Hops Crisis Looms – This year’s beers aren’t hop-pining!

Severe storms in the Midwestern United States have wiped out much of this year’s hop harvest.  Many brewers and suppliers are having difficulty finding sources for their hops.  Breweries are forced to cut back on their use of hops, or find suppliers outside of the United States.  This hop shortage will have a ripple effect through out the world as American breweries increase the demand for hops worldwide.  Some breweries have removed their IPA from their offerings, since it uses too many hops.

For homebrewers the crisis might be even worse.  Breweries have found themselves on waiting lists for hops.  Homebrewers do not have the purchasing power that most breweries have.  If their local homebrew store does not have a solid supply, they may not be able to make beer for some time.

One large ingredient supplier, Northern Brewer, sent out an email to their customers today.  They indicated that “the 2007 crop is not yet ready for shipment, and the 2006 crop is nearly sold out”.  The 2007 crop is on its way, but it is expected to fall far short of demand.  They also stated that the problem may last for several years.

Last month prices were about $4 USD per pound.  Prices are currently around $50 USD per pound.  Not only will it be more expensive for homebrewers to brew, commercial beer will be much more expensive.  To make beer, homebrewers will need to be more creative with their bittering.  Homebrewers will need to experiment with newer hops, or even alternative ways to bitter the beer.