Community Hop Growing Project

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EastBristolHops
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:10 pm

Community Hop Growing Project

Post by EastBristolHops »

Hi Bristol Brewers,

A group of us are coordinating a new hop growing project in Bristol. We're aiming to creating a 'patchwork farm' of growers across Bristol, ordering the plants for growers, providing growing kits and then organising collective harvesting, brewing and drinking events in the Autumn! We've got Dawkins Brewery on board and excited about brewing with green hops; they will turn our crop into a truly local beer in September in their Easton Brewery - provided we get enough growers (we need about 20 kg of fresh hops).

Anyone can get involved and you don't need much space to grow a hop plant, just something for the 'bine' to grow up. The best way to get involved is to complete this short form and register an order for hop plants (deadline is 7th March):

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KPSqUF ... 0/viewform

But if you want more info, contact us (details below), or reply here.

We'll be placing an order for the hop plants at the weekend to catch the planting window. We'll be ordering both a dwarf variety (growing to appx. 10-15 ft) and a non-dwarf variety (appx.15-20 ft). For individuals, we're asking for £20 for a hop pack and an additional £10 for extra rhizomes. We'll offer the plants at cost price for community projects which will be approximately £10 per plant, £8 for orders of 5 or more.

Twitter: @EastBristolHops
Email: EastBristolHops@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/eastbristolhops
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I_used_to_brew
Posts: 2356
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 1:06 pm

Re: Community Hop Growing Project

Post by I_used_to_brew »

Hello,

just a few questions.

What hop variety will it be?
Can I (as a BCB club member) just buy a rhizome? (I don't need some string and gravel for £10)
Are the 'barrels' defined as BBL's (36 gallons) & why don't you know if there will be one or two?
What happens to the beer that is given?
I doubt that rhizomes planted this year will yield much, can we take part if we harvest from existing plantings?
Can you define 'mates rates' per litre?
EastBristolHops
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:10 pm

Re: Community Hop Growing Project

Post by EastBristolHops »

Hi Roger,

Thanks for your interest. A few answers to your questions below (bearing in mind that as a group we only hatched this idea about three weeks ago, and are a mixture of people with some garden and very amateur (extract only!) home brewers - your knowledge on beer making is likely to be much beyond ours! Luckily, the professionals are making the beer!):

> What hop variety will it be?
The dwarf variety will be Prima Donna, the more vigorous hop we have yet to decide on (maybe Goldings or Target) - it depends on the final number of orders and the stock available with the supplier of the rhizomes. Recommendations gratefully received!

> Can I (as a BCB club member) just buy a rhizome? (I don't need some string and gravel for £10)
We have created our model from existing projects that existing around the country, for example: growbeer.city-farmers.co.uk/. Part of the reason for providing a hop kit is to encourage and get people involved who are not gardeners and not particularly experienced or confident at growing plants. The hop kit includes compost, fertilizer and some mulch as well as twine and gravel packaged in compostable material. In addition, this endeavour is involving a considerable effort to set up and will incur various costs (paypal charges, printing of publication material), and there is a likelihood of a certain proportion of people withdrawing their order after we have paid the supplier for the bulk order. We are asking £20 for the kit to ensure that we ourselves are not out of pocket and that this project grows from year to year - ensuring that we don't lose our own money on this is important for that. Any surplus cash we have will either be given to other local community groups or used to reduce the costs next year. We can as a group all make this decision later in the year when we can see how the finances look.

> Are the 'barrels' defined as BBL's (36 gallons) & why don't you know if there will be one or two?
How much beer we can produce in total, and how much we are given at the celebration at the end of the season depends on our combined hop yield.

> What happens to the beer that is given?
Dawkins Ales are pretty excited about the project and have a bar at their Easton Brewery. They will host a drinking event to celebrate the season and the production of a local beer and provide the beer on tap for us to drink there (for free). They may also bottle some of it. However, at the moment, we are primarily focused on publicising and signing up enough people to be growers so we can produce enough hops. We will then finalise then details of the celebration later in the year, so apologies if this is not as clear as it you'd like it right now.

> I doubt that rhizomes planted this year will yield much, can we take part if we harvest from existing plantings?
True that in subsequent years the yields will increase and hopefully the project will grow and grow. But in the first year, we'd sure welcome any hops grown in the area to contribute to the total yield. The master brewer at Dawkins was prepared to make a brew with a combination of various types of hops provided they were UK hops. Their main interest is working with fresh UK hops.

