The fresh hop beers we love seem slow coming this year, so let’s look at why.
If you’re like me, you’re chomping at the bit, waiting for draft lists to fill up with fresh hop beers. That favorite brewery of yours, the one that so masterfully creates fresh hop beers, is not dissin’ you. It’s nothing personal. Be patient. A bit behind schedule, perhaps, but the beer is coming.
Allow me to explain a few key points about this year’s harvest and fresh hop beer in general. Last week I visited CLS Farm in the Yakima Valley, where the Centennial harvest had just begun. Some of the info I’m sharing comes straight from the farm.
Better late than never
Generally speaking, in the Northwest the hop harvest begins in early August and continues into early October. The harvest is underway in Washington and Oregon, where about 90 percent of the nation’s hop crop is grown.
Hops mature at their own pace. The calendar does not dictate the harvest. The harvest happens when the hop flowers reach a specific point in their development. Usually, it’s quite predictable, but as we explained in a recent story, environmental realities impact the pace at which hops mature. There is no rushing it.
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- This year, the Washington harvest started a bit late, but the impact on the timing of the overall harvest season remains to be seen.
- Harvest in Oregon started right on schedule this year. The harvest in Oregon thus far has not been late.
Pick Window
There are dozens of hop varieties grown in the Pacific Northwest. Each one of these varieties fits into a harvest window, which is often referred to as a pick window. Centennial and Sabro hops are typically among the first hops to come ready. Fresh hop beers brewed with those varieties are among the first to hit the market. (See the chart below for more about where certain varieties fit into pick windows.)
On top of that, the Oregon crop is usually a couple of weeks ahead of the Washington crop. Many of the first fresh hop beers are brewed with hops from Oregon. Folks down in Oregon are lucky in that regard. The Willamette Valley typically produces about 20 percent of the nation’s hop crop. Only certain varieties are grown there.
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The Yakima Valley produces over 70 percent of the nation’s hop crop. This includes dozens of varieties. Most fresh hop beers brewed with Yakima Valley hops are just now hitting the primary fermenters and are still a couple of weeks away from your pint glass. The first ones, probably made using fresh hops on the cold side (geeky brewing term), will be the first to reach consumers.
Harvest in Washington started a bit late this year. Remember, these things happen at their own pace. The Centennial harvest, which generally marks the beginning of the harvest season in the Yakima Valley, started a couple of weeks late this year. Will other varieties come in late, too? We will see. As explained in a previous story, farmers think some other varieties will come in early. For example, CLS Farms already started harvesting Zappa, which is generally considered an early- to mid-harvest hop.
Be patient. Fresh Hop beers are on the way. A lot of them! I predict we’ll see more fresh-hop beers than ever before this year. And if they show up a bit late, who cares? That just means they’ll be around later into the season.
The chart below is for illustrative purposes only. It does not show all hop varieties.
