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Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown by Rogue Farms

July 20, 2015Rogue Ales & Spirits

Late spring

Hops crave sunshine, but only at certain times of the year. And when they’re hungry for sun, you better make sure they get as much as possible. Ideally, hops want 15 hours (or more) of sun every day during the growing seasons. At Rogue Farms, that begins around May 20 and lasts for two months. This is also the time when the clouds and rains of winter have finally faded away. It’s all about location, climate and soil. In other words, terroir.

Hop Bines June Rogue Far
The Rogue Farms hopyard in early June.

During late spring, hops put all their energy into growing leaves and climbing the strings. By late June, they’re growing a foot per day. You can literally watch your beer grow.

Summer

Hops are photoperiodic, which means they’re highly tuned to how much sun they’re getting. After the summer solstice has come and gone, with the days getting shorter, hops have something like the botanical version of a panic attack. It’s as if they’re saying, “Holy cow, we better start growing cones before we run out of sun!”

Sure enough, within days of the solstice the first flowers appear. From now until harvest, hops are focused on growing cones and producing the wonderful yellow lupulin that gives beer its amazing bitterness and aroma.

Harvest

Cutting Bines hops Rogue Farms
Harvesting Freedom hops at Rogue Farms.

It’s the day we’ve been waiting for, the start of the month-long hop harvest. Crews and machines roll through the hops rows, trimming bines from the trellis wires and mounds and gathering them into large trucks or trailers. Just a few feet away is Rogue Farms’ onsite processing facility. The bines are loaded into a series of stripping machines, conveyor belts, dribble belts, fans, kilns and a baling press. The place looks like it was designed by a deranged engineer. Some have compared it to a medieval torture device. But despite appearances, it’s very efficient. When the work is done, you’ve got a whole year’s worth of hops pressed into 200-pound bales.

Processing hops Rogue Farms
Tours of Rogue Farms include a behind the scenes look at the processing facility.
Baling hops Rogue Farms
In 2014, Rogue Farms harvested 350 bales of its seven varieties of hops.

Fall

Fall is the season when the hops prepare for their winter sleep. No longer chasing the sun, the uncut bines slowly die off and transfer their energy to the rhizomes beneath the soil. The bines, shoots, leaves and strings left over from processing are mulched and returned to the hopyard to protect and nurture next year’s crop.

John in field hops Rogue Farms
Rogue Brewmaster John Maier at the end of the hop harvest.

The harvested hops are in cold storage where they await the call of Rogue Brewmaster John Maier (above) to become a future Rogue ale, porter, lager or stout.

The End

Rogue Farms will be open every day during the 2015 hop harvest, which is expected to begin in mid-August. But the exact starting date remains a mystery. The timing is in the hands of Mother Nature. Come see how Rogue grows beers and spirits from ground to glass!

This information was all provided from the fine folks at Rogue Ales & Spirits and the Rogue Department of Agriculture. Big ole thanks to Rogue Farms for letting us reproduce this.

Pages: Page 1 Page 2
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Live from Rogue Farms: Enjoy this fab photo blog of the hop harvest (and a pig pic)
The Rogue Crop Report: Heat, fire, smoke and harvest (a photo blog)
Rogue Department of Agriculture Crop Report Winter 2015
Hop Products Australia
Hop Products Australia reports total yield is down, but Galaxy grows for 11th straight year

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. artesanoos says

    July 23, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    RT @ZetaBeer: A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/brGq5TcXCD vía @CraftBrewingBiz http://t.co/TZw2Gy0NWP

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  2. cerveparsimonia says

    July 23, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    RT @ZetaBeer: A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/brGq5TcXCD vía @CraftBrewingBiz http://t.co/TZw2Gy0NWP

    Log in to Reply
  3. GuilleLagardera says

    July 23, 2015 at 6:36 am

    RT @ZetaBeer: A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/brGq5TcXCD vía @CraftBrewingBiz http://t.co/TZw2Gy0NWP

    Log in to Reply
  4. FourlionsBrew says

    July 23, 2015 at 5:52 am

    RT @hoplandbeer: Para aquellos que estén interesados en el cultivo del lúpulo! A trabajar duro! http://t.co/EqH1xa98P9

    Log in to Reply
  5. rubeer_ says

    July 23, 2015 at 5:46 am

    RT @hoplandbeer: Para aquellos que estén interesados en el cultivo del lúpulo! A trabajar duro! http://t.co/EqH1xa98P9

    Log in to Reply
  6. hoplandbeer says

    July 23, 2015 at 5:42 am

    Para aquellos que estén interesados en el cultivo del lúpulo! A trabajar duro! http://t.co/EqH1xa98P9

    Log in to Reply
  7. ZetaBeer says

    July 23, 2015 at 5:30 am

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/brGq5TcXCD vía @CraftBrewingBiz http://t.co/TZw2Gy0NWP

    Log in to Reply
  8. kloster2001 says

    July 23, 2015 at 3:31 am

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/y1uTpsFyxx

    Log in to Reply
  9. jvabe says

    July 23, 2015 at 3:16 am

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/F31VvMsmwK

    Log in to Reply
  10. ZulaBrewing says

    July 23, 2015 at 1:49 am

    !atención! ¿cómo cultivar y mantener una plantación de lúpulo? Contado paso a paso con fotos: #lupulo #cerveza http://t.co/rYwYX2KjWR

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  11. ogomogo says

    July 23, 2015 at 1:30 am

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown #hops #lupulo #beer #farm #rural http://t.co/UqwPOAl6OW

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  12. BevvShop says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    A photo blog that shows how #hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/DlT1w8DdFz #agriculture @RogueAles @RogueFarms http://t.co/OIMoniUU5S

