For The Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness and the Culture of Hops (Brewing Elements) - Hieronymus, Stan Review & Synopsis

 Synopsis

Stan Hieronymus expertly explains the nature of hops, their origins, hop quality and utilization--and even devotes an entire chapter to dry hopping. For the Love of Hops also includes a reference catalog of more than 100 varieties and their characteristics.

Review

Stan Hieronymus, is the editor at Realbeer.com, hes written hundreds of articles for periodicals, co-authored four books with his wife, Daria Labinsky, written Brewing Local (2016), Brewing with Wheat (2010) and Brew like a Monk (2005) for Brewers Publications and contributed to several other publications, including 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die. His travels have taken him to breweries in every state in the country as well as behind the scenes in internationally famous breweries such as De Sint-Sixtusadij Westvleterten and Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn.

For The Love of Hops

It is difficult to believe that at one time hops were very much the marginalized ingredient of modern beer, until the burgeoning craft beer movement in America reignited the industry's enthusiasm for hop-forward beer. The history of hops and their use in beer is long and shrouded in mystery to this day, but Stan Hieronymous has gamely teased apart the many threads as best anyone can, lending credence where due and scotching unfounded claims when appropriate. It is just one example of the deep research through history books, research articles, and first-hand interviews with present-day experts and growers that has enabled Stan to produce a wide-ranging, engaging account of this essential beer ingredient. While they have an exalted status with today's craft brewers, many may not be aware of the journey hops take to bring them, neatly baled or pressed into blocks and pellets, into the brewhouse. Stan paints a detailed and, at times, personal portrait of the life of hops, weaving technical information about hop growing and anatomy with insights from families who have been running their hop farms for generations. The author takes the reader on a tour of the main growing regions of central Europe, where the famous landrace varieties of Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany originate, to England and thence to North America, and latterly, Australia and New Zealand. Growing hops and supplying the global brewing industry has always been a hard-nosed business, and Stan presents statistics on yields, acreage, wilt and other diseases, interspersed with words from the farmers themselves that illustrate the challenges and uncertainties hop growers face. Along the way, Stan gives details about some of the most well-known varieties—Saaz, Hallertau, Tettnang, Golding, Fuggle, Cluster, Cascade, Willamette, Citra, Amarillo, Nelson Sauvin, and many others—and their history of use in the Old World and New World. The section culminates in a catalog of 105 hop varieties in use today, with a brief description of character and vital statistics for each. Of course, the art and science of using hops in making beer is not forgotten. Once the hops have been harvested, processed, and delivered to the brewery, they can be used in myriad ways. The author moves from the toil of the hop gardens to that of the brewhouse, again presenting a blend of history and present-day interviews and research articles to explain alpha acids, beta acids, bitterness, harshness, smoothness, and the deterioration of bittering flavors over time. Perception is all important when discussing bitterness, and the author touches on genetics, evolution, the vagaries of individuals' perceptions of bitterness, and changing tastes, such as the “lupulin shift.” The meaning of the international bitterness unit, or IBU, is not always properly understood and here Stan lays out a brief history of how the IBU came to be and an appreciation of the many variables affecting utilization in the boil and final bitterness in beer. Adding hops is not as simple as it sounds, and Stan's research illustrates that if you ask ten brewers about something you will get eleven opinions. Early additions, late additions, continuous hopping, first wort hopping, and hop bursting are all discussed with a healthy dose of pragmatic wisdom from brewers and a pinch of chemistry. There then follows an entire chapter devoted to the druidic art of dry hopping, following its commonplace usage in nineteenth-century England to the modern applications found in today's US craft brewing scene. The author uncovers hop plugs, hop coffins, and the “pendulum method,” along with the famous hop rocket and hop torpedo used by some of America's leading craft breweries. Every brewer has their dry hopping method and, gratifyingly, many are happy to share with the author, making this chapter a great source for inspiration and ideas. Many of the brewers the author interviewed were also happy to share recipes. There are 16 recipes from breweries in America, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, and New Zealand. These not only present delicious beers but give some insight into how professional brewers design their recipes to get the most out of their hops. As always, Stan imparts wisdom in an engaging and accessible fashion, making this an amazing compendium on “every brewer's favorite flower.”

