International brewers and scientists gather in "Hops Heaven"
MOUNT ANGEL -- Gayle Goschie's family has been growing hops here in the Willamette Valley for more than a century.
In fact, if you've had a beer recently, there's a pretty good chance you owe Gayle a "thank you."
"The great part about growing hops is that you've have a much closer connection to the end user," Goschie explains. "You don't always have that if you're growing grass seed, which we also grow, or green beans. You don't know where those green beans end up."
Hops are the ingredients that add bitterness, or aroma, to your beer; since the climate here is similar to the original home of hops, Germany, that makes this America's hop heaven.
That's the focus of a conference this week at OSU, where folks from 13 countries have gathered to talk hops. And, while these brewers and scientists love beer, there's a lot more going on.
"The talks that we've had this morning are highly technical," explains OSU professor Tom Shellhammer. They're very much on a level of organic chemistry, physical chemistry, sensory science, around the quality of hop flavor in beer."
OSU is the perfect place for this first-of-its-kind conference, because the university is a world leader in hops research, and development of new varieties.
"So it's a very important place," explains the man known as the "Godfather of Hops," Denis De Keukeliere of Gent University in Belgium. "And very important for the brewing business in America, because you use a lot of hops here."
Since the harvest for those hops only lasts for about three weeks, it can be pretty intense.
That's why Gayle Goschie says it's important to have two things -- a sense of humor, and a cold beverage -- when she checks in for a 15-hour day.
"It's wonderful for your health," Goschie deadpans. "But yes, a beer at the end of the day is really important."
In fact, if you've had a beer recently, there's a pretty good chance you owe Gayle a "thank you."
"The great part about growing hops is that you've have a much closer connection to the end user," Goschie explains. "You don't always have that if you're growing grass seed, which we also grow, or green beans. You don't know where those green beans end up."
Hops are the ingredients that add bitterness, or aroma, to your beer; since the climate here is similar to the original home of hops, Germany, that makes this America's hop heaven.
That's the focus of a conference this week at OSU, where folks from 13 countries have gathered to talk hops. And, while these brewers and scientists love beer, there's a lot more going on.
"The talks that we've had this morning are highly technical," explains OSU professor Tom Shellhammer. They're very much on a level of organic chemistry, physical chemistry, sensory science, around the quality of hop flavor in beer."
OSU is the perfect place for this first-of-its-kind conference, because the university is a world leader in hops research, and development of new varieties.
"So it's a very important place," explains the man known as the "Godfather of Hops," Denis De Keukeliere of Gent University in Belgium. "And very important for the brewing business in America, because you use a lot of hops here."
Since the harvest for those hops only lasts for about three weeks, it can be pretty intense.
That's why Gayle Goschie says it's important to have two things -- a sense of humor, and a cold beverage -- when she checks in for a 15-hour day.
"It's wonderful for your health," Goschie deadpans. "But yes, a beer at the end of the day is really important."
