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Author Topic: 2015 Hop crop  (Read 9249 times)

Offline erockrph

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2016, 06:37:41 pm »
What sucks even more is that this major player in the hop business is apparently putting homebrewers on the back burner.

We're always the last to get hops because all but the 2-3 largest homebrew shops lack the purchasing power to move up the chain to have orders fulfilled. Wholesalers will always sell to their biggest clients first, which means breweries are getting their orders filled first. We're getting sold the least impressive lots of hops at unfavorable prices.

I know there is talk among the craft beer industry that there is a shortage (or a perceived shortage) and maybe this year's harvest wasn't great. Prices are apparently pretty bad right now if you can't buy under contract. I don't know if Hop Union was hit particularly hard in 2015 or if it's uniformly bad. Apparently even some of the more common varieties are completely sold out from the 2015 harvest.
I'm not sure what model stores like YVH, Farmhouse and Hop Heaven follow (I'm guessing that they have their own contracts rather than buying through a wholesaler like BSG or LD Carlson), but quality is consistently top-notch and the selection has never been an issue for me. It sucks that homebrew shops are getting shafted, but there are quality alternatives for homebrewers who want the best hops they can get their hands on.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline Footballandhops

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2015 Hop crop
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2016, 06:58:41 pm »
Just ordered 2015 crop 1# each of citra, galaxy, columbus, and EKG from YKV...to bad I fell for that label peelers presale, I guess I'll never order from them again
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Offline fmader

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2016, 07:00:44 pm »
Just ordered 2015 crop 1# each of citra, galaxy, columbus, and EKG...to bad I fell for that label peelers presale, I guess I'll never order from them again

They'll make whatever right.
Frank

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2016, 07:44:07 pm »

Just ordered 2015 crop 1# each of citra, galaxy, columbus, and EKG...to bad I fell for that label peelers presale, I guess I'll never order from them again

They'll make whatever right.

Fwiw, not sure if it's their fault or not, but they really are a great lhbs. Super sales all the time and go above and beyond.


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Offline erockrph

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2016, 07:58:37 pm »

Just ordered 2015 crop 1# each of citra, galaxy, columbus, and EKG...to bad I fell for that label peelers presale, I guess I'll never order from them again

They'll make whatever right.

Fwiw, not sure if it's their fault or not, but they really are a great lhbs. Super sales all the time and go above and beyond.
I've bought from them online quite a few times and I have had nothing but good things to say about them. Their sales can't be beat.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline 69franx

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #20 on: January 12, 2016, 08:31:23 am »
They are great with customer service, but I did their pre-order, forgot about, and then ordered some of the same hops from YVH a couple weeks later. I have had the YVH hops in my possession for over a month now. LDC is just the distributer chasing the highest volume or price and Label Peeler must not be at the top of their stack. I'm not in a hurry for my pre-order, but I am annoyed that they have had my roughly $50 since late September or early October, whenever they first announced the presale. Not huge money, but enough to matter
Frank L.
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Offline Yakima Valley Hops

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #21 on: January 12, 2016, 01:42:55 pm »
Hey All, we here at YVH feel the need to chime in. Let's talk about the facts.

Total crop yields this year were up overall from 1,520 lbs/acre in 2014 -- 1,613 lbs/acre in 2015. Did we have drought? Yes. Did some varieties do better than others? Yes. Are there less hops overall that would slow down availability to you the homebrewer? Not really. There is no hop shortage, the shortage is in the dedication to supplying to homebrewers vs. the bigger guys.

This is an excerpt from the USDA National Hop Report for 2015 -

Production for Idaho, Oregon, and Washington in 2015 totaled 78.8 million pounds, up 11 percent from the 2014 crop of 71.0 million pounds. Production increased in all three States; 30 percent in Oregon, 26 percent in Idaho, and 6 percent in Washington. Acreage increased in all three States; 22 percent in Oregon, 30 percent in Idaho, and 11 percent in Washington. United States yield at 1,807 pounds per acre, decreased 61 pounds from a year ago. These are the highest acres harvested and production on record in Idaho going back to 1944 and the highest acres harvested on record in Washington going back to 1915.

Washington growers produced 75 percent of the United States hop crop in 2015. Cascade, Zeus, Simcoe, Centennial, and Columbus/Tomahawk, were the leading varieties in Washington, accounting for 52 percent of the State’s hop crop. In Oregon, Nugget and Cascade were the major varieties, accounting for 47 percent of the State’s hop production. In Idaho, Zeus, Cascade, and Chinook were the major varieties, accounting for 44 percent of the State’s hop production. 

