U.S. Hop Harvest: A Growers’ Guide

Photography courtesy of Indie Hops

All the experts say the focus for the current hop harvest starts in springtime—March or April—observing the weather patterns that will dictate much of what will happen in August and September as the hop plants bloom, reproduce, and bud.

CLS Farms Customer Relationship and Brand Manager Claire Desmarais says they keep an eye on all the weather patterns, and then as they near the season, they check the fields daily to pull cones and bind structures to see how cones are developing.

“We are figuring out when we should start labor and delivery schedules,” Desmarais says. “Depending on variety mix-up and load, you might start earlier or later. We watch for maturity—field checks are the most important thing, looking for physical and sensory.”

Desmarais says everything picks up at the end of July and early August when they begin checking regularly. While some go for dry matter testing, CLS Farms opts for testing the oils.

“You pull samples a week or two ahead of when you think you’ll pick it to test thiol oils and they will give you a graph,” she says. “We’re bringing science into this a little more.”

As the season approaches, HOPGUILD Co-Owner Chris Holden says, in addition to preparing the fields, they get ready for brewer visits.

“Most of the prep is done ahead of time, about a month or so beforehand,” Holden says. “We get equipment out and cleaned up. Then we get the harvester turned on, let it run, and get it ready—any lupulin is loosened up—then we pressure wash.”

Holden likens it to cleaning up your house. It’s standard stuff that has to happen to avoid breakdowns and serves as a preventative measure. He says these steps prevent potential breakdowns and crucial time lost during harvest. For example, last year, binds to a chopper kept getting stuck and eventually tore apart, costing them five-plus hours.

“They don’t get used all year,” Holden says. “You don’t want to be embarrassed [in front of a brewer] when something breaks.”

As brewers arrange visits, Holden says they are working on the presentation.

“Prepping would be cleaning fields and making sure it looks nice,” he says. “If there is a heavy cover crop, we’ll clean that up. We’re trying to make things more accessible.”

John I. Haas Sensory Manager Jeff Dailey says it is imperative to spend several weeks with the sensory panel to train them.

“As we get closer to harvest—around mid-July—a refresh sensory needs to be done on raw hops,” Dailey says.

But Haas does much more to prep for the harvest.

“There is a lot of monitoring,” Dailey says. “Air quality, looking at the climate from March through mid-July. Then, air quality from the end of July to the beginning of September.

He adds, “Prep is a lot of data work and praying that things turn out the way we want them to.”

Haas also preps rooms for quality control checks and works with farm teams to establish customer priorities—anything to cross their T’s and dot their I’s.

“It’s a lot of reviewing of lots to determine which are preferred by breweries,” he says. “Then, it’s hurry up and wait for a lot of the year.”

Yakima Chief Ranches (YCR) Director of Grower Services Joe Catron says they conduct numerous tests to determine when to harvest cultivars.

“We’ll do chemical testing to make sure things are where they need to be,” Catron says. “We do dry matter testing, quick and dirty matter testing, to get a base number where the ripeness is moisture-wise.”

Catron says it’s ready to pick if the hop is seventy-five percent moisture and twenty-five percent dry matter.

“We can also grab samples and send through oil distillations, get all peaks and valleys of oil distribution, and get a true-to-type oil,” Catron adds.

Although picking windows are relatively known, they can change each year. That’s where YCR’s extensive testing helps. In the lead-up to harvest, the Zillah, WA-based hop farm uses this information to make sure its growers can intelligently plan their harvest schedule.

“Certain years, depending on weather events and cycles, determine optimal ripeness for each cultivar,” Catron says. “Then when it starts, it’s all hands on deck and a race to the finish.”

Photography courtesy of Indie Hops

YCR has developed high-tech labs in-house to determine when to pick hops. In conjunction with the YCR experience, that helps get the best quality each year.

“We want to respect the input of growers. … Science corroborates what our experienced farmers have seen their whole life,” Catron says.

Catron notes they lean on the data to verify the input from growers and previous details gained in other harvests, as well as tracking weather patterns throughout the spring and summer.

It’s up to the individual farmers when a hop is ready to pick,

Jeff Dailey - John I. Haas

According to Holden, right off the bat, they sit on plants for three to five years to get the appropriate maturation period. During picking season, they check the bines every day or every other day.

“We take dry matter testing, and are smelling different plants, as well as different heights on the plants, too,” Holden says. “Then we check the dry matter to determine when to pick.”

Holden says they have also played around with HopTechnic’s Harvest Optimization tool, a more scientific approach to dry matter testing, which tests for moisture in hops.

“They take a score on thiol or terpene profile and get analysis and a rating on the aroma intensity,” Holden says. “It can give you a nice selection date based on that test.”

Dailey notes that Haas grows about forty percent of its own hops but also offers a good chunk of hops from partner companies.

“It’s up to the individual farmers when a hop is ready to pick,” Dailey says, noting they work in tandem. “Typically, it’s at dry matter testing. They do samples every day, and when they hit a certain number, they pick it that day or the next.”

CLS relies on data and input, but at the end of the day, the CLS team makes all the decisions.

“We have all these people with experience and knowledge,” Desmarais says. “We have physical indicators. Some want really green hops. Some yellow in El Dorado is more desired because it has that later window.”

She adds, “We take feedback from HopTechnic, brewers, what the season looks like, and then determine day by day.”

Desmarais notes that they are flexible with the pick dates, ultimately determining them by their internal sensory and supplementing their decisions through the feedback.

