Ever wondered about the process of beer making and the ingredients involved in creating this amazing beverage? A critical component is hops, a cone-like flower from the plant Humulus lupulus, belonging to the horticultural family Cannabaceae.

This stunning flower is packed with oils, acids, and resins. The unique tastes of beer, including citrus, floral, grassy, spicy, woody, and even earthy flavors, all credit their existence to the diverse variety of hops.

Hop plants are rapidly growing, herbaceous perennials native to the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Only the female plants grow cones used as hops, while the male ones aid in pollination. These plants sprout from rhizomes, also known as rootstalks, and require direct sunlight and at least 15 hours of daily sunlight for successful cone production. They grow best with ample spring water and warm summer temperatures. In regions like San Diego County, additional irrigation may be necessary for the hops to flourish.

Hop plants prefer a deeply drained, sandy loam soil with a pH ranging between 6 and 7.0. The nutrition of these plants relies on the spring application of fertilizers, along with manure or compost.

Downy mildew, wilt, and viral diseases are common enemies of hops. Weaker adversaries include spider mites and hop aphids. Despite these challenges, it’s a sad fact that the plants are non-resistant to herbicides or pesticides. In spite of these obstacles, commercial cultivators have devised ways to successfully manage these diseases and pests.

During the American Prohibition era spanning 1920 to 1933, beer brewing was completely on hold in the U.S. However, as the 1970s saw the removal of the federal tax on homemade beer, a renewed interest in home brewing spread across the nation.

In the world of hop varieties and diversity, the U.S. is a pioneer. The nation is known for creating new hop varieties, with the citizens inclining towards the citrusy, fruity, and floral scents in their beer.

Although there are countless hop varieties worldwide, there are nine major hops variety players in the U.S.: Chinook, Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, Mosaic, Citra, Magnum, Simcoe, and Columbus. Cascade introduces a hint of grapefruit in beer, while Centennial offers a bitter and citrusy aftertaste to the brew. Columbus, on the other hand, has bittering properties and is used towards the end of brewing. It imparts a citrus and wooden flavor to the beer. Unique flavors are created in the brewing process by using different hop varieties, leading to an intriguing mix of alpha acids.

The Europeans also craft new varieties, and currently the most popular among beer drinkers are Mandarina Bavaria (citrus note), Hallertau Blanc (like a fine white wine) and Polaris (think glacier candy!).

In response to the key question: How is beer made? The answer is quite straightforward. Four ingredients are central: malted barley, hops, water and yeast. Malted barley, scientifically known as Hordeum vulgare, is the essential grain that yeast ferments to bring beer to fruition. Hop flowers are responsible for the flavor, aroma and bitterness of a beer and they’re mostly added at three separate stages: bittering, aroma and flavoring. It is interesting to note that the mineral content in water, varying across different parts of the globe, is responsible for the differing tastes of beers.

While growing hops in San Diego County for private use might be tempting, it requires time, the correct growing conditions and a lot of patience. Growing hops in a container is feasible, provided there is enough space for the roots to sprawl. This is a significant challenge for a homebrewer/grower since the roots have the potential to grow to a depth of 15 feet or more.

The growth of hop plants requires a very tall trellis, up to 16 feet, and coir twine (coconut fiber) to provide strong vertical support. These plants also demand large quantities of water, ideally through drip irrigation, and the soil needs to be rich in fertilizers such as nitrogen (in large amounts), potassium and phosphates. A blend of sandy clay loam, sandy loam, silt and loamy sand is ideal. Commercial fertilizers and manure are readily available for home growers.

Varieties known for their high yield and versatility — such as Cascade, Columbus, Chinook and Crystal — are good selections for San Diego County. Hops will begin to ripen around August. The first year of growth is dedicated to establishing root growth. The second year, you can expect to see a normal crop based on your climate conditions.

Those interested in brewing beer may want to contact the USA Hop Growers of America, San Diego Hop Growers Association, and the Brewers Association. In addition, check out the UC Cooperative Extension page at ccsmallfarms.ucanr.edu or visit several of the 150 local breweries throughout San Diego County. The next USA Hops Convention for growers and grower support will be held in Coronado from Jan. 21 through 25, 2025.

Cheers!

Sands has been a UCCE Master Gardener since 2014. You can follow her walking through hops farms in Germany, talking with enthusiastic beer growers here in San Diego or sampling new beer varieties west of the Rockies.

Get free home gardening advice on the UCCE Master Gardeners of San Diego County Hotline, (858) 822-6910, or by email at help@mastergardenersd.org.