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Hops

Hops are the flowers of the Humulus lupulus, or hop, vine used as a flavor and stability agent in beer.

Hop acids have a mild antibiotic effect against Gram-positive bacteria which favors the exclusive activity of brewing yeast in the fermentation of beer. The flavor imparted by hops varies greatly by variety and use; hops boiled with the beer ("bittering hops") produce a bitterness while hops added to beer later impart some degree of "hop flavor" (final 10 minutes of boil) and "hop aroma" (final 3 minutes, or less of boil ) and a lesser degree of bitterness. Adding hops after the boil, a process known as "dry hopping," adds very little bitterness. The degree of bitterness imparted by hops depends on the degree to which otherwise insoluble alpha acids (AAs) are isomerized during the boil. Unboiled hops are only mildly bitter. The bitterness impact of a given amount of hops is specified in International Bitterness Units.

Noble hops are low in bitterness and high in aroma, and traditionally consist of four central European varieties:

Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
Tettnanger
Spalter and
Saaz.

They contain high amounts of the hop oil humulene and low amounts of alpha acid cohumulone, and impart an elegant, refined taste and aroma to beers containing them. They are traditionally an important element of true Pilsener.

Other hops with high ratios of hop oil to bittering acids can be used as equivalents. Examples of such hops include Fuggle, Golding, Hersbruck and Styrian.

Flavors and aromas are described appreciatively using terms including: grassy, floral, citrusy, and spicy. Most of the common commercial lager-style beers have fairly low hop influence, true Pilseners should have noticeable noble hop aroma, while certain ales can have high levels of bitterness.

The first documented instance of hop cultivation is 736 A.D. in the Hallertau region of present-day Germany but the first mention of the use of hops in brewing is in 1079 A.D. Hops were introduced to British beers in the early 1500's and hop cultivation was begun in the United States in 1629.

In Britain today, the principal centres for production are in Kent (whence come Kent Golding hops) and Worcestershire. The principal centre for production in the United States is Washington state.

Other uses
The hop shoots, which are only available for about three weeks in spring, were mainly eaten by the poor in medieval times. Only recently have they been re-discovered as a rare and expensive delicacy in parts of Germany. They are served raw with vinaigrette, boiled with fresh herbs, or fried in batter.