2024 Fresh Hop!

delivery day

We decided to give the Fresh hop season a crack this year!

Our mate Mat has a hop farm out on Bruntwood Rd (just out of Hamilton) We have never made a fresh hop before, Nor did we know what to expect from the Hops.

We decided to make a ‘Fresh hop” version of our Big Moocher IPA, because everyone makes Hazy’s! Full of bitterness, pine and citrus Hop Aroma and a full body are the characteristics of the Big moocher, we just reduced the ABV a little and asked Matt to bring over some sacks of fresh Motueka and Nelson Sauvin, The Hops were picked off the bines on a Saturday early evening and then delivered and thrown into the brewhouse by Sunday 11am.

The beer turned out great! Oily and resionous. it was completely vegan too, Finings free. Finished with a nice slight haze but still clear in the glass, The pronounced bitterness really rounded out the beer with an intense hop aroma and texture, finishing out at 5.2% ABV this beer was crazy popular through Beach hop! and the 200L batch only lasted a week in the cellar door and at CraftHaus!

Its so enjoyable to do new processes, brew new beer, use fresh and unique ingredients from passionate growers, ultimatley to get people stoked on what we do and the love we put into each batch which ends up in yah glass!

Cheers!

Picking in the field at Bruntwood hops