Hops have a long-standing tradition of bringing flavor, aroma, and complexity to craft beer. But before they land in your brew kettle, hops go through a transformation of their own, one that we have spent decades perfecting.
From our farm to your glass, we grow, harvest, and process hops with care so brewers and beer enthusiasts around the world can enjoy the bold, unmistakable flavor of hops in every sip.
Before any green shows in early spring, our farmers get to work stringing rows of twine 20 feet high and anchored deep into the soil. Using a one-handed trellis knot passed down through generations, they tie thousands each day.
When the shoots reach 2 to 3 feet tall, the strongest are hand-selected and trained to spiral clockwise up the twine. With that little nudge, they take off, sometimes growing up to a foot per day. By summer, the bines stretch 18 to 20 feet tall and are ready for harvest by late season.
Fun Fact: Hops are perennials, meaning they grow back from the same root system every year. We planted our first rhizomes in the 1930s—and one of them is still producing hops today!
Hop cones are grown from the flower of the female hop plant (thank you ladies). They consist of a center aka the string, which helps the cone keep it's shape and Bracts that grow out from the string, forming outer layers of the cone and protecting all the hoppy goodness inside.
Inside the cone, nestled between the bracts, you find the “gold dust” AKA lupulin. This yellow, sticky powder, holds the alpha acids and essential oils that bring the flavor, bitterness, and aroma to every hop.
Fun Fact: Lupulin is a key ingredient for brewing the best beer. Using good quality hops with the right kind of lupulin could make or break your batch.
Harvesting hops is all about catching them at the right time. Picked too early, and there will be a high moisture content, meaning the flavor won't pack a punch. Too late, and the hops flavor fades or starts to take on different, undesirable, flavors.
We know hops are ready for harvesting when the cones turn a deep green and the lupulin glands start to peek through the bracts. The best way to test if your hops are ready is by rubbing them between your hands to release the lupulin glands and giving them a big sniff.
Once the hops are ready to be harvested, specialized tractors head through the field - cutting the top and bottom of the bine. After being collected, they go through a picking machine to strip the cones off the bines. A series of conveyor belts separates the cones from the rest of the plant, leaving us with the good stuff. Then, the cones enter a hop kiln to control the moisture and ensure that each batch is consistent. After drying, the cones should have reduced moisture content from 80% to around 9-10%.
Now that our hop cones have been separated from the bine and dried, it's time to process them into pellets. This is achieved by grinding the cones in a hammer mill into a powder. The powder is then added to a pellet mill and pressed into holes with heat, forming their shape. After being cooled and dusted off, we seal up the hops and ship them off–directly to you.
Whether you're looking to contract with us, make a bulk spot purchase, or just have a hop-related question, we;d love to hear from you.
Fill out the form below or reach out directly at info@hopsdirect.com or 888.972.3616. Let's talk hops.
