A few weeks ago I trimmed the hedge that runs along the back of our garden. Its a mixed loose old tangle of snow berries, brambles, laurel, other unidentified greenery and right in the thick of it hops!
My reward for clambering on to the low stone wall to reach the high bits, bramble scratches in my hair and other assorted indignities was long hop bines. They're reasonably common in hedgerows around here possibly because there is a bit of a history of hop growing in the area, and there is still a commercial hop farm in a nearby village. Freed from the general tangle I plucked all the hop cones off them, as you can see and set them to dry in the airing cupboard. Once dry they're very light and that bowlful you can see only equals about 2oz of hops.
Just enough to simmer with malt and water last Saturday before putting in to a fermenting bin with yeast. The house smelt like a brewery! Lovely. :-)
So now its happily glugging away.
It'll take about a week to complete the 1st fermentation and then it'll be transferred to a barrel for secondary fermentation and clearing. It'll be stored in cool of the garage.
Should be ready to drink around Christmas.
6 comments:
Oh yummy. We get hop bines around here too - but all I ever do with them is festoon my kitchen. I don't have room to make beer, unfortunately.
Our local pub has great swathes of them pinned to the beams! Looks lovely and rural.
Julie
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Mmmmmmmmmmm sounds like a good Christmas Julie!!!
Of course Denise ;-)
Julie, old oak casks from small breweries used to contain some dry hops when filled to add an extra last minute flavour. The seeds in these survived the alcohol and were often emptied on hedgerows or used as compost by gardeners, hence they just grew where they were thrown, and of course they like the support and air/light given by the hedge!
Cool
Julie
x
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