The Hop Grower's Handbook

Books

BOOKS ABOUT HOPS

There is not an abundance of books about hops, but below are a few good ones that give great information on the history of hop production, the industry today, and the science behind why hops make beer taste and smell good.

Barth, Henrich Joh, Christiane Klinke, and Claus Schmidt. The Hop Atlas: The History and Geography of the Cultivated Plant. 1st English ed. Nuremberg, Germany: Joh. Barth & Sohn, 1994.

Hieronymus, Stan. For the Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness, and the Culture of Hops, Brewing Elements. Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 2012.

Tomlan, Michael. Tinged with Gold: Hop Culture in the United States. 1st ed. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1992.

BOOKS ABOUT GROWING HOPS

We consulted a number of texts about growing hops to ferret out the best information for small-scale, sustainable hop growers. Not all of the following texts carry the same advice that we provide here since they are mostly geared toward large commercial growers in the Northwest, but they are essential resources for hop growers of all sizes and geographies.

Technical References

Gent, David H., James D. Barbour, Amy J. Dreves, David G. James, Robert Parker, and Douglas B. Walsh, eds. Field Guide for Integrated Pest Management in Hops. Moxie, WA: Cooperative publication produced by Oregon State University, University of Idaho, U.S. Department of Agriculture– Agricultural Research Service, and Washington State University, 2010. http://ipm.wsu.edu/field/pdf/hophandbook2009.pdf.

Hopunion. The Hop Variety Handbook. Yakima, WA: Hopunion, 2013.

Mahaffee, Walter F., Sarah J. Pethybridge, and David H. Ghent. Compendium of Hop Diseases and Pests, Disease compendium series. St. Paul: APS Press, 2009.

Weigle, Timothy. 2014 Cornell Integrated Hops Production Guide. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Cooperative Extension, 2014.

Beginner Guides

There is not a lot of light reading when it comes to the subject of growing hops, but the books below are fun and written with the garden-variety hop grower in mind.

Beach, David. Homegrown Hops: An Illustrated How-to-Do-It Manual. 3rd ed. Junction City, OR: David Beach, 1988.

Fisher, Joe, and Dennis Fisher. The Homebrewer’s Garden: How to Easily Grow, Prepare, and Use Your Own Hops, Malts, Brewing Herbs. Pownal, VT: Storey Books, 1998.

Peragine, Jr., John N. The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Hops, Malts, and Brewing Herbs: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply. Ocala, FL: Atlantic Publishing Group, 2011.

BOOKS ABOUT BEER

These books provide a wide look at beer from its days as a medicinal beverage to today’s elevated realm of craft beer.

Acitelli, Tom. The Audacity of Hops: The History of America’s Craft Beer Revolution. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2013.

Buhner, Stephen Harrod. Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation. Boulder: Siris Books, 1998.

Steele, Mitch. IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes, and the Evolution of India Pale Ale. Boulder: Brewers Publications, 2012.

BOOKS ABOUT HOW TO BREW BEER AT HOME

Below are two of Dieter’s favorite books about home brewing.

Koch, Greg and Matt Allyn, The Brewer’s Apprentice: An Insider’s Guide to the Art and Craft of Beer Brewing, Taught by the Masters. Beverly, MA: Quarry Books, 2011.

Palmer, John. How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Beer Right the First Time. Boulder: Brewers Publications, 1999.

Additional Important Resources for Hop Growers

For growers in areas new to hop production, such as many regions in the eastern United States, many resources can prove unhelpful, if not misleading. They are either geared for large-scale commercial production in the Northwest, which has unique growing conditions, or (if covering small-scale hops production) they are often isolated to garden-variety growing with few details on siting, trellising, cultivation, or harvesting. We have relied on our own experience as hops growers as well as a wide body of existing and emerging research from a number of growers and researchers. We have found the materials put out by the University of Vermont and Cornell Extension agencies to be invaluable; both programs focus on developing the knowledge necessary to fuel the hops renaissance in the East and have many helpful tools for small-scale growers.

