The Hop Addition

Have you ever thought about growing your own hops?In Episode 146, we’re getting our hands dirty and heading into the garden to talk homegrown hops, harvest time and the latest trend for wet-hopped beer.We’ll be discussing everything from choosing varieties and keeping your hop plants happy, to knowing when those precious cones are ready to pick. Then we’ll get into the really interesting bit—what do you actually do with several kilos of fresh hops once you've harvested them?We’ll share our own experiences of growing varieties including Fuggles, Saaz, Goldings and Yeoman, including the successes, the failures and the inevitable battle to stop hop bines taking over the garden!🍃 In this episode:Growing your own hops at homeChoosing hop varieties and sourcing rhizomesFeeding, pruning and looking after your plantsTrellising—and what happens when the hops ignore your plans!Knowing when your hops are ready to harvestHow much fresh hop material you actually getWet-to-dry hop weight calculationsWorking out the potential alpha acids of homegrown hopsBrewing with huge quantities of fresh hopsDrying and storing surplus hopsVacuum packing and freezing homegrown hopsWhat makes wet-hopped beer different?Why breweries are embracing fresh hop beersThe growing UK green-hop movementFive Points and Track Brewing's approaches to fresh hopsAnd whether wet hopping really lives up to the hype🌿 Wet HoppingWet-hopped beer is all about capturing something you simply can't get from conventional dried or pelletised hops—the character of freshly harvested, unkilned hops.We'll look at the seasonality and logistics behind getting hops from the bine into the brewery in a matter of hours, as well as the distinctive green, grassy, resinous, earthy and fresh-hop character they can bring to a beer.We'll also discuss why wet-hopped beers are becoming such a big part of the autumn brewing calendar—and why, just like the harvest itself, you only get one shot at it each year.🏆 And there's a competition!This is the first year The Malt Miller and Track Brewing Co. are running their wet-hop beer competition. If you don't have access to fresh hops, there's also a category for beers brewed using dried leaf hops.So whether you're growing hops in a garden, allotment, up a pergola—or desperately trying to stop Fuggles taking over the trampoline—this episode is for you.Huge thanks to The Malt Miller, our sponsor and premier supplier of all things homebrew. Check out their dedicated Hop Addition recipe section for beers featured on the podcast, including our own creations and recipes from our guests.They've also got some new New Zealand hops in stock, but be quick—they won't hang around!🍺 Next episode: 25th September. Keep an eye on our socials for details.Grab a beer, head out into the garden and join us for a deep dive into growing your own hops and getting the freshest possible hops into your brew kettle.#TheHopAddition #Homebrew #Homebrewing #WetHopping #FreshHops #GreenHop #HomegrownHops #CraftBeer #Brewing #BeerPodcast

So… where is UK craft beer right now?In Episode 145, we take a look at the current state of the UK craft beer scene—the breweries that are adapting, the ones that have disappeared or changed hands, and the trends shaping what we’re likely to be drinking over the next few years.And, of course, we’re not doing it empty-handed.We’re tasting our way through a cracking line-up from Verdant, Thornbridge, Elusive, Sureshot and Emperor’s, courtesy of The Malt Miller’s excellent Indie Beer Fridge.From Verdant’s new Luna hop collaboration with BarthHaas, to Thornbridge and Track bringing back some malt-forward beer, Elusive’s West Coast collaboration with Verdant, and a massive 12% Imperial Stout from Sureshot and Emperor’s, there’s plenty to get stuck into along the way.🍻 In this episode:Where is UK craft beer heading in 2026?The breweries we've lost—and the brands that have changed handsBrewDog, Brew By Numbers, Gipsy Hill, Overtone and othersWhy the mid-sized brewery has become such a difficult place to beRising costs, margins and the changing pub landscapeIs consolidation inevitable?Can staying small and local offer a way forward?The return of lagers, traditional ales and more drinkable beersThe resurgence of West Coast IPALow and no-alcohol beerThe rise of premium, high-ABV "treat" beersAnd what all of this means for homebrewers🍺 And the beers…Verdant x BarthHaas – We Play NiceAn IPA showcasing the new Luna hop from Australia.Thornbridge – American Brown AleA malt-forward American Brown brewed on the Thornbridge Union system with Track.Elusive x Verdant – ThreadsA West Coast IPA celebrating Elusive's 10th anniversary.Sureshot x Emperor's – Oggdo BoggdoA monstrous 12% Imperial Stout packed with maple and chocolate.Huge thanks to The Malt Miller, our sponsor and premier supplier of all things homebrew. Check out their dedicated Hop Addition recipe section for beers featured on the podcast, including our own creations and recipes from our guests.And don't forget to check out their current offers, including BrewZilla and FermZilla bundle deals and 10% off any 3 Brewday in a Box kits.

