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Hops Insider: After the Harvest, When the Smoke Has Cleared…

Observers report that smoke taint from wildfires may be less of issue than it was in 2020, while many varieties are having excellent crop years. One notable up-and-comer: Zappa.

Stan Hieronymus Oct 18, 2021 - 12 min read

Hops Insider: After the Harvest, When the Smoke Has Cleared…  Primary Image

Photo: Courtesy CLS Farms

Less than two weeks before the 2021 hop harvest wrapped up on some Pacific Northwest farms, Fremont Brewing in Seattle revealed on its Instagram page that the release of its Cowiche Canyon Fresh Hop Ale would be delayed “due to harvest issues.”

Five days later, again on Instagram, the brewery announced the beer was ready to serve: “During harvest in the Canyon, there was a good deal of wildfire smoke, and the smoke infiltrated the hops. So, we delayed this year’s Cowiche Canyon because it simply did not meet our standards. We spent the weekend fining and centrifuging Cowiche and tried the beer again today. Behold! We had removed the smoke character.”

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