BOOKS

Kneen, Rebecca. Small Scale and Organic Hops Production. British Columbia: Left Fields. http://www.crannogales.com/HopsManual.pdf.

ORGANIZATIONS

Steve Miller

Cornell Hops Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension Madison County Hops Program

100 Eaton Street

Morrisville, NY 13408

Phone: 315-684-3001, ext. 127

Fax: 315-684-9290

http://madisoncountycce.org/agriculture/hops-program

Heather Darby

Agronomy Specialist

University of Vermont, Northwest Crops and Soil Program

278 S. Main Street

St. Albans, VT 05478

Phone: 802-524-6501, ext. 437

Email: heather.darby@uvm.edu

Northeast Hop Alliance

http://www.northeasthopalliance.org/

Great Lakes Hops

4135 80th Avenue

Zeeland, MI 49464

Phone: 616-875-7416

E-mail: greatlakeshops@gmail.com

http://www.greatlakeshops.com

Michigan State University Extension

http://hops.msu.edu/

As hop production returns to the Eastern United States regional organizations are springing up to help hop growers. Some of these organizations are more established than others with official websites; others are little more than a Facebook group. We have provided available information here to help new growers connect with existing networks in their region.

Maryland Hop Growers Association

Chapter of the Northeast Hop Alliance

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maryland-Hop-Growers-Association/208992835809884?sk

Michigan Hop Alliance

10065 East Island Court

Traverse City, Michigan 49684

Phone: 616-403-6880

http://michiganhopalliance.com/

North Carolina Hops Project

North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension

Campus Box 7602

Raleigh, NC 27695-7602

Phone: 919-515-2813

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/nchops/

Ohio State University Hops Research

Ohio State University

College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

South Centers

1864 Shyville Road

Piketon, OH 45661

Phone: 740-289-2071

http://southcenters.osu.edu/horticulture/other-specialties/hops

Old Dominion Hops Cooperative

PO Box 261

Lyndhurst, VA 22952

http://www.olddominionhops.com/

University of Vermont Extension N.W. Crops and Soils Program

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Web Soil Survey

http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

Information on Soil Fertility for Growing Hops

Below are some very useful Cooperative Extension fact sheets that will help you understand the important and complicated issue of nitrogen and hop production.

Gingrich, Gail, John Hart, and Neil Christensen. Fertilizer Guide: Hops. Corvallis: Oregon State University Extension Service, 2000. http://buffalo.uwex.edu/files/2011/01/fertilizer-guide.pdf.

Sirrine, Rob. Hops Fertility Part I: Proper Nitrogen Application and Timing Is Crucial for Maximizing Hop Yields. East Lansing: Michigan State University Extension, 2014. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/hops_fertility_part_i.

Darby, Heather. Fertility Guideline for Hops in the Northeast. St. Albans: University of Vermont Extension, 2011. http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/wp-content/uploads/HopFertilityManagementNE.pdf.

Resources for Purchasing Rhizomes, Vegetative Cuttings, and Plants

RHIZOMES

Although there is no source for certified virus-free rhizomes, we have consulted with experts in the field of hop production to put together the listing below of reliable sources of quality hop rhizomes.

Crosby Hop Farm

8648 Crosby Road NE

Woodburn, OR 97071

Phone: 503-982-5166

Fax: 503-981-2141

http://crosbyhops.com/product/hop-rhizomes/

Foothill Hops

5024 Bear Path Road

Munnsville, NY 13409

Phone: 315-495-2451

http://www.foothillhops.com

Freshops

36180 Kings Valley Highway

Philomath, OR 97370

Phone: 800-460-6925

Fax: 541-929-2702

http://freshops.com/

Hops Direct

686 Green Valley Road

Mabton, WA 98935

Phone: 888-972-3616

Fax: 509-837-6577

E-mail: info@hopsdirect.com

http://www.hopsdirect.com/rhizomes/

Lone Oak Hop Farm

6021 Deconinck Road NE

Woodburn, OR 97071

Phone: 503-932-3887

E-mail: hopfever@gmail.com

http://www.loneoakhop.com/

PLANTS AND VEGETATIVE CUTTINGS

The list below provides sources for vegetative cuttings from certified virus-free hop plants.

