Specialty beer brews demand for Ontario hops

LuckyStarr photo

by DAVE PINK

As more brew pubs and small breweries get into the specialty beer business there’s never been a better time to grow hops in this province, says Nicholas Schaut, a hops grower and spokesperson for the province’s newly formed Hops Growers Association of Ontario.

Hops are what makes beer taste like beer, but according to Schaut there’s been no large scale production of the crop in this province for about 80 years. Almost all of the hops used in Canadian beers and ales are grown in Oregon and Washington state, but the specific needs of this province’s craft breweries present the opportunity to exploit a new, niche market, he says.

“There has been a move over the past number of years to re-introduce hops as a significant crop in Ontario,” he says. “A lot of people are looking at niche markets to develop alternative crops.”

There are 28 hops growers in the province, according to the most recent count, says Schaut  — but because the hops association was formed only a few months ago there may be more who are, so far, unaccounted for.

The association was formed to help farmers get into the business, and will be working closely with the Ontario Craft Brewers Association to put buyers in touch with producers.

Hops can be grown just about anywhere in southern Ontario, although they do best on sandy loam or clay loam soils with lots of nutrients and good drainage.

The drawback is the high cost of getting into the business. Schaut says the cost of developing an acre of hops is about $10,000, and it takes three years before the hops plants become productive. As well, a grower will need some highly priced harvesting, drying and packaging equipment, and should be prepared to meet some high labour costs.

“It’s a long process. There’s not an immediate return. And it requires harvesting equipment that represents a big chunk of coin,” says Schaut. “There’s a lot of money tied up in equipment.

“But these are perennials, and you can expect a fair return on your investment.”

Schaut planted an acre of hops on his organic farm near Meaford in 2009, and is now expanding his production by another four acres. He has a two-year contract to supply two local breweries.

There are three broad categories of hops — aromatic, dual purpose and high-alpha, high-bitter. Most of Canada’s large breweries use the high-alpha, high bitter varieties, says Schaut, but the smaller breweries are most interested in the aromatic varieties that would give their beer a distinct flavour and aroma.

“The malt delivers the foundation, but it is the hops that deliver the specific flavour and aroma,” says Schaut.

Hop plants are grown on trellises. They grow from ground level every year and rise to a height of about 20 feet before their cones — the hops — are harvested in the late summer. The hop cones appear similar to cedar cones, although they are lighter and more papery. They must be dried and packaged before shipment to the breweries.

Hops are also used in some homeopathic and beauty treatment products.

Hops were widely grown in Ontario up until the 1930s, when, first the temperance movement, and later the move to the large-scale industrial production of beer eliminated the demand. BF