Hop BlackMarket?

[Raffie]

Wow the price of hops are out of control and seeing people selling 1oz for over $3.

I am told sometime on 2009 they will get it sorted out and that the big breweries are partically to blame. Farmers get more cash for selling higher AA crops then lower AA. So the nice low AA hops will be selling for a arm and legg soon.

So where can you find all sorts of hopos for reasonable prices?

I went to EBAY and was LOLing at the prices they wanted....
Some had good prices but wanted alot of cash to mail the product which is where they are making up for the low selling price.

 

[Nate]

Kicking myself for letting my hop plants die last year...

 

[RoaringBrewer]

I say suck it up and brew... Unless you are brewing a 10g batch of IIPA every single week, I think you should be able to afford an extra couple bucks (say $1-1.50 an oz - most recipes have 2-4oz. on average) per batch compared to last year.

Most people who have stocked up on hops did so before the increase, so you are kind of out of luck at this point... It's a fact of life.

I heard hopsdirect (I believe this is the place??) is still overfilling their orders (if you order 1lb you usually get 1lb and an extra 8-15oz.) recently, but their prices have still went up as well. I have a small stockpile, but I'm not dreading running out. I'll pay the extra cash for the hops I need or try substitutes if they aren't available.

 

[Joker]

I will be planting some this spring and selling them on the street corner as soon as the plants mature. :rockin:

 

[98EXL]

If I were to stock up on a pound or so, I dunno what I'd even buy

 

[TheJadedDog]

I am told sometime on 2009 they will get it sorted out and that the big breweries are partically to blame. Farmers get more cash for selling higher AA crops then lower AA. So the nice low AA hops will be selling for a arm and legg soon.

I'm not sure when things will be sorted out but the big breweries are not to blame for the current shortage. The main issues this year are a smaller crop than usual, some warehouse fires, and increased acreage given over to producing crops other than hops (for most farmers hops are a side crop anyway).

 

[Alamo_Beer]

There is a really good indepth article in the new BYO....you should check it out

I'll see if it's online...

EDIT: Nope not online yet...maybe next month

 

[98EXL]

saving that for the plane ride home, but I did skim through it, looks to be a great article

 

[Chriso]

If I were to stock up on a pound or so, I dunno what I'd even buy

That's why I bought 3 lbs instead Goldings, Hersbrucker, and Amarillo. In other words, English, German, and American.

I think I'm gonna order 3 more lbs after Christmas.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I'm one of the lucky ones that bought 5+ pounds a few months back. I've been pretty tame with my hops lately, but I'm brewing up an IIPA Friday night that will have 12 oz. :rockin::rockin:

 

[Alamo_Beer]

Hehe yeah I ordered 5lb a few months ago...the site I ordered from now wants something like $30-40 a pound!

I did brew a pretty big IPA but I'm planning to lay low on the hoppiness for 08

 

[98EXL]

I love hoppy beers so I'm going to have to suck it up

 

[homebrewer_99]

Hopsdirect.com is over $20 a pound with a 2 lb minimum.

Latest update from Midwest.com:

[FONT=Tahoma, Arial]Update on Hop availability[/FONT]Update 11/29/07 Dear Midwest customers.

This letter is to inform you of the current situation of hop availability for the rest of 2007 and 2008. The hop harvest typically occurs during the middle of September. This year’s hop harvest will not yield enough hops to meet the world’s demand for hops. Factors include farmers changing to more profitable crops, farmers selling land to developers, lower than anticipated 2007 harvest, and demand for particular hops in the Craft Brewing Industry. There are two things that will affect the home brewing industry. One is that prices are going up immediately. Second is that the selection of hops will decrease by almost 30-40%. High alpha hops will be in the shortest demand.

The hop industry has already reacted and has increased the amount of hops planned for planting in 2008. Things should be almost back to normal by next year at this time. The bottom line is that the cost of hops for a 5 gallon batch of beer will go up $1.00 - $2.00. Things could certainly be worse. Midwest will have plenty of hops available for 2008. The only thing different will be the decreased selection. There is already a little scare amongst the homebrewing community. Please don’t over react to this hysteria.

