Craft Brewing 101: Hops... I did it again!

Hops are the cones of the climbing plant, Humulus lupulus.

Their use in brewing goes back more than a thousand years. Back in those days, beers were made with various herbal ingredients, but hops eventually took the lead for two key reasons: they taste wonderful, and they help keep beer stable and drinkable over time.

Their essential oils add aroma and flavour, while their natural acids give bitterness. Together, hops balance the sweetness of malt and give beer structure

A whole world of varieties

There are hundreds of hop varieties across the globe, each shaped by its region and climate. Germany, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and many other places all cultivate their own expressive strains.

Some hops bring notes of passion fruit or mango.

Some lean herbal and floral.

Some smell like pine.

Others are resinous, spicy or softly citrusy.

These flavour differences are what make hops such a powerful tool in brewing.

Like cooking, but with cones

Hops are the brewer’s spice rack, and the combinations are wide and varied. 

And working with them is a bit like seasoning a dish.

Thyme adds one kind of depth. Basil another. Rosemary yet another.

Hops behave the same way.

A single variety can define a beer’s personality, and a blend can add complexity, warmth or brightness.

In beer brewing, hops are often added at multiple stages, because each moment draws something different out of the cones. 

Early additions

Boiled for a long time, brings bitterness as many of the delicate oils evaporate. 

Mid-boil additions

Adding hops midway through the boil contribute bitterness and a touch of flavor, although many of the delicate aromas evaporate at this stage. 

Late boil and whirlpool additions

Adding hops late in the game keep more of the fragile oils intact and create brighter, more expressive aroma.

When hops are added while the yeast is still active, certain varieties can release extra fruity notes through yeast driven reactions. Layer by layer, these timings shape the personality of a beer.

Brewing is part science, part instinct, and part “let’s see what happens”.

A delicate and unpredictable crop

Hops may smell bold, but they are fragile.

Harvest windows shift with weather. A few days can make a world of difference.

Pick too late and a fruity hop risks drifting into onion-like notes.

Pick too early and it may taste grassy or underdeveloped.

Even within the same hop variety, flavour shifts from year to year and farm to farm. Soil, sunlight, rainfall and drying processes leave their fingerprints on every crop.

This is why brewers taste, test and adjust constantly.

How we work with hops at To Øl

At To Øl, hops aren’t just ingredients. They’re creative tools that guide the direction of a beer long before it ever reaches a tank.

Every new brew begins with a simple creative question:

Do we want bright and juicy? Dank and resinous? Floral and elegant?

Or something that doesn’t exist yet?

Because hop crops vary, our recipes adapt too.

These adjustments help ensure that a beer stays recognisable from one year to the next, while leaving space for exploration and new expressions.

Some beers highlight a single hop variety. Others use blends to create mood and layers of flavour.