The hop shortage

[Funkenjaeger]

I wonder when it'll hit the commercial stuff.

Some guys I work with recently got a keg of SN Celebration ale for around $140 and the guy at the beer store was saying they got a good deal because they see huge price hikes coming up quite soon - for example, DFH 90 minute is supposed to be going up by about 40% to around $14-15 for a 4-pack. That really hurts, putting it up in the price range of some of the exotic 4-packs of belgians they sell.

Personally I think some of the places that have hops are gouging the hell out of them. It wouldn't be quite as bad if they weren't exploiting the situation...

Everything that I've seen so far suggests that there simply aren't enough hops to go around, and that most places simply can't get any more than what they've already contracted. Call it 'gouging', but it's not going to do us much more good for them to sell off all the remaining hops at the same old low prices and then have ZERO hops available until fall. Freshops is still selling at around $2/oz, way lower than some other places, and just in the past week or two I've seen their list of hops for sale shrink significantly. I wouldn't be shocked if they run out sooner rather than later at that rate.
But, of course, how am I to know whether or not all the major retailers are actually sitting on huge piles of hops and keeping it secret so they can gouge us?

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

It's starting to look like a good thing to be less of a hop head than some are around here . My LHBS is real short on alot of hops. He says he can still get most every thing but I paid $3.00 oz for Hallertau earlier this month. He always was around $2.50 for 2oz bags of most pellets.

 

[Jekster]

I agree. The whole thing has put a bitter taste in my mouth (no pun intended) because I can't get the hops I want to put out a couple IPA's. I would even pay the $2.50 an ounce but I can barely find what I need even at that price. I'm not looking forward to what it's going to be like during the summer months as things just keep getting worse. =/

 

[BierMuncher]

Homebrew shops can't be happy. If they run out of one ingredient to make beer, they're not going to sell any of the other ingredients.

 

[Rhoobarb]

I'm lucky I went on a hop buying spree last Spring. I have a freezer full of them. Plus, I grow my own Cascade and Nugget and I got a decent crop this year. Last year was better. Still, I'm as anxious as the next guy to see this shortage end. I'm out of Saaz leaf hops, which I use for a lot of my lagers and I usually brew them this time of year. I'm having to substitute with Spalt Select leaf or Hallertau pellets.

Most of the commercial brewers had their contracts in place, so they are set. That's part of the reason you're seeing a shortage.

BYO had a good article in the issue before last. You can read it here.

 

[mr x]

One alternative for dry hoppers:

http://www.hoptech.com/cart/cart.php?target=category&category_id=300

 

[jzal8]

Watch each of the major online stores closely. I have been catching what seems to be one day sales of hop varietys over the past three weeks and now have 4 lbs of various hops in my freezer. 12 oz of EKG just arrived yesterday. Keep your eyes pealed, they seem to be leaking these things slowly.

Perhaps its time to start purchasing all grain kits??

 

[DeathBrewer]

definitely using a lot more home-grown hops this year. good thing i like malty beers

 

[uglygoat]

good article rhoobarb. thanks for posting it. i've never hinged a recipe around a hop type. i'll use what ever i get me hooves on. i like the pacific gem my lhbs has been carrying from freshhops. it's a jack of all trades imo. i'll order some root cuttings too, but i'm a few years out of the homegrown game.

 

[PeteOz77]

Homebrew shops can't be happy. If they run out of one ingredient to make beer, they're not going to sell any of the other ingredients.

That's what I was just about to say....

If I owned a LHBS and I knew I wasn't getting any hops for 6 months, I would quadruple the cost of the ones I have. It's not gouging if no one else has them and soon there will be NONE.. which means I am not selling any of them and therefore not making ANY money off hops for 6 months. It's called "Making Hay While The Sun Shines"

Then factor in just what BierMuncher has just said. No only is the LHBS not selling hops, but they are not seilling grain, extracts, bottles, caps, yeast.. anything involved in making those beers that require hops. Yeah, some of us will always make beer, even if we can't make GREAT beer, but other might switch to purchasing until they can make what they really WANT. So no revenue at all from some people

This hop shortage could do enough damage to a LHBS to run them into the ground. Better be sure to support the good ones as much as you can in the lean times if you still want them around for the long term.

 

[david_42]

Good thing me & my stash are so far away from you hopheads! Withdrawal can be ugly, I'm told. I don't know exactly why, but I bought about four pounds of hops early last summer and stuck them in the freezer. Got about a half pound off of the Cascades bines as well. Other than the Amarillo going weird, I'm good to the next crop.

