Green Hop September 2024

We’ve just returned from a visit to our local hop grower Tom Spilsbury, to collect 140kg of fresh Challenger hops from his farm at Stanford Bridge, just over 10 miles from the Brewery. As they load us up, we take in the hive of activity as tractors and trailers are laden with freshly harvested hops ready to be loaded through the hop picking machine to separate the bine, laterals and leaf – the smell is amazing.

The annual British hop harvest usually starts in September, but this can be weather dependent and according to the varieties grown, but its intense and hard graft.  Growing hops is one of the hardest crop choices in farming, requiring a lot of attention throughout the year.

Our brewers love this time of year as it’s the only time we can take advantage of brewing with freshly picked hops, less then 12 hours from field to brewhouse. The rest of the year we use hops which have been dried out under controlled conditions. Brewing with fresh green hops is interesting and a challenging experience, working with the huge amounts of the hop plant but the results are worth it….

The single Challenger variety has been chosen for the Hobsons Green Beer which will be in cask and bottle. As a bittering hop it provides a refreshing, full bodied rounded bitterness and as a late hop, it gives a very crisp and floral flavour notes.

Why brew a Green Hop Beer? For us it embellishes natural brewing and celebrates the British hop harvest, we’re passionate about supporting local farmers and using the best ingredients to brew interesting beers. Green Hop beers give a different type of flavour and aroma which is fresh hop flavour with some grassy and “green” notes.