Have a Hop ‘n’ Autumnal Harvest

Published 08.09.2025

If you’ve ever enjoyed a cold beer, you’ve tasted the results of a fascinating process that dates back thousands of years. At the heart of that process are a few simple but powerful ingredients—one of the most important being hops.

What are hops? Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant, they are a key ingredient in beer brewing and serve several important purposes. They provide bitterness: hops add bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the malt (grains). They give beer the aroma and flavour. Different hop varieties contribute a wide range of flavours and aromas—from floral, citrusy, piney, spicy, to earthy. Preservation, hops have natural antimicrobial properties, helping to keep beer fresh longer.

So how do you make beer?
Beer is basically made by fermenting sugars extracted from grains. Firstly, we start with malting: barley (or other grains) they are soaked, germinated, and dried to convert starches into fermentable sugars. Followed by the mashing. The malted grains are crushed and mixed with hot water to create a “mash.” This activates enzymes that break down starches into sugars, creating a sweet liquid called “wort.” The wort is boiled, and hops are added at different times. Early additions add bitterness and adding hops later in the process adds aroma and flavour. Next the wort is cooled down quickly to a temperature suitable for adding the yeast. The yeast consumes the sugars and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Before packaging one last step - conditioning the beer. It is matured for days or weeks to develop flavour. Finally, the beer is filtered, carbonated if needed, and packaged into bottles, cans, or kegs.

Why Do We Love Beer?
Beer’s beauty lies in its incredible variety and rich history. From light, crisp lagers to dark, robust stouts, every beer tells a story about its ingredients and the skill of its brewer. And hops? They’re the unsung heroes, balancing sweetness with bitterness and infusing the brew with unique character. 
Next time you sip your favourite brew, take a moment to appreciate the hops and the centuries of craft behind every drop.

Why not take part in this years’ autumn hop festival more details can be found here: https://kentlife.org.uk/event/hops-n-harvest-family-festival/ from Saturday 13 to Sunday 14 September 2025. 

Visiting Maidstone then pop into Fremlin Walk Car Park. Park on a regular basis? Then why not purchase a monthly season permit got Just £95.00 book online here: https://www.sabaparking.co.uk/en/car-park/fremlin-walk-car-park or download  our Saba You-Go-To Parking app.