Here is a link to the USDA National Hop Report for 2015 if you would like to read more;  http://usahops.org/userfiles/image/1450466405_2015%20National%20Hop%20Report.pdf

Yakima Valley Hops buys directly from the farms and producers (pelletizers etc). And then we turn around and offer them up to you guys. We are here in Hop Central - Humilis lupus Ground Zero. We are dedicated to the home brew community period. This is our bread & butter.

There was a comment earlier in this thread about - no 2015 hop crop being available, and if it was, it was 2014 being passed off as 2015. This is not true for YVH customers. We believe in transparency. We put the crop year on all of our packaging. We have been getting in the 2015 crop since October.

We'd also like to say thank you to our loyal customers and those of you who buy from us. We are a new(er) outfit and we've had some growing pains. But we want each and every one of you to know that we are dedicated to the home brew community, and we appreciate your continued support.

We do sell to the craft brew community as well. Yet, our focus here is on helping small startup breweries get their hands on the same quality and variety of hops as the big breweries. Without sacrificing availability, variety, and crop year to the homebrewer. Lets face it, the real innovation starts at home, some homebrewers are the next craft brewery.


Take Away
- YVH has the current hop crop available to home brewers before anyone else.

- We buy directly from the farms and producers (pelletizers etc).

- We are transparent with crop year, we put it on all of our packaging.

We welcome any questions or comments

Cheers & Happy Brewing

YVH

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #22 on: January 12, 2016, 01:48:53 pm »
Thank you for the good info.  I'm a loyal YVH customer who appreciates the transparency, quality and huge selection, including new experimental varieties. Thanks !
Jon H.

Offline blatz

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #23 on: January 12, 2016, 01:51:06 pm »
Thank you for the good info.  I'm a loyal YVH customer who appreciates the transparency, quality and huge selection, including new experimental varieties. Thanks !

ditto
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Offline denny

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #24 on: January 12, 2016, 01:56:21 pm »
Denny- they have website? All I see for Hop Heaven is ebay store...and that's mostly 2014 stuff.

PM me and I'll give you an email addy.  Or contact Ted through the ebay store.  He is shipping 2015 crop now and they're the best hops I've ever bought.
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Offline denny

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #25 on: January 12, 2016, 01:57:46 pm »
I got the same email from Label Peelers. I've gotten great deals and service from them in the past. Sucks that they're getting shafted by this situation.

What sucks even more is that this major player in the hop business is apparently putting homebrewers on the back burner. I'm hoping that it's mainly because they just haven't gotten their stuff together because of the new merger. Thankfully their are enough sources of quality hops that I can vote with my dollar and boycott HopUnion until they set this straight.

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I'm curious why you think this is necessarily the whole story. I've contacted the CEO of YCH Hops to get his side of things.  Hopefully Drew and I will present that in the podcast.
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Offline denny

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #26 on: January 12, 2016, 02:00:55 pm »

We're always the last to get hops because all but the 2-3 largest homebrew shops lack the purchasing power to move up the chain to have orders fulfilled. Wholesalers will always sell to their biggest clients first, which means breweries are getting their orders filled first. We're getting sold the least impressive lots of hops at unfavorable prices.

I know there is talk among the craft beer industry that there is a shortage (or a perceived shortage) and maybe this year's harvest wasn't great. Prices are apparently pretty bad right now if you can't buy under contract. I don't know if Hop Union was hit particularly hard in 2015 or if it's uniformly bad. Apparently even some of the more common varieties are completely sold out from the 2015 harvest.

This year's hop harvest was great in both quantity and quality.  And we are not necessarily the last to get hops.  YCH is now packaging for homebrewers.  Great new packages, BTW.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline denny

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #27 on: January 12, 2016, 02:02:45 pm »
I'm not sure what model stores like YVH, Farmhouse and Hop Heaven follow (I'm guessing that they have their own contracts rather than buying through a wholesaler like BSG or LD Carlson), but quality is consistently top-notch and the selection has never been an issue for me. It sucks that homebrew shops are getting shafted, but there are quality alternatives for homebrewers who want the best hops they can get their hands on.

FWIW, Ted from Hop Heaven drives over the the Yakima area and hand selects bales of hops.  Seeing that he's a Grand Master BJCP, his senses are pretty good  Last year he bought over 35K lb.   He also has his own pellet mill to make the pellets you get from him.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #28 on: January 12, 2016, 03:16:12 pm »
I wonder when hop school signups will be.

Offline coolman26

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Re: 2015 Hop crop
« Reply #29 on: January 12, 2016, 03:31:17 pm »
Thank you for the good info.  I'm a loyal YVH customer who appreciates the transparency, quality and huge selection, including new experimental varieties. Thanks !

This and thanks for joining us here!
Jeff B