Reaching for the Sky

18 feet isn't high enough!

Our Rakau hops are working their way up above the top wire.  This variety is mainly grown in New Zealand, but they are thriving in the upstate sunshine!  One of the beers we're  working on is dry saison with lovely tropical fruit aromas imparted by these beauties!

It's another gorgeous morning at Griffin Hill Farm Brewery

Growing and growing

After the summer solstice the hops begin to develop the flowers, called cones, that we use in the brewing process.   First come buds, then burrs (pictured here), and finally the cones become ripe late in the summer.  Thes burrs on our Centennial plants are enjoying the morning sunshine!

Our Rakau plants are looking healthy!

Lovely Ladies

Only female plants produce the cones needed to brew beer.  No boys allowed in our hop yard!

Sea of Green

At this point in the summer the plants are 18 feet tall and heavy with big leaves soaking up the sunshine.  In the fall the entire above ground portion of the plants will die back, only to emerge anew in the spring and do it all over again.
 

Hop shoots!

What do emerging hop shoots look like after a long cold winter? Well, it depends on the hop variety! In our early spring scouting we have been marveling at the purple/green/brown shoots appearing above ground and the fat root stock we've peeked at below ground. 

Soon all our plants will move out of our hop nursery and into our new 1/2 acre hop yard, where an 18-foot trellis system awaits them.  

Centennial

Rakau

Ultra

Columbus

Hard labor... and a cheese plate

In 1998, Saul brewed his first batch of home brew with these guys in Buffalo. Sixteen years later, their friendship and love of beer/brewing has endured! Last weekend, the trio tamped in 14 posts in our new hop yard, jump starting our spring effort! Thank you, Dylan and Guillaume.  

Dylan, Saul, Guillaume, brie, gruyere