7/24/2009

1

Ralph’s World of Hops

Ralph OlsonHopunion LLC203 Division St.

Yakima, WA 98902

Overview of what is to be covered

• Brief History Hopunion• Brief History Hopunion• Commercial Growing • Receiving at the warehouse• Hop Fires• Market Today and Tomorrow and the affectMarket Today and Tomorrow and the affect

to the home-brewer• Open Discussion

7/24/2009

2

Hop Business

Commercial Production

7/24/2009

3

Hop Basics•Typical Field Setup:

•Trellis 18’ highPlant spacing at 3 5’ x 14’ or 7’ x 7’•Plant spacing at 3.5’ x 14’ or 7’ x 7’.

•Result is 889 plants per acre•Anchored twine is used to support plant growth.•40,000 acres = 270,000 miles twine

•The vine wraps clockwise around string.The vine wraps clockwise around string.•Rapid growth: The hop plant will grow a foot or more a day under ideal conditions. 18-25’ in a season.•Perennial-Can live for many years.

7/24/2009

4

• Hops need lots of love and care!

Farming during the growing season

• Powdery mildewPowdery mildew• Downey mildew• Spider mites• Aphids• Worms• Weather- hot, cold, rain, hail, wind• Others-viruses, viroids, nematodes, and it goes on.• Where grown can have different problems.

7/24/2009

5

Testing-Weekly

• Scouts looking at disease and insects• Scouts looking at disease and insects • Water specialists• Tissue samples collected

• Main point-Farmers don’t want to overdueMain point-Farmers don t want to overdue anything as it does have a cost and can hurt the plant

Drip Irrigation

7/24/2009

6

Hop Harvest

7/24/2009

7

Harvesting Hops

7/24/2009

8

7/24/2009

9

Dribble Belt

Empty Kiln

7/24/2009

10

Cooling

7/24/2009

11

Heading to the Baler

Baling

7/24/2009

12

Inspection at Warehouse

Testing for moisturemoisture with a tryerand meter

Inspection at Warehouse cont.

Evaluating a tryer sample

7/24/2009

13

Inspection at Warehouse cont.

Testing for moisture with a meter

Inspection at Warehouse cont.

7/24/2009

14

Inspection at Warehouse cont.

Chemical analysis

Inspection at Warehouse cont.

Weighing hop bales

7/24/2009

15

Fire caused by spontaneous combustion

7/24/2009

16

Warehouse fire 10/2/2006

7/24/2009

17

Aftermath of a warehouse fire

7/24/2009

18

7/24/2009

19

Market Today and Tomorrow

Discussion Points

• Did anyone see shortage coming?Did anyone see shortage coming?• How did shortage come about.• What are the effects on Hi @ VS Aroma• What is being done to reduce the problem• Hops aren’t available and then they are.

Wh ?Why?• Why is the price so high• What does the future hold?

7/24/2009

20

Thank you!!WWW.Hopunion.Com