5 reasons to plant hops

5 reasons to plant hops at home !

Many of us like to brew our beer, because in addition to having a good time, there are possibilities for customization and creativity that a beer in a store will not give us.

Hops represent a tiny quantity in the ingredients of beer, but its contribution is immense: it gives it bitterness, stabilizes it, but above all, gives it unique aromas depending on the varieties of hops used, the moment of addition , method of addition and quantity.

If you thought you needed acres of land and full time to grow your hops, think again: amateur hop cultivation is accessible, even in small spaces, and it is rather simple to implement, to convince you, we have listed the 5 reasons to plant hops at home:

One plant: up to 200 liters of beer!

The average use of hops in a beer is 250g per 100 liters of beer, in the first year a bare root of hops can produce up to 200g, and up to 500g in the third year! For this, you will need a sufficiently rich substrate, good irrigation, and staking... up to it!

One plant: up to 200 liters of beer!

Doesn't need a lot of space

A simple culture container of 70 to 100 liters is enough for the hops to develop, which makes it a plant that adapts even to the most cramped places such as balconies in the city, where horizontal space is lacking, but not vertical space! 🙂

This explains the support of many municipalities for the installation of micro-hops in the urban space, the most emblematic is surely that of the Opéra Bastille, where our hop plants were planted in 2018 by the company Topager and amateur hop growers in the capital.

From there to supplying all the breweries in the country, we are not there, but it is still more pleasant than concrete walls!

Doesn't need a lot of space

Hops are a shade plant

A vine can grow up to 10 meters and is, in its good years, up to 1 meter in diameter: it offers an excellent shading solution to protect our summer aperitifs from the sun's rays, be creative: pergola, teepee, bamboo structure, a wall of hops with a culture net... the vine will appreciate any support to climb!

Hops are a shade plant

Hops have many medicinal properties

Among the amazing properties of hops:

- Natural sedative: fights sleep disorders (hence the famous hop pillows!)
- Fights minor digestive disorders
- Disorders of the menopause: reduction of hot flashes and nervousness.
- Appetizing action: appetite improvement.
- Febrifuge effect: regulatory role.
- Antiviral and antiseptic properties, hence its use in beer from the Middle Ages, hops would have been an effective weapon in the fight against diseases and viruses.

Recently, several studies have highlighted the positive effects of Xantohumol in weight loss, this antioxidant compound present in large quantities in hops dissolves cholesterol and reduces weight gain. Who said that hops were only used to flavor beers? 😉

Hops have many medicinal properties

Homemade hops give unique characteristics to your beer

The location of your hop plant, and its "pedo-climatic" environment (soil and climate conditions) are unique, hops are sensitive to each of the elements of the soil, rains, temperatures, hours of sunshine. .. the "terroir effect", a term more often used for the vine, is also central in the cultivation of hops: these factors will greatly influence the aromas, your hops will therefore be UNIQUE, and your beer too!

Spring is a great time to plant hops, so think about your next Season or IPA recipe using homemade hops now!