HOP, Humulus Lupulus, is a dioecious, herbaceous, climbing, deciduous plant.
In nature it is found near banks and canals where it thrives by climbing trees and shrubs, often proving to be a pest by dissemination. Pollination happens by anemophilous methods and, precisely for this reason, the wild ones in the vicinity of crops are eliminated. The selections used for the brassicultural and medicinal sectors are exclusively female, characterised by an oval-shaped inflorescence called cone, consisting of bracts and bractlets rich in resinous glands which, once ripe, release yellow-orange lupulin.
Depending on the variety, lupulin can have different aromatic and bittering characteristics, which confer the specific aroma and bitterness to the beer.
Hops, being a cannabinacea, is also used in the medicinal sector in the preparation of relaxing and calming compounds, precisely because, unlike hemp, it has no hallucinogenic properties.
The spring shoots, which are removed by mechanised agronomic practices, can be previously harvested before the annual cutting of the stump and are very appealing to the catering sector. In fact, they have always been used in Veneto (bruscandoli – Venetian hop shoots), as well as in other regions of Italy, for the preparation of traditional recipes. This niche product is sold on the market in the period preceding the asparagus harvest, with a rather high retail price.
Hops are cultivated on most continents, using different selections that are often patent-protected by production consortia and companies that have been operating in the industry for generations.
The largest producers are the United States, Germany, New Zealand and Slovenia, where they invest heavily in research, processing and hybridisation.
Over the last decade, the market has been invaded by the introduction of countless new patented varieties, often similar to each other in terms of aroma, the result of years of multimillion-dollar research, which, however, has led not only to enormous confusion, but also to the confirmation of the strength of classic varieties and the consolidation of some truly unique varieties that remain the cornerstone of the latest generation of the brewing sector.
In Italy, the hop supply chain is still in an embryonic phase, not only because of legislative gaps on the protection of the field, but also because of the difficulty in gaining the loyalty of the brewing industry and craft brewers, who are not very inclined to experiment when it comes to the use of locally grown and processed material. In recent years, a number of Italian growers have invested in the processing of the finished product, achieving quality and stability in their hops that guarantee a standard-compliant use.
CULTIVATION
Hop cultivation in Italy is favoured by loose soils high in organic matter. However, we also have interesting results with several varieties in medium-textured soils tending to clay, if properly cultivated. A sub-acidic ph of the soil favours most of the classic varieties, but remarkable results are also obtained with a neutral ph not exceeding 8, where the contribution of humic and fulvic acids is decisive.
Drainage is fundamental, in order to eliminate water stagnation, and good ventilation of the aerial part, avoiding areas characterised by the constant presence of strong winds.
The summer water demand is approximately 4-6 litres of water, which can be supplied with a drip system placed at a height of 120/140 cm above the ground and combined with fertigation and pH correction if necessary. Underground planting is not recommended.
The plant requires annual bracing, for which a specific coconut rope or wire with a thickness of 1.1-1.3 is used, depending on the ventilation. These supports are fixed after cutting the stumps on steel guide wires mounted on posts with a height of 5-6m above ground.
The planting pattern can be variable, but is generally characterised by rows every 3m with a 1- 1.2m spacing between the plants along the row, depending on their vigour.
An average of 2 supports are placed on each stump, to which 3-5 shoots selected by vigour are alternated manually.
The plant reaches its maximum height in July and blossoms in August, with ripening of the cone between the end of the month and mid-September, depending on the variety.
Harvesting is carried out by cutting the plant at a height of 1m from the ground and ‘tearing’ the entire aerial part close to the trellis by means of special self-loading wagons or manually, by means of self-propelled vehicles.
The flowers are separated by means of a special threshing machine inside a dedicated building adjacent to the drying room. Drying takes place on ventilated frames with forced hot air at a maximum of 42-50°C, and will result in the flower being reduced by about 3/4 of its weight with a maximum allowable final product moisture content of 8-12%, once cooled. Many aromatic components deteriorate above a drying temperature of 50°C.
The entire product is pressed into bales, prepared for analysis to which, in the event of a positive result, appropriate pelleting follows.
After harvesting, the plant gradually enters a state of rest until spring.
The duration of the plant has no real time limit because it is ‘rejuvenated annually by cutting the stumps’; however, a time limit of 10 years is indicated as a possible longevity, or for a variety change.
SYSTEM
The materials used as posts for the construction of a hop system are generally wood, steel or, as in our case, concrete piles. As is well known, the resistance and resilience of these materials is different; the use of wooden posts, which is still widely used, has failed especially in the last period due to the strong winds that cause them to break with consequent collapse of the entire structure like a domino effect, resulting in a rather obvious economic loss in terms of investment.
The Valente system, focused on concrete posts and optimised through years of experience, features rows of posts every 6m with 10m spacing between them. Hooks and tie-rods allow perfect and easy adjustment and maintenance of the system tension. Due to the height of the structure, the brown colouring of the post is exceptional and fits perfectly in the landscape, mitigating its impact even in municipalities subject to constraints.
In recent years, the need of microbreweries and farm breweries to grow hops on small areas for internal use has resulted in the design of a reduced planting system that we have named ‘GDC Hops’.
The ‘GDC hop garden‘, so called because it recalls the GDC double-curtain vine cultivation system, is being revisited to grow on 5-6m high concrete posts in a single row.
In this way, it becomes possible to cultivate single or parallel rows, lowering production costs and making a small-scale investment that we can define as an entry-level investment both economical and feasible.
This type of planting is very popular in Italy, France and Spain, where small growers are increasingly numerous.
PROTECTION
The protection of the field concentrates on contrasting fungal diseases such as Pseudoperonospora, Oidium, Alternaria, Verticillium, and arthropods such as Black Aphid, Thrips, Pyralid, Bedbug, Spider mite. Very few agrochemicals are permitted and most of the protection is based on prevention, with the use of corroborants that, despite the difficulties in protecting the plant if not used at the right times, guarantee a very healthy product unlike those found in the European and worldwide market.
NEXT STEPS
As of today, we can say that hop cultivation in Italy is already on the right track to be fully competitive on the market, both in terms of planting and the supply of all the raw materials the farmer needs to work.
This result was also made possible thanks to the help of MrHops, a nurseryman specialised in hop plants who, thanks to his experience in the sector, supports us on a daily basis in the design of plants of this type, helping us to make improvements according to the varieties that our customer decides to grow. In this way, moreover, the farmer can have a single point of reference for the entire production process, from the purchase of the plant (among many proposed variants) to the realisation of the system.
MR HOPS
www.mrhops.it
info@mrhops.it