Heat and drought threaten Styria’s hop harvest

Heat and a lack of water have severely damaged hop plants in Styria, ORF reported, with growers expecting a poor harvest and lower bitterness levels this year.

“The mood among hop growers in Styria is depressing,” said Richard Stelzl, head of the Styrian hop growers’ association. The plants are already shedding their leaves to reduce evaporation, while the formation of hop cones has stalled.

“It will not be a good harvest,” Stelzl said on Beer Day. The damage was not caused by heat alone: the crop also suffered from frost in spring and hail. He said the hops’ bitterness would certainly be lower than in average years.

Brewers and farmers are already working on new hop varieties to address the effects of climate change, said Johannes Eregger, brewmaster at the Puntigamer brewery. The aim is to ensure that hops of the right quality remain available for brewing in the future.

Winter barley has also had better years, while summer barley performed well, said Josef Rieberer, managing director of the Murauer brewery. He does not expect the beer’s taste to change, saying that the skill of the brewmaster lies in producing the same beer consistently.