Photography courtesy of ISM Brewing

CLS Farms relies on a lot of brewer feedback for its picking; they bring insights to the farm.

“[Since the craft boom] when brewers started coming out, they were looking for bolder flavors, asking ‘What would happen if we pushed out the harvest date?’ [or] ‘Can we get more impactful aromas?’” Desmarais says. “When brewers visit, that’s something we rely on.”

She adds that field checks can also provide immediate feedback.

“It’s having flexibility with the brewer and know what they’re looking for,” she says. “We focus on immediate feedback to extend or adjust picking windows.”

Haas has seen its customers grow from dozens to hundreds over the years. Dailey says there is a healthy dose of variety in how each approaches their hop selection.

“The main thing about sensory—there’s a lot of ways to do it,” Dailey says. “Our way lines up with the way brewers do it.”

Dailey says there are a couple of other ways brewers approach picking.

“Older brewers can look and see and point, and pick a hop that way and they love it,” Dailey says. “And some are quiet and in lab coats and doing data and analytics—it’s pretty impressive to watch.”

Holden says that many brewers come in knowing exactly what they want, whether the lot or a specific variety for wet hops.

“They migrate to areas and go to specific spots that look healthy,” Holden says. “Others, like Micah [Krichinsky] and Eric [Salazar] at Strangebird Brewing walk every inch of the farm to find what they’re looking for.”

Holden says what brewers do when they visit differs. Some go by what things look like, others assess the whole situation, and some just like to watch the equipment at work.

“It all depends on what they’re interested in,” he says.

In his twelve years at YCR, Catron says a lot has changed, but much has stayed the same.

“You can have a particular Simcoe that is the best for one, and middle of the road for others,” Catron says. “I guess it’s similar to music. Someone’s favorite band can be another’s most reviled band.”

YCR collects data on its clients each year to learn their preferences, bringing a higher level of efficiency and professionalism.

“Over the years, brewers are more cognizant of what they want and are able to express that to our teams,” Catron says. “It allows us to mesh worlds together and find efficiencies in selection.”

Photography courtesy of Segal Ranch

Catron says that with the data they collect, they set up four or five samples of a varietal that they think the brewer will like and get lots that they feel will be acceptable.

“We do our best to match lots with historical preferences,” Catron says. “But it’s nice to throw in some wild cards and show what the hop is capable of.”

Dailey says he and Haas value the whole experience, taking customers on tours of the farm, process facility, and labs.

We go to the farm for certain varietals to get pictures of the best of the best,

Chris Holden - New York HOPGUILD

“We show them a good time. When we bring them to the facility to do selection, it’s hands-off from us,” Dailey says. “If they ask for advice, we give them the sensory profile. We want to make sure everyone has a good, healthy, unrushed experience.”

At harvest, Haas also provides samples of beer they brew on site with experimental hops they hope to showcase.

“We have four taps pouring different types of experimental stuff,” Dailey says. “We have dedicated taps at different restaurants to showcase stuff too … to inspire them on what they can do with the hops.”

Holden says the HOPGUILD chats with the brewer ahead of time to understand what they want.

“We go to the farm for certain varietals to get pictures of the best of the best,” Holden says. “Then we take them to check things out and to find different options out there.”

Holden adds, “It’s a great way for brewers to learn other varieties and a marketing tool.”

Desmarais says taking brewers to the farm is impactful.

“We started growing Vista a few years ago, so we brought brewers to the field for their feedback,” she says. “We go into the fields and do sensory, which is helpful. There’s a difference between what a green cone smells like and a dry version.”

She adds, “Brewers said Vista was green, so we wanted to get it right, and we pushed out the pick day a little bit.”

Photography courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Desmarais says, first and foremost, be open-minded.

“[Ask] about harvest dates and growing regions. A lot of different soil types offer certain differences lending to profile or impact,” Desmarais says. “Asking not specifically the date but where it was harvested in the picking window can help you fine-tune where you want your variety and what fits best in your recipe.”

Desmarais adds, “Brewers being engaged is empowering. They are the end user. We do this to support them in making the best beer possible.”

Dailey says if you spend the money to come out for selection, you should spend the year preparing for the harvest.

“Train your sensory panel on what you had last year and do sensory on the same this year,” he says. “Come in with a list of characteristics and intensities … for what your beer needs to meet customer demands.”

Many brewers will come to a hop farm and grab hops to rub in their hands. Holden suggests a different technique.

“Instead of rubbing the hops in your hands, rip the hop off and rub the hops together,” Holden says. “Because over time, the oil on the hands will start to rub off.”

Holden says a second tip is to ask the growers what they are most excited about this year.

“Chances are they put a little more focus on the plant they are most excited about,” Holden says.

Catron has three tips: Make sure you have a diverse group of people; don’t pigeonhole yourself; and be in the moment and enjoy it.

“Sending out different people or mixing it up can be a big benefit,” Catron says. “Fresh eyes, fresh perspective.”

For the second tip, he adds, “People try to come out and look for a profile and might miss out on cool lots just looking for what they’ve historically selected in the past. There is so much we know and so much we’re learning.”

Catron notes it’s serious work, and this year’s selection impacts next year’s beers. But don’t let that affect your decision.

“The nature of the moment, you need to enjoy yourself and be cognizant that you’re not always right,” he says. “Listening to your team will benefit the brewery in the long run.”