Motorworks Brewing uses Florida-grown wet hops in commercial brew

Motorworks Brewing is using Florida-grown wet hops in its American Pale Ale. Independent grower Matt Harper grows the Cascade hops on his organic farm in Riverview.

According to a Motorworks release, the first harvest of 72 plants yielded three pounds of fresh wet hops. “It’s reassuring that we’ve already achieved a harvestable crop. There’s not much data floating around, so it’s exciting to know that we can now replicate this moving forward and expect higher yields as the plants mature,” Harper said.

On June 30, Motorworks, 1014 9th St. W., will debut the American Pale Ale.

Harper’s next step is to monitor hop growth through Florida’s seasons. He describes hop-growing as a “non-existent industry” in Florida. Most hops are dried and pelletized and make a long journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Sunshine State, according to the release. Drying hops causes them to lose some of the natural oils, causing a bitter flavor in beer but lacking in aroma or flavor.

“Three pounds of fresh hops went into a 3.5-barrel American Pale Ale,” Motorworks Head Brewer Bob Haa said in the release. “The wet hops were added in the final whirlpool to maximize flavor.” Harper’s hops went from brine to brew in 18 hours.

Herald Staff Report

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Motorworks Brewing uses Florida-grown wet hops in commercial brew."