Hops hang from a fence Friday at Purdue University’s Miegs Farm in southern Tippecanoe County. Purdue is researching types of hops plants that may grow well in Indiana and produce the desired flavors that craft brewers want to create. (Photo: Michael Heinz/Journal & Courier )
Increasing popularity of crafted beers has set the stage for an offshoot industry that is literally taking root locally — and across the state.
Startup microbrewers are having a tough time finding hops, a key ingredient that produces the flavor and aroma in beer, said Chris Johnson, brew master at People’s Brewing Co. in Lafayette.
People’s has secure contracts with suppliers in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, he said.
But Johnson and other brewers want to strengthen the state’s craft beer industry by building a network of high-quality hop growers in Indiana.
“At the Brewers of Indiana Guild we’re trying to get Purdue involved in the industry,” Johnson said. “A hop variety that grows out west may not have the same profile when it’s grown in Indiana.
“Part of the research is figuring out which ones are desirable, and grow well here, and teaching farmers how to grow the crop.”
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