What happened to the beers we no longer drink?This episode, we’re heading deep into the archives to uncover lost, extinct and forgotten beer styles from Britain and around the world—and asking the all-important questions: would we actually want to drink them today, and would we want a whole keg?From monstrous 18th-century October Beers and hot, wormwood-infused Purl, to Brett-laced Yorkshire Stingo, sweet Welsh Bragawd and long-aged Keeping Stout, we explore some seriously strange beers that disappeared as brewing, taxation, ingredients and tastes evolved.Then we go global, digging up extinct styles including Peeterman, Breslauer Schöps, Kuyt, Broihan and Horner Bier. Expect unusual grains, wild fermentation, gruit, ancient brewing techniques and some seriously questionable flavour combinations.And, as always, we don't just talk about them—we ask could we recreate them today? What would the ingredients, water chemistry, yeast and fermentation look like in a modern 23-litre batch?🍻 In this episode:The ingredients and techniques that time forgotBrewing before hops took over100% brown malt and inefficient historical grainsWild and mixed fermentation before pure yeast culturesThe lost beers of BritainExtinct European stylesWhich beers we'd actually want to drinkWhether we'd commit to a full kegHow we'd recreate them in the modern brewhouseHuge thanks to The Malt Miller, our sponsor and premier supplier of all things homebrew. Check out their Hop Addition recipe section for beers featured on the podcast, including our own creations and recipes from our guests.And don't forget to check out their current offers, including up to £20 off Oxebar kegs and 10% off selected wine kits.So grab a beer, pour yourself something suitably ancient, and join us as we ask:Which lost beer styles deserve to stay lost—and which ones should make a comeback?#TheHopAddition #Homebrew #Homebrewing #CraftBeer #BeerHistory #LostBeerStyles #BritishBeer #Brewing #BeerPodcast

We're back with a relaxed catch-up episode as we look back on an incredible weekend at London Craft Beer Festival 2026. We chat about our favourite breweries, standout beers, emerging brewing trends, and what impressed (or surprised!) us most at one of the UK's biggest celebrations of craft beer.We also take some time to catch up on our own brewing projects, discussing recent successes, lessons learned, beers currently in the fermenters, and what's next for The Hop Addition. From future podcast plans and upcoming collaborations to homebrew experiments and competitions, this episode is a chance to join us for an informal beer-fuelled conversation.Grab a pint, settle in, and catch up with everything that's been happening in the world of The Hop Addition. Cheers! 🍻

This week we're joined by Ed from Algebrew, one of the UK's newest independent craft breweries, to hear the story of taking a passion for homebrewing all the way to launching a commercial brewery.Over a drink-along featuring six of Algebrew's beers—including a Kölsch-style ale, pale ale, sour, NEIPA and DIPA—we discuss recipe development, scaling from homebrew to commercial brewing, hop utilisation, yeast management, water chemistry, oxygen control, equipment, and the realities of starting a modern craft brewery.Whether you're dreaming of turning your homebrew hobby into a business or simply want to hear the technical lessons learned along the way, this episode is packed with practical brewing insights, great beers and plenty of brewery stories. Cheers! 🍻