Bundschuh’s Greenhouses

1033 Victor Road

Macedon, NY 14502

Phone: 315-986-8872

http://www.bundschuhsgreenhouses.com

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County Potted Hop Plant Sale

Cornell Cooperative Extension Madison County Hops Program

100 Eaton Street

Morrisville, NY 13408

Phone: 315-684-3001

Fax: 315-684-9290

http://madisoncountycce.org/agriculture/hops-program/potted-hop-plants-for-sale

National Clean Plant Network, Clean Plant Center Northwest

Hamilton Hall

24106 N. Bunn Road

Prosser, WA 99350-8694

Phone: 509-786-9242

E-mail: healthy.plants@wsu.edu

http://healthyplants.wsu.edu/hop-program-at-cpcnw/purchasing-hop-material/

Zerrillo Greenhouses Inc.

7581 East Taft Road

East Syracuse, NY 13057

Phone: 315-656-8466

USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE PROPAGATION OF CUTTINGS

Hop Plant Propagation Tips from the Clean Plant Center Northwest

http://healthyplants.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Hop-Prop-Tips-R6.pdf

Laboratories

Different labs perform different types of testing useful to hop growers. There are many labs around the country. We have compiled the list below of laboratories we have worked with.

SOIL AND PETIOLE TESTING

Agro-One Soils Laboratory

730 Warren Road

Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 800-344-2697

Fax: 607-257-6808

E-mail: soil@dairyone.com

http://dairyone.com/analytical-services/agronomy-services/soil-testing/

COMPOST AND PRE-SIDEDRESS NITRATE TESTING

Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory

804 Bradfield Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853

Phone: 607-255-4540

Fax: 607-255-7656

E-mail: soiltest@cornell.edu

http://cnal.cals.cornell.edu/

HOPS ANALYSIS

Alpha Analytics

203 Division Street

Yakima, WA 98902

Phone: 800-952-4873

Fax: 509-895-7968

E-mail: info@alphaanalyticstesting.com

https://www.alphaanalyticstesting.com/

University of Vermont Cereal Grain Testing Lab

Jeffords Hall, Room 244

63 Carrington Dr.

Burlington, VT 05405

Phone: 802-656-5392

cropsoilvt@gmail.com or erica.cummings@uvm.edu

www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/hops

When submitting hops for testing write “Hops” on the outside of the package.

Insecticides

Below is a link to an extremely handy chart of insecticides approved for use on hops in several northeastern states. The chart specifies those insecticides that can be used on certified organic farms.

University of Vermont Table of Approved Insecticides for Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont

Table 1: Approved Insecticides on Hops in MA, NY, and VT for 2012

(scroll to bottom of below PDF to see chart)

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/wp-content/uploads/Japanese_beetle_in_hops.pdf

Moisture Calculator

When timing your hop harvest, calculating the percentage of dry matter in your hops is crucial. Below is a link to a handy calculator.

University of Vermont Hop Harvest Moisture Calculator

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/engineering/?Page=hopscalc.html

Equipment

One of the biggest challenges for small-scale commercial hop growers is finding the right-size processing infrastructure. Below is a list of suppliers we have worked with or learned about through our research for this book.

MECHANICAL HOP HARVESTERS

Tom Frazer

Dauenhauer Manufacturing Company

PO Box 6764

Ketchum, ID 83340

Phone: 208-928-7411

E-mail: tfrazer@dmfg.com

http://www.dmfg.com

University of Vermont Mobile Hop Harvester

Christopher W. Callahan, PE

Agricultural Engineering

University of Vermont Extension