Fatty Matty Brewlog

March 1st, 2008

Crannog Ales - Our Farm
Hops Project

With the assistance of BC Investment Agriculture, they have created a hops growing manual for small-scale and organic producers. This is a basic manual, including extensive cultivation information as well as tips on how to build and design hops trellising, home dryers, and packaging for market. Please see the table of contents below for a guide to what’s in the manual. Hardcopy of the manual can be purchased from Crannog Ales for $10 plus $2.50 S&H. You can also download the manual in PDF format.
What’s in the Small-Scale Organic Hops Manual:

Download the manual
Hardcopy $10 plus $2.50 S&H. Please contact Crannog Ales for ordering information. Free shipping for manual only with rhizome purchase.

Introduction: The project

Brewers Gold: Hops History in BC

How hops fit in a diversified farm

* Market potential
* Getting to Market
* Pricing

General Hops Horticulture

* Lupulin
* Hop Varietal Specifications
* Soil and Fertility
* pH and nutrients
* Drainage
* Water
* Climate

Diseases

* Powdery Mildew
* Downy Mildew
* Verticillium Wilt
* Nutritional deficiencies
* Other Diseases

Pests

* Aphids
* Spider mites

Covering the Soil

* Mulch
* Paper mulch
* Straw or hay mulch
* Wood chips/Bark mulch
* Green Manure

Hopyard design & trellising

* Site Selection
* Proximity
* Internal Considerations
* Layout
o Single-pole trellising
o Horizontal Trellising
o Modern Trellising
o Spacing
* Materials
o Poles
o Cables & Wire
o Hardware
o Anchors
o Twine
* Putting it all Up

Annual maintenance

Spring Activities

* Root Prune or divide rhizomes
* Set out new plants
* Top-dressing, mulch & cover crops
* Check irrigation
* Twine Bines

Summer Activities

* Harvest Time
* Methods of harvesting
* Drying
* Packaging
* Factors in hop storage
* Judging hop quality
* Post Harvest

Resources

* Books & Magazines
* Websites
* Rhizomes