The number of pubs in Alton gives a clue to it's heritage - namely brewing !
It's been over a century since hops were grown in the Alton area, and as a true supporter of all things local in Alton I decided it was time to revive an old tradition. The problem was, how and where to start ?
A hop is not the type of plant that you can just pop down to Woolies and buy, and it isn't normally available in the average garden centre, so I knew it was going to be a challenge to find one. Every day I used to pass by a farm on the A30 that grew hops, but I didn't know if they sold them to mere consumers. Fortunately though, last autumn there was a Farmers Market in Alton, and it was here that I found the answer.
A farmer by the name of Tim Butler who runs Hartley Park Farm was selling hop bines and lavender on his stall. I was pleased to hear that the plants should be ready in late spring, so my dreams of rekindling the local brewing industry where put on hold until April of this year.
On the appointed day, we set off in the car to find the farm. Eventually my map-reading skills paid off :-) and we arrived at the farm: the Hampshire countrysid e looks so lovely at this time of year! Tim took us round the back of the farm to see the hops, and we were confronted with a stone wall behind which a row of straggly-looking plants was growing: so these were the hops.. hmmm..
We bought two plants, and I bribed Annie with some of the lavender products that Tim and his family also sell: we actually grow lavender in our own garden, but it doesn't smell anything like the farm-grown stuff !
There is quite a bit information on hops available on the internet, but not much for the, erm, home grower : it all tends to be targetted at the commercial grower.
Early accounts of hop growing say that "it is the most interesting, causes more anxiety, requires more attention and perhaps fails more than any other, but also no other crop pays so well " The variety that we are growing is the WYE CHALLENGER Class: Dual-purpose Tall. It is "mildew-resistant and has good growing characteristics with heavy yields and a fine aroma", apparently. You can find out all about it at The National Hop Association of England, based in Fulham Road, London, renowned for it's lush growing pastures.
Here's what the 2000 European Commission Hop Sector Report says about hops:
In botanical terms, the hop (Humulus lupulus or "Wolf of the Woods") belongs to the same family as hemp, the Cannabinaceae, and to the order Urticales such as nettles. It is a dioecious plant, that is, each plant bears only male or female flower s. Only the female plant forms the fruit, known as the cone, which contains lupulin, a yellow substance easily detectable when the ripe cone is crushed between the fingers. The root system stays active for many years (usually some 20) and the above-ground part of the plant is cut down at harvest each year. It is a climber which can attain a height of seven metres and therefore needs a supporting structure (poles, wire, trellis). Dwarf varieties which reach a scant 2.5 metres in height have also been devel oped in recent years.
Hops require certain soils and climatic conditions, so they are generally grown between the 35th and 55th parallels in the northern and southern hemispheres. Fresh hops rapidly lose their quality through oxidation; they may lose up to 30% of their bitterness within six months of harvest. This is why they are immediately dried after harvest and packaged (i.e. compressed and baled) or processed into pellets or hop extract. The latter product is finding increasing favour with brewers because its low volume makes it easier to store and handle and it's quality is very stable.
Our little crop has so far cost us under £10 but we'll undoubtedly pay more in time. Read on ...
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