully this article was interesting and maybe you learned something you didn't know. Thanks for reading it through and hope you are able to enjoy a great beer this week.
