A new study has found that hops in regions of eastern Germany and central Slovakia have seen decreases in alpha acid content of 0.06% per year since the 1950s. They’re blaming it on increased air temperature stemming from our misguided belief that the planet went through all the trouble of evolving us just to collect a few trillion tons of combustion byproducts. Good job, planet.
I find the numbers a bit hard to swallow, since 0.06% x 50 = 3%, meaning that back in the ‘50s, brewing supply shops would have carried bags marked “Saaz (8%)” instead of the 5% they quoted in the article.
I’ve said it before, but it’s time to make hops illegal. It’s the only way to get massive underground labs producing more potent strains (and way better names). Purple Mystic Alpha Buddha (26%), anyone?