OnTap Magazine

A SHORT HISTORY Hops have been cultivated in the UK since at least the early 1500s. Immigrants from Flanders brought with them the principles of growing these fascinating plants and using them to flavour their beer. These immigrants may have brought plants and these interbred with wild hops growing in woodlands and hedgerows. Some of these were prolific in their production of hops, others produced particularly fine beer, but only the very finest hops managed the feat of both. Growers soon found out that they could easily take root cuttings and grow more of their favoured hops. As a result, these hops were named after the growers who first grew them commercially, hence varieties such as Golding and Fuggle were named after their growers in Kent, families with strong roots in the areas until today. Modern farming and the introduction of modern crop protection products, have revolutionised hop growing everywhere. But prior to this the yield of hops was always seriously threatened by enemy number one, the Damson Hop Aphid (which is not an issue in the southern hemisphere.) Crop failures could be expected almost every other year, and so merchants and brewers had to ensure they had three years hop requirements in store, because without hops they could not brew. Over the last hundred years, other pests and diseases have arisen to trouble growers in the northern hemisphere, namely Hop downy and powdery mildews, Verticillium wilt and two-spotted spider mite. The 20th century saw hops going from being handpicked to highly efficient mechanised picking, capable of harvesting, drying and packaging hops in previously unimaginable volumes. This has allowed areas with favourable growing conditions to expand beyond previous limitations. Hop growing has become concentrated with the US and Germany making up 73% of the world hop acreage. As a result, these two hop-growing titans have flourished in quite different ways. Germany has focused on producing high alpha hops (for bittering) in the most cost-effective way possible. The US has found proprietary varieties, previously a niche area, which facilitated reinvestment in growing facilities to such an extent that the growing area has more than doubled (12,054 hectare in 2011 up to 24,239 hectares in 2022); all whilst still being grown by a small group of dedicated farmers. In contrast, traditional landrace varieties like Fuggles, and Goldings (including East Kent Goldings) have been under increasing pressure. These varieties were selected prior to mechanised picking and stood up well to disease pressures at the time they were selected. Unfortunately, diseases change and mutate, finding chinks in the resistance armour that these plants have, and mechanised picking requires cones to be firm and closed, tending to shatter the cones if this is not the case. A CHANGING CLIMATE Recently we have seen evidence of climate change effecting our older varieties. Goldings have always favoured warm weather, but reduced rainfall has led to yields being halved. Fuggles, on the other hand, have always thrived in cool wet summers quite the opposite of recent weather patterns and leaving the few remaining Fuggle growers with yields of less than half. Although, Fuggles and Goldings will continue to be grown for as long as possible, it is proving increasingly difficult. The growing area in the UK has contracted to critically low levels, the remaining farmers, tending this highly sensitive crop, are extremely passionate but few in number. Growers had been very focussed on producing hops for the traditional beer styles of Bitters, Milds and Pale Ales, however as the international trends for modern IPAs and NEIPAs take hold, the UK’s delicate Fuggles and Goldings could have little future. Aphids ontapmag.co.za | Spring 2023 | 19