Local Fresh Hop Beers

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by sharpski, Aug 13, 2014.

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  1. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Kind of a side note, but something I have been curious about. Not meaning to jack the thread here but I think it's relevant. Are there particular, documented conditions that are better or worse for a hop harvest? We had a pretty warm, dry summer, at least if Seattle is any indication of how the weather also was east of the Cascades. Does that bode well or poorly for a good hop season?
     
    #41 Orca, Aug 15, 2014
  2. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The few things that I've heard about this season were that a wet spring (was it?, didn't seem so here in CO which gets many of the same weather patterns) and a clear hot summer made it a good season with some varieties being ready ahead of schedule. Two Beers being able to brew and release their beer by early August was evidence of this.
     
    #42 sharpski, Aug 15, 2014
  3. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Personally, I think it's a VERY good question (which is why I asked a similar question at the Hood River Hopfest several years ago). I buy a lot of wine, and of course wineries and winemakers are all about different vintages, and how or why one particular vintage is better than another. I can't remember now which brewer I asked, but I do recall that he did say that Anyway, by the time he was done giving me his explanation, I didn't feel as if I knew a whole lot more weather conditions absolutely affect the quantity and quality of a hop harvest. Maybe I'd already had too much to drink at that point and couldn't understand what he was saying, but I got the impression that he didn't seem to feel there was a direct correlation between quantity and quality in a given hop harvest.

    than I did before (I was trying to find out if the current, recent hop crop was going to be a good "vintage"). I got the impression that some hop harvests produce higher quality hops than other vintages do, but what those factors are that produce a better than average hop harvest (from a quality standpoing), were either unknown, or he just didn't want to tell me. :slight_smile:
     
    #43 John_M, Aug 15, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2014
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  4. Reidrover

    Reidrover Grand Pooh-Bah (4,886) Jan 14, 2003 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I know Salem Ale Works does a Fresh Hop.early September
    Only in Salem.
    I enjoy McMenamins Thundercone..again early September..but this is a true fresh hop its not nearly as good even 2 weeks after tapping
     
    #44 Reidrover, Aug 16, 2014
  5. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well, I don't know jackshit about hop farming on any sort of scale, but I did grow up, and spend the first 40 years of my life, in the best apple growing region in the world. And, like with any other farm product, weather plays a huge role. If you get a freeze after the blossoms come out, you can lose most of your crop in May. Not enough rain, and the apples turn out small and dry. Too much rain and mold and other pests become issues. I can't see hops being any different. Each crop has it's own needs, obviously, and what's good for one might be bad for another. maybe a "dry" growing season concentrates more alpha acids into smaller cones, and a "wet" season dilutes 'em a bit more? IDK, but there has to be a correlation.
     
    #45 BBThunderbolt, Aug 16, 2014
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  6. derftron

    derftron Pooh-Bah (1,663) Feb 8, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah


    I had mine on tap at the brewpub. never seen a bottle of it. seemed like they had a fresh hop beer for damn near every beer in their lineup!
     
    #46 derftron, Aug 18, 2014
  7. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    No doubt there's an unidentified market for this specific type of beer tourism, similar experience to visiting a vineyard. But it takes more education than the average style or whatever because the flavors are more subtle rather than more "hoppy" as you write above (I agree). No single trait or flavor defines a fresh hop beer to be able to say "that's what you came here for, you can't get that the rest of the year."

    Are you open to collaborating with another local brewery who may not have made a fresh hop beer before to spread the knowledge, or another FH-skilled brewer around the region or nation (Double Mountain, Fremont, Surly, etc.)? From who/where did you learn your FH techniques, or was it all from your own experimentation?
     
    #47 sharpski, Aug 21, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2014
  8. PDX_dennis

    PDX_dennis Initiate (0) Dec 28, 2012 Oregon

    Not usually blown away by Silver Moon beers, but their fresh hop Hoppopatamus is really good.
    Cool label and artwork, too. [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    #48 PDX_dennis, Aug 21, 2014
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  9. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    That label is AMAZING
     
    #49 TheeWalrusHunter, Aug 21, 2014
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  10. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Silver Moon has been killing it lately.
     
    #50 distantmantra, Aug 21, 2014
  11. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    I still have yet to have Maui Wowie from Silver Moon.
     
    #51 TheeWalrusHunter, Aug 21, 2014
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  12. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's on par with the big boys. Really good.
     
    #52 distantmantra, Aug 21, 2014
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  13. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    +1 to this. At least for me, the Maui Wowie was a game changer, as far as my impression of Silver Moon. Am hoping it will be on tap when I stop by this Saturday.
     
    #53 John_M, Aug 21, 2014
  14. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    Iron Goat will be brewing the community "SpoHop" beer on 9/6. This is a fresh hop beer using hops that people donate. I'll be donating my bines this year.

    Last year's version was actually very good. I thought it was better than many other fresh hop beers from breweries that used commercial hops.
     
    #54 leedorham, Aug 21, 2014
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  15. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    Anyone Heading out to Hood River for the Festival this year?
     
    #55 TheeWalrusHunter, Aug 22, 2014
  16. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'll likely go. Since moving back to Oregon (excuse me while I genuflect and thank my lucky stars again), I've gone to the Oakshire fest and the one over in Oaks Park every year instead of the one in HR... but this year I'll be around for the HR event, and IMHO, it's still the best of the bunch (not that there's anything wrong with the PDX or Eugene events... I'll probably go to them as well). It also gives me an excuse to stop by the Big Horse brewpub and sample the current version of Vernon the Rabbit Slayer. So yeah, I'll almost certainly go this year.
     
    #56 John_M, Aug 22, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2014
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  17. Kurmaraja

    Kurmaraja Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 California
    Trader

    I would be shocked if Reubens doesn't do a fresh hop.
     
    #57 Kurmaraja, Aug 22, 2014
  18. Kurmaraja

    Kurmaraja Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 California
    Trader

    Interesting that it took this long for a non-IPA / APA / DIPA to be mentioned. Didn't come to mind immediately, but I really do think the fresh hop thing has a lot to offer to other styles. Logsdon's fresh hop saison for example.
     
    #58 Kurmaraja, Aug 22, 2014
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  19. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Logsdon's say what again? And where might I find it in the greater metropolitan Puget Sound region?
     
    #59 Orca, Aug 22, 2014
  20. Kurmaraja

    Kurmaraja Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 California
    Trader

    They bottle it ... but not sure how much makes it out of portland. It was on tap at Brouwer's fresh hop festival last year. One of the more interesting beers of the fest.
     
    #60 Kurmaraja, Aug 22, 2014
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