 

[DeathBrewer]

LHBS should also be GREATLY supporting homegrowing hops and selling rhizomes in the spring. i know oak barrel is

i <3 my LHBS

 

[kevinrmclean]

My LHBS is getting rhizomes in March. I was a commercial grower of annuals and perrennials for many years and I sell fert. and chemicals now. It won't be easy to grow them in southeast GA, but hell, it's worth a try. Just another way to be more self sufficient!!

Cheers and Fair Winds,
Kevin


Tidewater Brewing

 

[PeteOz77]

Next comes 5 acres of barley for your own use?

 

[TexLaw]

A lot of mega-buying and hoarding started once folks saw that the shortage was real. I just hope all those hops actually make it into beer.


TL

 

[cclloyd]

I played the odds and bought two pounds of assorted hops in November when the "shortage" was coming to light just in case. Looks like I should get through at least the next six months at my current brew schedule providing I don't go nuts on the IPAs. Maybe wishful thinking but I'm gonna try to get hops with batch ingredients at my LBHS if they are available and use my stash sparingly. Just like when that other green item gets scarce.....

 

[clemson55]

Good thing I have 4 oz of 4 varieties in the freezer plus 2 more ounces of cascade leaf for dryhopping if I want. I ordered some rhizomes today as well.

 

[surfbrewer]

If any of you have a local brewpub you can try to buy directly from them. Some brewer's who buy in bulk are willing to sell to homebrewers. Check it out.

Cheers

 

[talleymonster]

I felt it yesterday when I went beer shopping. Rogue, Stone, Flying Dog, Acme, Deschutes, Lost Coast, and a few others as well have all gone up 1$ - 2$ a six pack!!! Mother ****er! ****! ****!

 

[DRAGGER]

I have the following in storage:

9oz Fuggles
24oz Willamette
6oz Organic New Zealand Hallertauer
3oz Sterling

Knowing that I prefer malty brews this should be enough for a while.... Then again Firestone Walker is just up the road might be able to talk them out of some also....

DRAGGER.....

 

[Mustangj]

I ordered some Saaz. Will see what happens.

 

[Brewtopia]

My LHBS has a hop contract so they still have plenty of stock on most varieties. Doesn't mean the prices haven't gone up though. I paid $3.00 an oz for Hallertau and Saaz for my Kolsch last Saturday.

 

[EvilTOJ]

My stepdad has about a dozen cascade plants that are several years old and give great yields. He told me last year that he can't possibly use them all before they go bad/stale because he doesn't brew that often. I volunteered to make batch after batch of that sweet sweet Ed's Haus Pale Ale to put them to good use.


<---- likes rubbing it in.

 

[CBBaron]

I was surprised to find that my LHBS had a pretty good supply of hops most priced at $2.50 an ounce. I would have picked up some except I think I already have enough hops I ordered back in November for the next year+. Still I supported the shop by buying some DME I forgot to add to my last online order and picking up a few ales to sample.

Craig

 

[Evan!]

I've got about 4.5 lbs in inventory right now. Wish I had more EKG, though. I'm running out. My last spree was a load of Cascade, Galena and Willamette from HopsDirect, all at like $10/lb. I think that was just before prices went insane. I'm trying to make them last...I'm brewing HobGoblin tonight (only 3oz of hops) and maybe my Smoked Porter (only 2.5oz). I am glad I got all that Cascade, though---30 ounces in there right now---it'll keep me in IPA's for awhile...and the Galena is an awesome multi-purpose bittering hop (at 13% AA, it goes a long way, too). I'm trying to make this stash last...

I think what it really means is that we all have to be a little more thoughtful about how we deploy our hops in recipes. Sometimes you just need to give it up and use a high-AA variety for your bittering addition even if they style doesn't necessarily call for it.

 

[Joker]

My stepdad has about a dozen cascade plants that are several years old and give great yields. He told me last year that he can't possibly use them all before they go bad/stale because he doesn't brew that often. I volunteered to make batch after batch of that sweet sweet Ed's Haus Pale Ale to put them to good use.


<---- likes rubbing it in.

If any of the hops are in danger of not being used in time, remember there are people willing to help.

