What are hops and what role do they play in beer?

About 1,000 years ago, 1079 AD to be exact, the first documented addition of hops, a plant used to give beer some its flavor, found its way into a batch of brew.

Hops are probably the most well known ingredient in beer. Although they are more so the spice of the beer, they are added in relatively small proportions despite how much impact they have on the overall flavor.

The base of beer is the fermentable sugar source, usually malted barley along with possible corn and/or rice adjuncts. Hops are used to counteract the sweetness presented by these sugars, but hops are more than just a bittering agent.

First let's start with hops as a plant (Humulus lupulus).

On a side note, one of the closest relatives of the hop plant
is the Cannabis sativa, otherwise known as marijuana.

Hops are technically flowers but very much resemble cones. The flowers grow on large vines in colder temperate climates. Most hops are either grown in Germany or the Pacific Northwest, primarily the Willamette Valley of Washington.

Once harvested, the hops are dried, and then can be placed into one of three forms for brewer's use.

They can simply be bailed as whole dried hops, crushed into pellets, or have their extract removed.

The first is rare even for microbrewers because of the cost of shipping and short shelf life.

Once the hops arrive at the brewery, they are normally added to the kettle during boil, although they can be added at various points in the process.

Like I said before, hops were first used to balance the sweetness of malts, and also provide some other benefits.

For instance, hops provide an anti-septic component to help naturally preserve beer and protect yeast from contaminating bacteria.

In addition, hops can provide a quite pleasing aroma in a beer.

There are numerous varieties of hops, each with their own unique traits.

Many brewers adjust the number of varieties of hops they use in a brand in order to perfect the flavor.

Hops are relatively inexpensive in most cases but make for an excellent marketing tool.

Although fine hops alone cannot make a beer good, they can make a good beer great.

Chris Straub is a senior majoring in chemical engineering and is a Collegian columnist. He is also the great-great grandson of the founder of Straub beer. His e-mail address is cts150@psu.edu