Brewers run short of American hops

[Jimmy]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-expr ... Tall-Poppy

Too few hops for a Tall Poppy

A shortage of American hops that has caused some Kiwi brewers to put their hoppy varieties on hold was sidestepped by one Marlborough brewer who bought large while the going was better.

The shortage stems from many American farmers ripping out hop vines in favour of more profitable crops such as soy or grain following a hop glut in 2006.

A bad season in the US coupled with warehouse fires which destroyed more than $US7 million ($9m) worth of hops, caused supply to dip well below demand.

Large American breweries pre-paid for hop crops years in advance to guarantee supply, leaving none for smaller companies to buy on the open market.

Kapiti-based Tuatara Brewing has had to put off making its APA pale ale until 2012, and Auckland brewing company Epic Beer's Mayhem and Hop Zombie have been put on hiatus until 2013.

Soren Eriksen, of 8 Wired Brewing in Blenheim, said he used American hops for only one brew in his core range Tall Poppy. The rest use only Motueka hops, as does Renaissance Brewing Company, which is the brewery he works for as an assistant brewer and contracts for his own beer.

Last year it had been difficult, but possible, to buy American hops, but there was virtually nothing now, he said.

''I've been a bit pro-active, I sensed that this was going to happen so I stocked up on the hops and that's why I've got so much of them.''

He had enough hops to make four 2000-litre batches of Tall Poppy which would take him through for another six months of production.

Once the American hops run out he would experiment to see whether he could use Kiwi hops instead or just stop producing it for the following six months before he expects to be able to buy more American hops.

New Zealand Hops chief executive Doug Donelan said the shortage has not driven sales of local hop varieties higher.

But he believes any shortage of hops will be short-lived.

''Hops can grow a crop within a year and human nature will ensure that the plantings will be increased to such a level that within a year or two there will be too many again. "It's a cycle that any crop you treat as a commodity will fall prey to.''