Alpha acid values of hops of the 2015 crop and updated multi-year average values

"Table"

On Dec. 17th, 2015, the US Department of Agriculture reported hop production for 2015 increased 11% from 2014, yielding nearly 35,800 tons.

A wild hop variety discovered a decade ago in a Sussex hedgerow has been named overall winner of the British Hop Awards 2015, announced by the Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD).

Hopsteiner is pleased to announce the addition of a new hop farm, River Ranch. The new farm is located near our Mabton, Washington hop farm located in the Yakima Valley. The additional acreage will be used to expand our proprietary hop varieties such as Eureka!, Lemondrop and Calypso. In addition, the extra acreage will allow us to grow some of our new experimental hop varieties as well as traditional hop varieties. River Ranch will have a new hop kiln, baler, warehouse and a new hop combine to aid in the harvesting.

Despite a smaller acreage of spring malting barley in Europe and the drought in early summer the supply of malting barley remained good in 2015. Apart from regional low protein values, the qualities were satisfying in most cases.

As in previous years we would like to demonstrate how the contribution of hop oils to beer can vary from one crop year to another. We have chosen linalool as a representative hop aroma substance as it correlates well with the sensory impression of hoppy aroma in beer.

Until now, the only way to produce gluten-free beers was using gluten-free raw materials such as millet, buckwheat, rice or corn. The taste of these products is not comparable to that of beer brewed in the traditional way. A special technology, developed and patented by Doehler, now makes it possible to remove virtually all the gluten from traditionally-brewed beer. All that remains in the end product is traces of gluten so low that the beers can be marketed as “gluten-free”. Their taste is indistinguishable from that of conventional beers.

The 2015 Hopsteiner Guidelines are ready and will be available at BrauBeviale 2015 in Nuremberg.

Brewing science in sunny California

The small city of La Quinta is located approximately 200 km east of Los Angeles in Riverside County in the US State of California. Due to its warm temperatures year round, La Quinta enjoys popularity as a seasonal home for inhabitants of more northern states, who flock to the area to escape the winter chill. With more than 20 golf courses, the city is also a familiar destination for golfers. La Quinta has also been known to brewers and maltsters since 2009, when the 122nd MBAA meeting was held there. This provided a perfect opportunity for attendees to combine work at the conference with the leisure activities offered at the desert location. This year, the American Society of Brewing Chemists convened at the La Quinta Resort & Club from June 14th to 17th.

Risks associated with water supply

Water comes from the tap or from one’s own well. What more do we know about our water in Germany? That it has to meet the German Drinking Water Ordinance when it is for consumption and that we have enough water in Germany. But is that sufficient? Should we not be a little more circumspect about the quality of our most important raw material?

Viking Malt, one of the leading malting companies in Northern Europe, and Colorado Malting Company (CM) from the United States will start a cooperation to bring original American craft malts to European breweries, according to statements published September, 24th. Starting in spring 2016, this new collaboration contract gives Viking Malt a license to produce CM’s craft malts for European markets. The craft beer boom that has taken Europe by storm has always been greatly influenced by the US beer culture. However, until now, the availability of American malts has been limited in Europe. With this collaboration, Viking Malt is specifically targeting the rapidly growing European craft brewery sector. “This collaboration gives us a chance to offer also American craft malts throughout Europe..