Wed, Sept 14, 2016

If it weren’t for craft beer entrepreneurs, we’d all still be drinking Bud – Miller – Coors.  But then there’s always Bud Light – Miller Light – Coors Light.  Sigh…

The craft beer revolution has really caught on in the Northeast, Midwest and West (especially Oregon!) and thanks to the Boston Beer Co for leading the way with Samuel Adams.  But not in parts of the South such as Texas where the big beer distributors have firm control over what gets in.  Grrr…

My buddy has 24 acres about half of which is leased to his neighbor for feed corn.  The rest is trees, open pasture and access to his dock.  So I wasn’t too surprised when he decided to put some of it to work growing hops.  He has three types: Willamette, Cascade and Centennial.

This required digging holes for the 25ft poles and stringing wire as the hops are vines and they like to climb.  He’s in his fifth year now and growing beautiful product that he sells to the local craft beer producers.  His effort may be coming to an end, however, as it’s proven to be a lot of work for little (financial) reward.  And the hailstorm a few weeks ago didn’t help matters.

Here are some shots of the set-up and the cleaned hops.