UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
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HOPS
THE BASICS: The cultivation of hops dates back to at least 860 A.D., based on written records. The female flowers of the hop plant, Humulus lupulus L. [Cannabaceae], have long been used as a preservative and flavoring ingredient in beer. http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/Canada/healthinformation/encyclopedias/HopsandLupulin.asp First of all, the hop plant is a bine, not a vine. A bine is a plant that winds itself around the object it is growing on. A vine is a plant that uses tendrils or suckers to attach itself to the object it is growing on. The hop bine is such a fast growing plant that its growth can be measured after only a few hours. The bine and leaves of the hop plant are rough to the touch. The female flower is the part of the hop plant that interests beer brewers. These pine-cone shaped flowers have thin green leaves instead of hard, brown, sharp growth. At the base of each leaf is a yellow powder that contains the essential oils prized by the beer brewer. Each variety of hop plant has a unique flavor and aromatic oil. These characteristics lend their unique properties to beers brewed with only local hops.
HISTORY:
HOPS MEETS THE BREWER:
MODERN HOP PRODUCTION: CANADA UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM GERMANY CZECH REPUBLIC CHINA
Attributions: (1) US Dep. Agriculture National Genetic Resources Program (NGRP) |
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