Hop Happy

We had a pre- and post-conference tour for the IHA conference and both were fun and action-packed.

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We had a pre- and post - conference go for the IHA conference and both were fun and action - packed . However the military post conference term of enlistment to visit record hop farms and breweries was a daylong centripetal experience that I wo n’t forget .

A pocket-sized group of us departed the Kellogg Center on a small tour coach with our tour guide John Liberty of West Michigan Beer Tours , who I would highly recommend as a guide for breweries . ( www.westmichiganbeertours.com ) He is a very knowledgeable fellow and all around play guy rope , who entertain us with facts and info about the brewery and hop farms throughout Michigan . Our first stop was Hop Head Farms , where we were to be host by Jeff Steinman , who has been one of our speakers at the conference.www.hopheadfarms.com

When we arrived at the farm , we hopped off the bus and channelise for a large metallic element building , where the processing of the hop is done . From the moment we got off the charabanc , I felt my sens being bombarded . First off , there was handsome machinery running and the racket was terrific . A truck full of hop bines was endorse up to deck off a lading of record hop bine into a Brobdingnagian pile on the concrete storey .

There was a huge machine being give 15 to 25 - understructure bines laden with hops by an heedful doer . He fastened the hops bines onto a sort of cable conveyor belt , which draw the vines upward and then about 20 feet or so and then they were devour into the innards of this behemoth . Inside the hops strobilus were stripped from the European hop and bounced out onto a conveyor belt which joggle and bounce them to free them of rubble . From there they bounced onto another conveyer belted ammunition where they were picked over by two workers who pull out any leaves or stem before they go upward towards hop processing .

The group had to raise their voice to hear one another ; employee were bear capitulum protection . Meanwhile our tour guide , John , had get along a few growlers , so he set up cup on a table and pour us a “ wet - skip ” beer , made from impertinent green hop . It was truly delicious ; jam - pile with flavor nuance that most of us had not experience .

As much as I was enjoying the beer , I was distracted by the cartwheeling of my olfactory . What truly fox me was how my olfactory was assuaged with the odour of hops , lots of hops , millions of hops . I have smelled hops before plenty of multiplication though never like this ! This was a full - blown breathe it , taste it from just inhaling it , overwhelming perfume . I was having difficulty concentrating since my olfactory was working extra time . My whole being was wrap in the scent ofHumulus lupulus–‘Chinook ’ was the harvesting that day – and it was a sensational overload . I felt hum , electrified , and my hairs were standing on end .

All of this going on at once : noise , deal to behold , and genuine body process of big , dangerous equipment , hops dance on my taste bud and my mind racing to march the intense bouquet – rather like a three - ring circus ofHumulus lupulus ! The first look in my nose was hoppy , odorous and earthy , then seriously fruity , citrus and grapefruit , then candylike ( wait-“Yikes , Stripes in Fruit Stripe Gum ! ” ) followed by tarry and piney – and it did n’t stop . It was uninterrupted , full body dousing into hop ; I felt slightly swoony , in a good means though .

I postulate Jeff Steinman how did he work there with the never-ending heady hop aroma and he enounce that you get used to it . He said he smells it when he grow there and then he does n’t smack it any longer . I inquire him if it made him desire to take snooze and he replied “ Yes , sometimes ” .

I was glad when he take us on a hitch and I had a interruption from the chroma of olfactory stimulation . We saw the hop dryer its mammoth hop drawer full of hops and bales of record hop quick to be shipped or action . And then we walked back into the hop processing region and I was glad to be titillated all over again .

Actually it was a relief to go out into the clean air and sunshine and walk along the hop fields . The farm has over 500 acres in output and we see rows and rows of bines hanging heavy with lime tree greenish record hop strobili . Really , you ca n’t quite imagine how many hop that are there unless you see them – one could look down rows as far as the eye can see and not see the end . It was pleasant to itch and reek a telephone number of varieties of hops out in the field – we were able to see , smell and try out ‘ Glacial ’ , ‘ Nugget ’ and ‘ Crystal ’ . Thanks John Liberty and Jeff Steinman for a full hop submersion and for making us hop happy !

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