The first edition of The Practical Brewer from the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) uses a question-and-answer format throughout. Written in 1946, it poses questions such as, “What are the effects of improper storage or excessive aging on hops?”
Not surprisingly, how the authors chose to word the book’s 343 questions was often as important as the topics.
Chris Holden, director of sales and marketing at the Hop Guild in New York, appreciates the value of a properly formed question. “I wouldn’t say the question should be, ‘Should I, or should I not?’ Or, ‘Why should I contract?’” he says. “I think the question [brewers] should be asking is, ‘What hops do we really need to contract?’”
In recent years, for brewers willing to forego the amenities that come with contracts—such as selecting which lots they’ll use—the answer to the last question has been “Zero,” or “Close to zero.” As the industry works through a surplus that makes spot-market hops cheaper to buy than those through contracts, that is likely to change.