I joined a wave started thousands of years ago by the first brewers, and honed throughout the ages by the German masters, the mad Belgians, self-sufficient monks of all orders, American Patriot Brewers, Charlie Papazian and his motley gang of American brewing rebels, and the legions upon legions of homebrewers, just to name a few. I'm joining them in creating beer, that wonderful social lubricant, sustenance giving liquid bread, art in a bottle.
I'm going to try my hand at growing my own hops. Yep. That's right. The brewing bug has bitten into me and has latched on like a summer tick. I constantly think about brewing and beer, thinking up recipes, designing labels, the whole process at times borders on obsessive (just ask the Missus).
Hops are the cone shaped flower of the hop plant. They are used as a bittering agent to balance against the sweetness of the malt. They are also used for flavorings and aromas, and they are used for their preservative effects as well. Hops are a very integral part of beer. In ages past, before hops became the norm, multiple herbs were used to give bitterness and balance to beer. These historical beers were called gruit, and I'll brew one, one day.
There are numerous varieties of hops, the Noble Hops, English varieties, New Zealand types, and American hops. They all have their differences, such as alpha acid levels and aromas and flavors, and each of them lend their unique spin to beer.
I've chosen 3 American varieties to try and grow, Cascade, Willamette, and Chinook. All 3 are widely used by American craft brewers, and all 3 of these are reputed to be pretty sturdy. I'll put them to the test and see if they are Mississippi proof. Due to landscaping issues at my house, I'll be planting these in big nursery planters and stringing a twine for them to travel up.
I'll keep this updated with the plants progress, and hopefully in the fall, I'll have a decent little hop harvest and be able to share the bounty with all of you.
Cheers! and sorry if I got long winded
Kris
(Cascade Rhizome)
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