If you have no prior beer brewing experience but love to drink, then you should read this article. Today we will discuss the way of making beer and the ingredients inside. You will be amazed to know that it needs a beer hop to ensure that the fermentation process starts.
That’s why the existence and the selection of beer hops are fundamental. You need to know where the beer hops are coming from and what is the best way to grow and isolate them. In their raw form, beer hops look like plant flowers, but they are numerous in size and flavor.
They give the final flavor to your beer, and you should ask chemists to ensure they have the proper hop for their lager or pilsner beer.
Latitude is the Answer
Beer hops come from the Humulus plant, which you can find only in certain parts of the world. To be precise, you can find it only between 20 and 45 degrees latitude. That means you can find it only in continental Europe and certain parts of the United States below the Canadian border.
To isolate the flower, the best time is during spring. There is a narrow time window to collect the blossoming beer hops that are there to give you their best aromas and flavor.
When you cut the beer hops, it’s necessary to keep them in a dry and moderately climatized place.
That way, the hops keep their initial shape and have their freshness till they finally get processed and canned. You can use canned beer hops for your little brewery all add them to larger barrels to create the most impressive and tasty beer you have ever had.
Beer Hops Come from the Humulus Plant
The Humulus plant is like a tree. However, typically florists call it a bush. You can have Humulus plants that can grow up to 30 feet high. Such plants exist in countries with a great beer tradition, like Germany and the Czech Republic.
Hop cultivation was also known to the pilgrims that first immigrated to the United States. Today most of these plants are in Washington State and Idaho, where the rich nitrogen soils are great for giving the best quality beer hops.
Having clear and processed beer hops is all you need to add to your beer mixture. It will give it all the flavor you need and the best possible taste to make you different from all the other producers.
The USA and Europe Are the Best Providers
The United States and European countries are the highest producers of beer hops. You can find them almost in any country member of the EU and especially the ones that are in Central Europe like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. People from these countries have a great love for beer, and they try to find the best beer hops to produce it.
Besides the special character of the various beer hops, it’s also necessary to keep them away from any pesticides or other insects that may want to eat part of them. For that reason, it would be plausible to keep them away from the soil in sealed bags. Today American and European beer hop exporters use closed-can containers.
There you can have the beer hops processed and sealed with the least possible amount of humidity. That method preserves the hops and gives them the required time and surface to mature and give all their internal flavor and aroma potential.
South America and Africa Start Growing Beer Hops
After the great success of the European and American beer hops, it was time for South America and Africa to start planting their Humulus plants.
You can find such plants in places like South Africa and Argentina, where the climate is mild, and you can organize the harvesting at the right time throughout the year.
The beer hops coming from the South American continent have a bitter taste. That is something most beer lovers like since they want to have a certain level of bitterness in their beer.
Others who love to have some sweet corn taste in their beer could have the African ones closer to the American tastes.
Beer Hops Remain Intact When Preserved Right
Another issue about beer hops that we need to mention is their sensitivity to sunlight and the extreme temperature. It’s imperative that you keep the beer hops in the right condition until they are added to the brewing system.
Not all beers have the same taste and level of bitterness. That’s why you need to have the perfect condition on your beer hops. Just imagine them being soaked in water or having some extra humidity and losing their precious flavor and taste.
There is no reason to use them, and you can actually ruin your beer mixture when adding them up.
Modern Breweries Also Grow their Own Beer Hops
Instead of importing beer hops, several breweries in Europe and the United States have realized it’s a lot easier to invest in beer hop plantations.
If they are in a good climatic range location, it’s more profitable for them to rent some lots and start planting the precious Humulus plants.
They will grow in zero time if you give them the right fertilizers and have a stable water intake. That will offer them the chance to live a lot better and grow, giving them the tastiest beer hops you ever had.
Final Words
Beer hops were always present in human history, even from the era of the Ancient Egyptian civilization that had pictures of brewing beer.
Today beer hops are part of a science called plantation chemistry, where you can find precious information about their qualities and the way they work.
They have to be in the perfect shape and temperature to ensure that they release all their aromas into the beer. These hops can make you a rich person provided you cultivate them with care and promote them the right way!
