The Boston Imbiber
'Sophical Maunderings on Hops and Beer
July 1998: Thoughts On Hops, History, and H2O
As the homebrewing and microbrewing renaissance in America brings us back in touch with the forgotten traditions and pleasures of making and enjoying good beer, the tradition of hop-growing is being rekindled as well. One of the most enjoyable aspects of growing hops is the annual period of hop-picking. During this period, the practical necessities of bringing in the hops have traditionally created a need and opportunity for temporary helpers to experience a social, monetary, and physical rejuvenation. The benefits of hop-picking have not escaped the notice of our great literary figures, either.
In his autobiographical novel "Of Human Bondage," W. Somerset Maugham described the pastoral beauty of the hop-fields of Kent and was "fired with enthusiasm at the thought of spending a fortnight so close to the earth and amid conditions which needed only a blue sky to be as idyllic as the olive groves of Arcady." The sunshine, fresh air filled with the aroma of lupulin, and pleasant work made the hop-picking time most enjoyable. "After a day in the open air, with the aromatic scent of the hops all round them, the happy pickers slept like tops." The annual outing to go hop-picking was considered the best of holidays. "The work was not hard, it was done in common, in the open air, and for the children it was a long, delightful picnic; here the young men met the maidens; in the long evenings when work was over they wandered about the lanes, making love; and the hopping season was generally followed by weddings." Indeed, the protagonist met and fell in love with his future wife in the hop-fields of Kent.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, New York State led the country in hop production by growing over eighty percent of the nation’s crop. As in England, hop-picking season in America was considered an annual social event, vacation and adventure. For a sampling of early American hop-history, check out the Madison County Historical Society’s 3rd Annual Madison County Hop Festival on August 1, l998 in Oneida, New York. The festival includes displays of 19th century hop growing tools, displays and activities by local historical organizations, an 18th century beer brewing demonstration, folk music, dancing, guest speakers, and displays of brewing memorabilia. Don’t miss the exhibit “BitterSweet: Hop Culture in Central New York” and the video: “When the Hop Was King in Central New York.” There will also be samplings from local microbreweries, home-brewing demonstrations and more. For more information contact Thomas Kernan at The Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main Street, PO Box 415, Oneida, New York 13421, phone: 315-363-4136, or see their Hop Festival Press Release or go to New York Hops Growers Association for particulars and directions.
Those who have already experienced a hop-harvest understand the uplifting nature of this period. My personal experience always includes the joyful realization that I am gathering an ingredient essential to a continued supply of excellent beer! Thus, a noble sense of purpose is added to the pleasant social, recreational, and practical experience of hop-picking.
My experiments with growing hops in Arizona are proving that hops are a very determined plant. The desiccating effects of one hundred seventeen degree temperatures combined with the blistering desert solar radiation are creating a very harsh existence for my delicate first-year plants. So far they are meeting the challenge, but their leaves are beginning to dry out at the edges and I am beginning to worry. If my hop plants can make it through this record-breaking hot summer, I think their roots will develop a deep enough perfusion to enable the plants to go beyond mere survival and on to bearing cones next season.
Here in the desert, the importance of water is constantly being underscored. Plants will dry out if just one watering is missed, radiators are constantly boiling over, and we’re always running out of beer and ice! Our slogan is "dehydration is your worst enemy," and hop-growers all over the country should bear this in mind. Hops are a thirsty plant. Their great amount of foliage creates a large surface area for water evaporation. So be sure to monitor your hop leaves for signs of dehydration, and give them plenty of water.
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Byline: Patrick D’Luzansky is a homebrewer (and engineer) and has been growing hops in his backyard in Cambridge, Mass for over ten years (although he is presently in Arizona trying to avoid dehydration.) He is the producer of the how-to video “Secrets of Growing Your Own Hops” available at your local homebrew supply store, through the website http://www.netcom.com/~dluzanp or by calling 1-888-GRO-HOPS.
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