 What’s in a hop, anyway? What makes a hop flower Ultra-High Quality? And what makes Gorst Valley hops so darn great?
All great questions but to answer them we have to understand a little something about plant chemistry.
Every brewer knows that hops contain both bittering and aroma characteristics. What brewers may not be aware of is that the chemical compounds that compose these attributes are very delicate. They are easily decomposed by heat, light and moisture to name a few. Apply heat during the drying process and the aromatic oils boil away, leaving the hops smelling more like cattle feed than the spicy flowers they really are. Harvest the cones on the wrong day and the resins that comprise the alpha/beta acid profile are either over or under developed.
The Gorst Valley Way
Every step of the Gorst Valley production and processing operation is focused on the well-being of these flowers. We grow on very small acreage to ensure that the eyes watching the plantation can inspect every plant, looking at vigor, maturity, nutrition and numerous other factors that result in hops of the perfect ripeness, commanding bittering power, and bold aroma. Much of the hop crop is even hand harvested, resulting in intact flowers and pellets that are leaf and stem free.
Returning to the Land – with Understanding
Wisconsin was once the leader in hop production in the US. However poor production practices forced the crop to fail and farmers moved to higher, dryer land in the Pacific Northwest. 150 years have passed and we now understand how to build a truly sustainable hop industry in the Midwest: And not just environmental sustainability, but also economic stability and social responsibility.
Gorst Valley is dedicated to fostering this triple bottom-line in every aspect of our business, returning the value to the grower and the brewer.
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Home Brewers |
We’ve listened to your concerns within the industry and responded to your needs.
- No contracts (unless YOU want one)
- Locally grown, processed hops YOU can see, touch, and taste in the field
- Stable pricing. We do not play the commodity game. Stable prices year to year
- Custom variety blending
- Any packaging size YOU want
- Reduced shipping costs
- In-house chemical and plant specialists to answer your technical questions
Please contact us at brewers@gorstvalleyhops.com for more details.
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Gorst Valley dedicates a portion of our harvest exclusively to home brewers.
Varieties include:
- Cascade
- Mt. Hood
- Willamette
- Brewer's Gold
- Golding (Wisconsin)
- Perle
- Sterling
- Newport
- Nugget
All hops will be pelletized (T90) unless specifically requested otherwise. Sales are in 4oz vacuum packed gas barrier bags and frozen until sold.
To purchase hops for home brewing visit the Wine and Hop Shop online. |
IF YOU’RE NOT 100% SATISFIED, WE’LL MAKE IT RIGHT. EVERY TIME.
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