Making your own beer in the privacy of your own kitchen has really grown in popularity over the last few years. Many people love experimenting with flavors, strengths, and mixtures that give completely different results. It can be a fun pastime that does not require extremely expensive equipment and ingredients. Some even go so far as to try their hands at Illinois homegrown hops instead of purchasing the fruit ready for brewing.
Hop rhizomes are fairly easy to grow yourself if you have a sunny place for them. You can purchase the roots online inexpensively. Once you get them, you need to find a space with room for a pole or trellis as the plants will shoot up thirty feet or so. They need soil with plenty of nutrients and a good drainage system to get them started.
Knowing exactly when the plants are ready to be harvested seems to require experience and a good sense of smell, touch, and sight. Once the fruit appears and is ready to be plucked, you will need a ladder to get to the top of the plants. If you don't have a ladder handy, you can pull the plants to the ground and pick the fruit that way. Commercial growers have equipment to remove the fruit, but most amateur growers don't go to the expense.
Once you have the fruit off the vine, you have to set them out to dry as soon as possible. People who do this all the time invest in a dehydrator for the purpose. Unless you decide to become a serious brewer, you will probably settle for arranging the fruit on a cloth or an old screen that has been protected from any moisture or direct sunlight.
If you intend to use them right away, putting them in an airtight container should be fine. What you are not using immediately needs to be placed in zip lock bags and put in the freezer until you are ready to brew.
Once you are ready use them, it is time to experiment. The alpha acid content can be an issue and determining it can be difficult. Some brewers place the hops in cheesecloth before they add them to the boil. You may have to consult recipes, or friends and family who have experience in this part of the process.
One of the nice things about planting and cultivating your own hops is the lack of special equipment you need and the experimenting you can do on your own with the different varieties and flavors. Selling homebrew may be tempting, but it is not usually a good idea. These batches should be for your own enjoyment and something to share with friends at home.
Making beer for personal consumption can be a fun and interesting thing to try. You don't have to invest much more than your time and a few ingredients to produce a rewarding result.
Hop rhizomes are fairly easy to grow yourself if you have a sunny place for them. You can purchase the roots online inexpensively. Once you get them, you need to find a space with room for a pole or trellis as the plants will shoot up thirty feet or so. They need soil with plenty of nutrients and a good drainage system to get them started.
Knowing exactly when the plants are ready to be harvested seems to require experience and a good sense of smell, touch, and sight. Once the fruit appears and is ready to be plucked, you will need a ladder to get to the top of the plants. If you don't have a ladder handy, you can pull the plants to the ground and pick the fruit that way. Commercial growers have equipment to remove the fruit, but most amateur growers don't go to the expense.
Once you have the fruit off the vine, you have to set them out to dry as soon as possible. People who do this all the time invest in a dehydrator for the purpose. Unless you decide to become a serious brewer, you will probably settle for arranging the fruit on a cloth or an old screen that has been protected from any moisture or direct sunlight.
If you intend to use them right away, putting them in an airtight container should be fine. What you are not using immediately needs to be placed in zip lock bags and put in the freezer until you are ready to brew.
Once you are ready use them, it is time to experiment. The alpha acid content can be an issue and determining it can be difficult. Some brewers place the hops in cheesecloth before they add them to the boil. You may have to consult recipes, or friends and family who have experience in this part of the process.
One of the nice things about planting and cultivating your own hops is the lack of special equipment you need and the experimenting you can do on your own with the different varieties and flavors. Selling homebrew may be tempting, but it is not usually a good idea. These batches should be for your own enjoyment and something to share with friends at home.
Making beer for personal consumption can be a fun and interesting thing to try. You don't have to invest much more than your time and a few ingredients to produce a rewarding result.
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