Wet hops gone wild: Brewers aim to cash in on fresh hops

Late summer and early fall are the best times of the year for many reasons, but for craft brewers, there’s one reason that towers over all, like magnificent trellises — fresh hops. And all of the hops reports rolling in are making us giddy. Just check out this hops selection video posted by Flying Dog Brewery:

One of the big focuses this year is getting that fresh hops taste into bottles and kegs as quick as possible. Known to brewers as wet hopped (or fresh hopped) beer, these brews demand the freshest hop possible. All of these hops being sent to breweries across the country, straight off the vine, are creating a new type of seasonal that has brewers excited. KUNC, Community Radio for Northern Colorado, detailed the wet hopped rush as Colorado brewers collect their hop harvest:

Steve Kurowski, of the Colorado Brewers’ Guild, said interest in wet hopped (also called fresh hopped) beers is growing. The Falling Rock brewery in Denver is holding its 9th Annual Fresh Hop festival in late September. Even though the festival has been around for awhile, interest in it, and the number of breweries participating, has exploded, said Kurowski.

For good reason, he adds. Most beers are made with dried hops. Those brewed with fresh ones are unique.

Be sure to head over to the KUNC website for the full story, and watch the video below from Brew Age that’s full of hot hops info that’s sure to get your hops wet with anticipation for this year’s hops haul.