Hop Shortage or Scare Mongering?

[Michael]

I ran across this article, and it shows why hops went up in price in 2008. They seem to assert that hops will continue to go up, and endanger craft brewing / home brewing.

Is this just BS? What kind of effects have been in NZ, and what do you see in the future in your crystal carboy?

http://www.absbrew.com/index.php?act=viewDoc&docId=13

[JoKing]

It's all true mate... I'll have some available soon... and they wont be cheap... but at least they'll be here.

[Mark]

These things tend to fluctuate quite quickly, I wouldn't be surprised to see the hop supply bounce back in a couple of years. Every article I read talks about big breweries selling less beer and more RTDs etc, so maybe that will offset the high alpha demand and keep the aroma hop supply ticking over. Interesting how NZ produces a lot of dual purpose hops, maybe this is the way things will go in the future. In any event I will keep on brewing, even if it means making a beer with only ADM pils and super alpha hops!

[jt]

ADM pils and super alpha hops

Uh, ooohhh, hmmmmmm, Mark, that's tempting.
But I'd add 5% crystal and 2% chocolate and bitter with green bullet.

[Mark]

That's just fancy, that is! Hopefully a hop apocalypse will leave us with a few more varieties than good old SA

[jt]

Oh I don't know, one of the best extract & grains recipes I ever did was the NZ Hops Irish Red, 5% crystal and 2% chocolate, bitter with green bullet and Super Alpha to finish.

Unfortunately I haven't replicated it with ADM Pils yet !

[Mark]

It would come out more gray than red! Really weird colour that malt

[jt]

The colour - why didn't I think of the colour !
I shall add some food colouring to the keg today, thanks Mark