 

[cd2448]

i'm seeing price hike from $2/oz to $3/oz on most hops, and shortages or absences of some hops, but nothing that will stop me brewing just yet i've managed to sub for anything that's not available, at least so far.

on the commercial side, i was at an open day at Flying Fish in Cherry Hill, NJ, and they said that they have contracts stretching into next year with fixed prices for hops, although they are concerned about someone defaulting on these contracts, taking the hit for defaulting, but still making money buy selling to others.

 

[Reverend JC]

Shouldnt the 07 harvest be hitting stores soon? I know that it takes a few months for the harvest to be processed and distributed. My LHBS guy looks for it to ease up a bit here in the next few weeks to a month and half, but he says the prices will stay high for another 2 to 3 years until supply catchs demand (obviously).

 

[Alamo_Beer]

How hands on is hop growing? We've got 100 acres that we lease out for cattle. Think I could easily grow some unattended hops? Think the cows would eat them?






JK too much work!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I just received Northern Brewer's catalog this week, and the hops selection looked promising with reasonable prices. However, their website doesn't match that at all - "unavailable" flags and high prices abound.

Damn. So much for getting a little excited.

They do have a notice that they are currently getting the 2007 harvest onto the shelves...perhaps there's a glimmer of hope...

 

[Beerthoven]

I have about 6 lbs in my freezer right now. 1.25# Amarillo, 1# U.S. Goldings, 1.25# Willamette, 1# Summit, .5# Pac Gem, and 2-4 oz each of EKG, Tettnang, Perle, and Challenger. I'll be careful and hope that is enough to get me through the year.

Since SWMBO likes IPAs the best, I'll buy kits for some of those brews in order to stretch out the hops I have. I've already brewed one IPA kit and purchased another so far this year just to conserve on my own hops.

I'm planning on planting at least two varieties of hops this year, too.

 

[RICLARK]

in BYO they said the 2007 crop will be pretty much useless they said that if you actually do get Saaz.. They will only be about 1 % aau and Hallertaur and cascade will be obsolete.

 

[cubbies]

The hop prices are one thing, the temporary unavailability is another, but the possibility of certain strands simply going away is the main problem. The hops will be back, and like most things that cause hysteria, it likely wont be as bad as expected. However, it is very possible that some varieties, even popular ones, will never be back.

What concerns me is in the BYO article it mentions that low AA hops are very likely to go away for good. It makes sense. If you can get more poundage per acre, and more money per pound for the higher AA stuff, any logical person would plant the high AA hops. However, I almost never use high AA hops. My favorite hops are EKG, Fuggles, Mt Hood, Hallertau and Liberty. It is reasonably feasible that these could simply go away. I doubt it, but it is possible.

Me personally, I have gotten by fine. I rarely, if ever, use any of the big C's, so that hasn't been a problem for me, and the hops I do use, I have plenty of to last me a while. Hopefully when the time comes, I will be able to get some of my favorites. Particularly EKG. My beers simply would not be the same without EKG. IMO, there is no substitute.

 

[z987k]

Good thing I like wheat beers, both wits and hefewiezens are low IBU. What I figured I can do is get a high AA hop and use less of it. I got some warrior, nugget and simcoe on hand all above 13%. I figured I'd make a wit and hefe out of 1 oz of simcoe.

 

[jds]

All this time, I've been telling myself 'don't panic, don't panic'.

I panicked, and ordered about 18 Oz of various hops form Freshops. I hope the LHBS doesn't run out of Columbus any time soon...

 

[BarleyWater]

I panicked too, got 14oz from homebrew heaven for no reason, just picked out a good selection. They had the best price to selection ratio that I found, with a better selection than almost everyone else, and prices not over the $3 per ounce mark yet.

Austin Homebrew, my main shop, has moved their hop arrival date back 3 times now, and are charging $3.50 to $4.50 per ounce for their small selection. I love my big C's, but couldn't imagine Fuggles or Hallertau going away either. Oh the horror, the horror of it all.

 

[Mustangj]

I ordered lb of Saaz. Will see what happens.

I just got an E-Mail from Brew it yourself. 28.25 for plugs and 34.91 for loose + shipping.

 

[Seabee John]

I guess I panicked a little too... I'm up to 42 oz of different varieties...

 

[Chriso]

You could say I'm planning for a few months from now. Just vacuum sealed the last of it tonight.

 

[Brew-boy]

I love me those IPA'S as well but have been cutting back to just pale ales to get me buy. I have about a years worth of hops in the freezer as well. I might be doing more German style beers so I wont need as much hops. Last year I planted N.Brewer,Centennial, and Sterling hops this year I will add more to the farm...lol