As always, Stan imparts wisdom in an engaging and accessible fashion, making this an amazing compendium on “every brewer's favorite flower.”"

The Hop Grower's Handbook

With information on siting, planting, tending, harvesting, processing, and brewing It’s hard to think about beer these days without thinking about hops. The runaway craft beer market’s convergence with the ever-expanding local foods movement is helping to spur a local-hops renaissance. The demand from craft brewers for local ingredients to make beer—such as hops and barley—is robust and growing. That’s good news for farmers looking to diversify, but the catch is that hops have not been grown commercially in the eastern United States for nearly a century. Today, farmers from Maine to North Carolina are working hard to respond to the craft brewers’ desperate call for locally grown hops. But questions arise: How best to create hop yards—virtual forests of 18-foot poles that can be expensive to build? How to select hop varieties, and plant and tend the bines, which often take up to three years to reach full production? How to best pick, process, and price them for market? And, how best to manage the fungal diseases and insects that wiped out the eastern hop industry 100 years ago, and which are thriving in the hotter and more humid states thanks to climate change? Answers to these questions can be found in The Hop Grower’s Handbook—the only book on the market about raising hops sustainably, on a small scale, for the commercial craft beer market in the Northeast. Written by hop farmers and craft brewery owners Laura Ten Eyck and Dietrich Gehring, The Hop Grower’s Handbook is a beautifully photographed and illustrated book that weaves the story of their Helderberg Hop Farm with the colorful history of New York and New England hop farming, relays horticultural information about the unusual hop plant and the mysterious resins it produces that give beer a distinctively bitter flavor, and includes an overview of the numerous native, heirloom, and modern varieties of hops and their purposes. The authors also provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the beer-brewing process—critical for hop growers to understand in order be able to provide the high-quality product brewers want to buy—along with recipes from a few of their favorite home and micro-brewers. The book also provides readers with detailed information on: • Selecting, preparing, and designing a hop yard site, including irrigation; • Tending to the hops, with details on best practices to manage weeds, insects, and diseases; and, • Harvesting, drying, analyzing, processing, and pricing hops for market. The overwhelming majority of books and resources devoted to hop production currently available are geared toward the Pacific Northwest’s large-scale commercial growers, who use synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizers and deal with regionally specific climate, soils, weeds, and insect populations. Ten Eyck and Gehring, however, focus on farming hops sustainably. While they relay their experience about growing in a new Northeastern climate subject to the higher temperatures and volatile cycles of drought and deluge brought about by global warming, this book will be an essential resource for home-scale and small-scale commercial hops growers in all regions.

 Hieronymus , Stan . For the Love of Hops : The Practical Guide to Aroma , Bitterness , and the Culture of Hops , Brewing Elements . Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 2012. Tomlan, Michael. Tinged with Gold: Hop Culture in the United States."

The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer

Pull up a stool and learn about beer with the Wench! Craft beer is officially everywhere: there are now more breweries in the United States since any time before prohibition. At the local grocery store, the beer aisle is as big as the cereal aisle. At the bar, it's increasingly hard to choose a beer--the IPA is stronger than the ESB, right? In this book, Ashley V. Routson (aka The Beer Wench) provides the first all-in-one guide that demystifies beer and makes learning fun. She'll quickly bring you up to speed on beer styles, the brewing process, how to taste beer like a pro, and how to pair beer with food. Unconventional tastings, delicious recipes from killer craft breweries, eye-catching photos--and, of course, plenty of beer--means there's never a dull moment.

For The Love of Hops : The Practical Guide to Aroma , Bitterness and the Culture of Hops ( Brewing Elements ) by Stan Hieronymus —Whether you are a brewer or homebrewer looking to understand more about hops or self-claimed hophead seeking to ..."

