July 19, 2024

369: Yvan De Baets of Brasserie de la Senne and Eric Toft of Schönramer Talk Shop on European Hops

1 hour 9 minutes

Both Yvan De Baets, cofounder of Brasserie de la Senne in Brussels, and Eric Toft, brewmaster at Private Landbrauerei Schönram in Schönram, Germany, have appeared on the podcast in the past (episodes 162 and 244). However, for this special panel discussion—recorded live at the Senne brewery—we’ve brought them back to discuss a topic that’s increasingly front-of-mind for brewers around the world: the present and future of European hops.

Extreme heat and severe weather events have increased in frequency, often affecting the aroma and alpha-acid content of classic European-grown varieties and making it more difficult to source those of highest quality. Yet both De Baets and Toft have developed and deployed strategies not just to evaluate growers and track the progress of the crop each year, but also to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each new crop while hedging against risks.

In this episode, they discuss:

shifts in European drinking habits

declining contracted hops and hedging with overstock from previous harvest years

positive and negative traits when evaluating hops still on the bine

building deeper relationships directly with growers

avoiding the trap of negotiating on hop price

evaluating irrigation methods and field structure

harvest timing and its increasing impact on certain Noble varieties

testing and sensory for new-harvest hops

maintaining the cold chain from baling and storage through pelletizing

the biggest challenges and the biggest opportunities for European hops in the near term

And more!

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