It happens only once a year. To some, its better than any Christmas present you'll ever receive. Hop Harvest! The long sunny warm days of summer give yield to the finest freshest hops. This year is no exception, and its harvest time in Whitefish, MT on Glacier Hops Ranch.
One of the four ingredients in beer is hops, correct? We drink hoppy beer all year long, so what's the big deal about fresh or "wet hop" beer?
Hops are like fresh cut grass...the freshness (flavor and aroma) starts composting in 24 hours after you pick them, so you better either brew with them immediately, or kiln (dry) them to preserve the cones' oil. When you use the fresh hops immediately, you acquire a high percentage of the internal essential oils, which provide amazing flavor and aroma. Think herbs. Fresh cut herbs used in cooking are far different in flavor than dried. Same with hops.
If brewers were to exclusively use fresh hops at harvest, this would mean only brewers in close proximity to hop farms could brew because you must immediately transport hops directly from farm to brew kettle before degradation quickly sets in. Also, beer would only be available in late September and October. Dreadful. With that being said, the majority of hops are quickly transported to large dryers to have the moisture removed, at which point they are vacuum packaged, either in whole leaf or pelletized form to preserve it for future use. Pelletized hops, if stored correctly can be used up to 2 years later, with varying amounts of degradation.
This is the reason "fresh" hops are so geeked-out and sought after this time of year! The fresh hop oil provides intense flavor and crazy aroma straight from the plant...you are getting the true hop flavor. With this comes a short shelf life too. Fresh hop beers are one of the last true seasonal craft beers and must be enjoyed ASAP.
With the peak of the 2016 harvest happening now, expect to find wet-hopped beers on store shelves and tap lines very soon. Grab them up! When you spot one, don’t hesitate...its yours!
In the next few weeks, I plan to write a post specifically discussing farm-fresh distilled hop oils, which captures the essence of fresh hops. It's pretty amazing stuff that can offer brewers fresh hopped beer...ALL YEAR LONG! Ask me about it!
sue@glacierhopsranch.com
Cheers!
Nick Rigler pick of the week...there are some great fresh hopped beer...especially up in Seattle! You'll find plenty this time of year, and now that you are of legal drinking age, hunt them down and let me know what you come up with. Plenty of local beers for you to try. Hurry up though!