Brew Your Own Big Book of Homebrewing, Updated Edition

This updated edition of the official homebrewing guide from top magazine and website Brew Your Own is packed with recipes, expert advice, step-by-step process photos, ingredient information, and more. Homebrewers around the world have turned to the experts at Brew Your Own magazine for more than two decades. Now, the editors known for publishing the best information on making incredible beer at home have updated their brewing bible. With all-new information on creating mouthwatering hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, and kettle sours, there’s even more to learn. And with 25 new recipes from popular craft brewers, there’s also more to brew! It’s no secret that, from well-tested recipes to expert troubleshooting, Brew Your Own sets the standard for quality. That means in this book you’ll find the best of the best when it comes to homebrew guides, recipes, tips, and more—making it the ultimate brew-day companion. It’s a first-time homebrewer’s best friend, explaining the entire brewing process from start to finish with step-by-step photography. Yet it has plenty to offer more experienced brewers as well. Inside this updated edition you’ll find: All new recipes for must-brew beers, including popular national favorites and clones for hard-to-find regional cult beers too An expanded section on hops and hopping, including all the most popular hops commercial brewers are using today and new techniques for mastering aggressively hopped styles like hazy IPAs Tips for brewing clean, great-tasting hard seltzer And of course, the book still includes editors’ (and commercial brewer) tips throughout, making sure your next brewday goes as planned Whether you’re looking to get into brewing, up your game, or find inspiration for your next beer, you’ll find it in the big book!

For the Love of Hops : The Practical Guide to Aroma , Bitterness and the Culture of Hops , by Stan Hieronymus (Georgetown, TX: Brewers Publications, 2012) Part of the Brewing Elements series of titles from the Brewers Association, ..."

The Brew Your Own Big Book of Clone Recipes

For more than two decades, homebrewers around the world have turned to Brew Your Own magazine for the best information on making incredible beer at home. Now, for the first time, 300 of BYO’s best clone recipes for recreating favorite commercial beers are coming together in one book. Inside you'll find dozens of IPAs, stouts, and lagers, easily searchable by style. The collection includes both classics and newer recipes from top award-winning American craft breweries including Brooklyn Brewery, Deschutes, Firestone Walker, Hill Farmstead, Jolly Pumpkin, Modern Times, Maine Beer Company, Stone Brewing Co., Surly, Three Floyds, Tröegs, and many more. Classic clone recipes from across Europe are also included. Whether you're looking to brew an exact replica of one of your favorites or get some inspiration from the greats, this book is your new brewday planner.

For the Love of Hops : The Practical Guide to Aroma , Bitterness and the Culture of Hops , by Stan Hieronymus (Georgetown, TX: Brewers Publications, 2012) Part of the Brewing Elements series of titles from the Brewers Association, ..."

Session Beers

Sharing a beer or two with friends after work or play is one of life's many joys. Session beers, whose mild strength invites more than one round, adhere to high quality standards and are dedicated to balance and drinkability above all. Some naturally low-alcohol beer styles were “sessionable” long before that word was coined, but brewers have reinvented traditionally stronger classic beer styles to make them, too, well-suited to casual drinking sessions. Responsible consumption of these high-quality, easy-drinking beers gives beer lovers the freedom to celebrate community and friendship while consuming less alcohol. Such beers can be challenging to brew, but they present many opportunities to showcase skill, flavor, and refreshment. Session Beers explores the history behind some of the world's greatest session beers, past and present. Learn about the brewing processes and ingredients to master recipe development. Explore popular craft session beer recipes from some of the best brewmasters in America, and discover why beer drinkers enjoy exploring and drinking session beers.

 Hieronymus , Stan . 2005. Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them. Boulder: Brewers Publications. ———. 2012. For the Love of Hops : The Practical Guide to Aroma , Bitterness and the Culture of Hops ."

De la Cervoise à la Bière

"Quand un brasseur décide d'en savoir plus sur son métier à travers l'archéologie expérimentale". Cet ouvrage permet d'ouvrir la parenthèse sur ce que pouvait être une "bière" durant le Moyen-Âge. En vous plongeant dans les résultats de nos réflexions et expérimentations archéologiques, vous pourrez constater que le savoir-faire ancien concernant la fabrication de boissons alcoolisées à base de céréales fermentées était déjà ... bien maitrisé !

 HIERONYMUS Stan , For The Love of Hops : The Practical Guide to Aroma , Bitterness and the Culture of Hops ( Brewing Elements ) , Brewers Publica- tions , 2012 LAITINEN Mika , Viking Age Brew : The Craft of Brewing Sahti Farmhouse Ale ..."