The Hop Grower’s Handbook: The Essential Guide for Sustainable, Small-Scale Production for Home and Market

Hops is a powerful medicinal plant that has been used for millennia for a variety of ailments (it is a member of the Cannabaceae family—the same family as cannabis). Recently, hops has become the go-to plant for brewing beer, according to authors Ten Eyck and Gehring, home brewing enthusiasts and owners of the Helderberg Hop Farm in upstate New York. As the authors explain, hops provides the botanical element in beer that offsets the sweet sugars and malts with that hint of bitterness, or bite, that really makes the beer. It also helps head retention and acts as a preserving agent. This book provides a great deal of information about this botanical prize, including tips for selecting the best site to grow it, optimal trellising, controlling insects, harvesting, and drying. The authors also guide would-be brewers through the pricing, packaging, and sale of hops, and include some recipes. This is an indispensable resource for the prospective microbrewer and a great study of the wonders of this little-known plant. (Sept.)