> Can you define 'mates rates' per litre?
Not yet, I'm afraid. Again this depends on yields of hops and total volume brewed. I would emphasis that this is a project focused on bringing a community of people together, and working with a local brewery, to grow hops and make a local and interesting beer, and celebrating all things beery and hoppy together. Our primary focus is not necessarily providing cheap beer for members!

Hope that helps and you feel you like to get involved.

Thanks

Toby
PMowdes
Posts: 489
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:29 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Community Hop Growing Project

Post by PMowdes »

EastBristolHops wrote:Hi Roger,

Thanks for your interest. A few answers to your questions below (bearing in mind that as a group we only hatched this idea about three weeks ago, and are a mixture of people with some garden and very amateur (extract only!) home brewers - your knowledge on beer making is likely to be much beyond ours! Luckily, the professionals are making the beer!):

> What hop variety will it be?
The dwarf variety will be Prima Donna, the more vigorous hop we have yet to decide on (maybe Goldings or Target) - it depends on the final number of orders and the stock available with the supplier of the rhizomes. Recommendations gratefully received!

> Can I (as a BCB club member) just buy a rhizome? (I don't need some string and gravel for £10)
We have created our model from existing projects that existing around the country, for example: growbeer.city-farmers.co.uk/. Part of the reason for providing a hop kit is to encourage and get people involved who are not gardeners and not particularly experienced or confident at growing plants. The hop kit includes compost, fertilizer and some mulch as well as twine and gravel packaged in compostable material. In addition, this endeavour is involving a considerable effort to set up and will incur various costs (paypal charges, printing of publication material), and there is a likelihood of a certain proportion of people withdrawing their order after we have paid the supplier for the bulk order. We are asking £20 for the kit to ensure that we ourselves are not out of pocket and that this project grows from year to year - ensuring that we don't lose our own money on this is important for that. Any surplus cash we have will either be given to other local community groups or used to reduce the costs next year. We can as a group all make this decision later in the year when we can see how the finances look.

> Are the 'barrels' defined as BBL's (36 gallons) & why don't you know if there will be one or two?
How much beer we can produce in total, and how much we are given at the celebration at the end of the season depends on our combined hop yield.

> What happens to the beer that is given?
Dawkins Ales are pretty excited about the project and have a bar at their Easton Brewery. They will host a drinking event to celebrate the season and the production of a local beer and provide the beer on tap for us to drink there (for free). They may also bottle some of it. However, at the moment, we are primarily focused on publicising and signing up enough people to be growers so we can produce enough hops. We will then finalise then details of the celebration later in the year, so apologies if this is not as clear as it you'd like it right now.

> I doubt that rhizomes planted this year will yield much, can we take part if we harvest from existing plantings?
True that in subsequent years the yields will increase and hopefully the project will grow and grow. But in the first year, we'd sure welcome any hops grown in the area to contribute to the total yield. The master brewer at Dawkins was prepared to make a brew with a combination of various types of hops provided they were UK hops. Their main interest is working with fresh UK hops.

> Can you define 'mates rates' per litre?
Not yet, I'm afraid. Again this depends on yields of hops and total volume brewed. I would emphasis that this is a project focused on bringing a community of people together, and working with a local brewery, to grow hops and make a local and interesting beer, and celebrating all things beery and hoppy together. Our primary focus is not necessarily providing cheap beer for members!

Hope that helps and you feel you like to get involved.

Thanks

Toby

Thing is many of us already grow our own hops and use them for our own beer. I'm sorry to say I'd be more inclined to go direct to Willingham nurseries if I need any more rhizomes, and I'd prefer to make my own beer, to the style of my choosing with the hops that I grow.

Perhaps you'd be better off contacting the many allotment groups in the city, having a word with the local CAMRA rep (Colin might be able to help) and doing some advertising through local breweries or the pubs on Kings St (Small bar, naval volunteer etc). Mick & Chloe at brew Bristol might help promote things if you ask.

Seems like a great project by the way, and good luck.
60 percent of the time it works every time.
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I_used_to_brew
Posts: 2356
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 1:06 pm

Re: Community Hop Growing Project

Post by I_used_to_brew »

Good choice of hop. Good idea and great to have a local brewery on board.

However.

I don't think the concept has been thought through very well and charging an extra spurious £10 for 'string' that most people wont want in order to safeguard against people not paying is illogical. Simply get payment first and offer the string as an extra to those who want it. Time has not been in your favour as you only thought this up a few weeks ago. I presume you have a constitution, have set up a bank account etc.

I'm with Phil, go get some allotment space and there will be more scope for getting together and being involved.
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