We will be sure to keep you updated on this situation. Currently we do not have pounds of hops available. We are only offering ounces of hops. We have a limit of 4 oz. per variety for each order. Some customers are trying to stock up. Once again we have been reassured by several distributors that we will have more than enough hops for 2008, however they will cost a little more and the selection will not be as large.

We will put any updates regarding hop availability on this page.

Stay calm and have a homebrew.
The crew at Midwest
Update on 11/20/07

Dear Midwest Customers,

We have learned a few things since our last update. One thing is still true; Midwest is going to going to have plenty of hops for 2008.

We do know that the following hops will not be available through Midwest for 2008. US Fuggles, US Northern Brewer, Horizon, Simcoe, Yakima Magnum and Tettnang. The status of (Slovenian) Styrian Goldings, German Hallertau and Czech Saaz are uncertain at this point. We will update this page as soon as we find out.

Midwest will be offering the following new hops in 2008. Sterling, Vanguard, Glacier, German Northern Brewer, German Perle, Hallertau Tradition, US Goldings, US Spalt, and Millennium. Our new Hallertau Tradition is a great substitution for Fuggle and Tettnang. Vanguard is substitute for German Hallertau.

We know the average price for an ounce of hops has already risen from around $1.00 - $1.50 to $1.90 - $2.75. European varieties have seen the largest increase. The average price of a Midwest recipe kit is going up by $1.20 to $2.40 a kit.

We will have an update on our leaf and plug hops soon.
The crew at Midwest

 

[david_42]

I rather like BYO's take: Craft brewing is a drop in the global ocean and homebrewers are an amoeba in that drop. There was a glut back in the '90s and about half of the hop acreage was converted to more profitable crops. There isn't any blame to place, just the market. I stockpiled last spring and in 2008 my hop plants WILL produce.

Hopheads are willing to pay whatever it takes. Although, I'm certain they can stop any time.

 

[Soulive]

Hopsdirect.com is over $20 a pound with a 2 lb minimum.

Hopsdirect is a 2lb MAXIMUM. Not sure if you misread or mistyped

 

[homebrewer_99]

Hopsdirect is a 2lb MAXIMUM. Not sure if you misread or mistyped

Anything's possible...I've been to too many sites...

 

[EdWort]

I'm one of the lucky ones that bought 5+ pounds a few months back. I've been pretty tame with my hops lately, but I'm brewing up an IIPA Friday night that will have 12 oz. :rockin::rockin:

yeah baby! Got me over 5 lbs of Cascade myself. Looks like my Haus Pale is is safe for at least 200 gallons next year.

 

[SuperiorBrew]

I have stocked up, With what I had in the freezer & I just ordered these

Item 01: 2 each HCASP1 Cascade Pellet Hops 1 lb. $ 23.81

Item 02: 2 each HCEN1 Centennial Leaf Hops 1 lb. $ 23.28

Item 03: 2 each HWIL1 Willamette Leaf Hops 1 lb. $ 21.95


from HopsDirect after reading this months BYO

 

[CBBaron]

Freshhop's prices are still pretty good at $1.60 to $1.70 an oz in 2oz increments. I just placed an order for several varieties including Cascades and Centennial which most stores are out of.
I think it is fairly close to the Hops Direct prices excluding the overfill, however you can order smaller quantities.
Craig

 

[brewhead]

most of the "big breweries" have their own co-op farms and as we know do not produce hoppy bees in general. there are a lot of reasons for the shortage some of which can be "blamed" on bad harvest this year and a 10% rise in micro breweries producing hoppy beers.

i recently purchased #20 lbs from hops direct after reading the byo spread. i knew about the shortage for some time now, but the article spurred me on to make the purchase. i will prob end up buying another 20# soon. granted, for the prices, i could have bought my own field at puterbaugh farms a couple years ago. but hey what the heck. i love my homebrew and i drink only what i brew so to me it's a worthwhile investment in my happiness.

 

[EdWort]

i love my homebrew and i drink only what i brew so to me it's a worthwhile investment in my happiness.

Amen Brother!