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  13. DateBeer says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    A photo blog that shows how #hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/4ljOCVwb35 #agriculture @RogueAles @RogueFarms http://t.co/Kw5Y4pIQ9U

    Log in to Reply
  14. CrowdBrewed says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    A photo blog that shows how #hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/5MeTiEYZlq #agriculture @RogueAles @RogueFarms http://t.co/AnNTKx9xBD

    Log in to Reply
  15. CraftBrewingBiz says

    July 22, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    RT @RogueAles: Cheers to @CraftBrewingBiz for this pictorial of the hop process @RogueFarms. #growbeer http://t.co/s8jDyRYkb2

    Log in to Reply
  16. VoyageurBrewMN says

    July 22, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    Growing hops! http://t.co/P1qVxfCvFo

    Log in to Reply
  17. TheMattMcMillan says

    July 22, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    RT @HexagonBrew: Awesome photo blog shows how @RogueAles hops are grown @RogueFarms. We want one! http://t.co/Y8cq9I59WP http://t.co/LroWQj…

    Log in to Reply
  18. HexagonBrew says

    July 22, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    Awesome photo blog shows how @RogueAles hops are grown @RogueFarms. We want one! http://t.co/Y8cq9I59WP http://t.co/LroWQjdq73

    Log in to Reply
  19. Dubblebee says

    July 22, 2015 at 10:56 am

    RT @RogueAles: Cheers to @CraftBrewingBiz for this pictorial of the hop process @RogueFarms. #growbeer http://t.co/s8jDyRYkb2

    Log in to Reply
  20. m2kraus says

    July 22, 2015 at 8:48 am

    RT @RogueAles: Cheers to @CraftBrewingBiz for this pictorial of the hop process @RogueFarms. #growbeer http://t.co/s8jDyRYkb2

    Log in to Reply
  21. bduckie72 says

    July 22, 2015 at 8:27 am

    RT @RogueAles: Cheers to @CraftBrewingBiz for this pictorial of the hop process @RogueFarms. #growbeer http://t.co/s8jDyRYkb2

    Log in to Reply
  22. davidholcomb8 says

    July 22, 2015 at 8:16 am

    RT @RogueAles: Cheers to @CraftBrewingBiz for this pictorial of the hop process @RogueFarms. #growbeer http://t.co/s8jDyRYkb2

    Log in to Reply
  23. Derek Needham says

    July 21, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Derek Needham liked this on Facebook.

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  24. Malting Company of Ireland - MCI says

    July 21, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Malting Company of Ireland – MCI liked this on Facebook.

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  25. George Newman says

    July 21, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    George Newman liked this on Facebook.

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  26. BeerAgentUKSean says

    July 21, 2015 at 9:09 am

    RT @PipinoilBrewer: A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/RCIAfMX5po via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  27. elliottbrewer says

    July 20, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    Great article on how one of the best craft breweries in the US grows their hops. #craftbeer http://t.co/EnKzu4ypUW

    Log in to Reply
  28. Ryan Salisbury says

    July 20, 2015 at 10:37 pm

    Ryan Salisbury liked this on Facebook.

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  29. PrairieGEMHops says

    July 20, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    RT @PipinoilBrewer: A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/RCIAfMX5po via @craftbrewingbiz

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  30. Brian Tennis says

    July 20, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Michigan. Michigan Hop Alliance

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  31. Jill Kramer says

    July 20, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    Jill Kramer liked this on Facebook.

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  32. BrewandCovered says

    July 20, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/2auULZa7Jn

    Log in to Reply
  33. KCHopTalk says

    July 20, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown by Rogue Farms http://t.co/f5GysN4gxx

    Log in to Reply
  34. Jeff Platt says

    July 20, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    Jeff Platt liked this on Facebook.

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  35. Serge Lubomudrov says

    July 20, 2015 at 5:51 pm

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  36. Ralph Scheurer-Lee says

    July 20, 2015 at 5:51 pm

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  37. Bruce Patrick says

    July 20, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    Bruce Patrick liked this on Facebook.

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  38. jspeedymorris22 says

    July 20, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    “Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown by Rogue Farms” http://t.co/KO386PfuoW http://t.co/AOZtorbu30

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  39. Shad Bowman says

    July 20, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    Shad Bowman liked this on Facebook.

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  40. Daive Rodriguez says

    July 20, 2015 at 3:51 pm

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  41. PipinoilBrewer says

    July 20, 2015 at 3:03 pm

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/RCIAfMX5po via @craftbrewingbiz

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  42. BrewBarBot says

    July 20, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    Hop damn!! @RogueFarms shows their hop farm off! http://t.co/1VCeanif5x

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  43. Todd Deterding says

    July 20, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    Todd Deterding liked this on Facebook.

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    July 20, 2015 at 2:36 pm

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    July 20, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    Roman Matcovsky liked this on Facebook.

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  46. b2theradd says

    July 20, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    RT @SurreyLiquor: “Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown by Rogue Farms” #craftbeer http://t.co/4scoINaQvO

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  47. SurreyLiquor says

    July 20, 2015 at 1:01 pm

    “Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown by Rogue Farms” #craftbeer http://t.co/4scoINaQvO

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  48. Ashby Carver says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    Benjyman Pritchett

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  49. Jared Read says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    Jared Read liked this on Facebook.

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  50. crsimp01 says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    A photo blog that shows how hops are farmed and grown http://t.co/nT7WZJSjqk via @craftbrewingbiz

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  51. OakLawnPapaJoes says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown, by Rogue Farms @RogueFarms @RogueAles http://t.co/CiCIJXWdWR

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  52. Gabe Grass says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    Bruce Grass, take notes

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  53. RogueAles says

    July 20, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Here’s a spectacular pictorial of how hops are grown, by Rogue Farms @RogueFarms @RogueAles http://t.co/CiCIJXWdWR

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