Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
HansBergLand Hopfen
Record number: 15
Disclosure date
Around 1206, first mention of hop cultivation in the rent roll of the Wilhering monastery.
Photo: BMLFUW/A...
HansBergLand Hopfen
(HansBergLand hops)
Abstract or claim
Traditional cultivation and harvesting of hops (lat. Humulus lupulus) in the "HansBergLand” local region.
HansBergLand Hopfen comprises varieties of hops, which are particularly well-adapted to the climatic and soil conditions of the region.
The main variety of hops cultivated in the region, the aroma hops, is characterised by its unique taste and aroma. Traditionally, hops are used to make beer.
Name of product, product class
Hops
Name of region
HansBergLand, Mühlviertel, Upper Austria, Austria
Field of search
Food and Agriculture
Name(s) of information provider
Region HansBergLand
Regional Coordinator Elisabeth Pichler
Names of applicant for title
----
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
Neufelden Hops Growers’ Cooperative. 38 hop farmers in the “Hansbergland” Region
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
----
Descriptors
- History:
The first mention of hop cultivation in the region stems from the 13th century (1206). Around 1206, first mention of hop cultivation in the rent roll of the Wilhering monastery.
In the mid-19th century, hop farming began to boom in the region and it achieved its economic importance, particularly in the production of beer.
Around 1880, hops were cultivated on an area of about 1,000 hectares in the Rohrbach District.
In 1938, after Austria was incorporated into the German Reich, an order was issued to clear the hops in the Mühlviertel Region as part of the planned economy of the time, and 1 Reichsmark was paid for every rootstock cut down.
In the Mühlviertel, no hops were planted for seven years (1938 - 1945).
From 1945 on, hops were grown again and subsidised by the state, especially in the Rohrbach District.
In 1951, the Hops Growers’ Cooperative was established and the first contract was concluded with the breweries.
In 2004, the six Mühlviertel municipalities of Niederwaldkirchen, St. Peter, St. Veit, St. Johann, St. Ulrich and Auberg joined together to form the “HansBergLand” Region.
Today, the “HansBergLand” Region has grown from six to 11 member municipalities.
In 2005, a hops museum was founded in the region.
HansBergLand Hopfen are currently grown on 38 farms in the region. 3 of these farms produce their hops according to organic standards on an area of around 5 hectares.
In the HansBergLand Region, about 80 hectares of hops are grown at an elevation of 350 – 650 m above sea level.
In 2008, the harvest yielded 189,000 kg of hops.
- Region:
The name “HansBergLand” is a geographical term that has gained acceptance in parts of the Upper Mühlviertel Region of the Province of Upper Austria and refers to a region, in which hops has traditionally played an important economic role.
The Upper Mühlviertel is the western part of the Mühlviertel Region and is separated geographically from the Lower Mühlviertel by the so-called Haselgraben Valley (north of Linz) and the Rodltal Valley (Große Rodl River) to the north of the Haselgraben Valley.
Today, the region comprises the 11 municipalities of Ahorn, Auberg, Haslach a. d. Mühl, Helfenberg, Niederwaldkirchen, St. Johann am Wimberg, St. Peter am Wimberg, St. Stefan am Walde, St. Ulrich im Mühlkreis and St. Veit im Mühlkreis (all within the Rohrbach District) and Herzogsdorf (in Urfahr-Umgebung District).
The landscape of the HansBergLand Region is characterised by the distinctive trellises used to grow hops.
Climate:
The “HansBergLand” Region has a Sub-Atlantic climate.
The region is characterised by mild summers with cool nights and harsh winters as well as precipitation and high humidity throughout the year.
The average yearly air temperature is 7 - 8 °C.
The average air temperature in January is -2 to -3 °C and 16 to 18 °C in July.
The average yearly precipitation is about 700 - 800 mm.
Soil conditions:
The soil mainly ranges from sandy loam to loamy sand and has very little lime in it. The hops are normally planted in specially selected locations facing southeast with a thin layer of humus and little water retention capacity.
On account of their extensive and deep root system, the hops need deep, easily penetrable soils.
The climate and soil conditions provide favourable conditions for growing hops and are directly responsible for the unique taste and aroma of the hops.
- HansBergLand Hopfen (HansBergLand hops):
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Description of varieties:
The main variety of hops grown in the region is aroma hops, although there has been an increase in the production of bittering hops over the last few years. The difference between aroma hops and bittering hops is the bittering content.
The aroma hops varieties Malling, Golding, Aurora, Hersbrucker-Spät, Perle, Tradition and Spalter-Select are grown in the region as is the bittering hops variety Magnum.
Aroma hops are characterised by their unique taste and aroma.
Method of production:
Young hop plants come from the farmers of the region or are purchased from a breeding centre in Dresden.
The springtime work begins at the end of March with aerating the soil and mounting the training wires (about 4,000 per hectare) between the hop trellises at a height of 7 m using a kind of elevated platform attached to a tractor.
Once the wire is attached at the top, it is anchored in the ground near the hop rootstock using a stake.
The rootstock in the ground is dug out and mechanically cut back.
In May, each hop rootstock sprouts about 20 - 30 shoots. All but the three strongest shoots are removed. The remaining shoots are wrapped around the training wire in a clockwise direction.
This “training” procedure is repeated several times until the hops have reached the end of the trellis.
During the growing period, a number of plant health measures (4 - 5 a year) are carried out in order to control pests and diseases.
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
The rootstocks are cut back in winter (November – January).
Different types of catch crops (clover, rapeseed etc.) are grown between the hop rows to protect against erosion and to improve the soil. Soil tests are done to determine what, if any, fertiliser is needed.
Only female plants are grown, because the presence of male plants has a detrimental effect on the quality of the hops.
The hops are not irrigated.
Harvesting:
The hops are harvested from the end of August till the middle of September.
The hop bines are pulled from the trellises using a special harvesting machine, are transported to the farm and are then picked mechanically.
A conveyor belt is used to transport the hops to the hop drying kilns, where they are air dried for 6 hours at 30 °C. The water content of the hops is reduced to 11 %.
Most of the farmers have their own drying facilities, but smaller farms use cooperative facilities.
After drying, the hops are pressed into bales and are temporarily stored in the drying facilities. From there the hops are brought to the Hopfenbaugenossenschaft Neufelden (Neufelden Hops Growers’ Cooperative) and are sold to the breweries.
After the harvest in autumn, the trellises are repaired for next year.
Ingredients and effects:
The cone shaped flowers of hop bines contain lupulin glands, whose yellow globules are responsible for the bitterness and the aroma of the beer.
The ingredients in hops also have an effect on the preservation of the beer and help to stabilise the head of the beer.
The hops have a calming, hormone-regulating, appetite-inducing, antibacterial and invigorating effect on the gastrointestinal system. It is also a diuretic that relieves pains and cramps.
The xanthohumol in hops is a strong anti-oxidant.
Hops contain plant hormones, which can have an effect similar to oestrogen.
Proof of origin:
HansBergLand Hopfen are subject to Council Regulation (EC) No 1952/2005 and Commission Regulation (EEC) 890/78.
The body authorised to certify hops is Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA).
- Quality control:
A board consisting of master brewers, brewery technicians and a judge of the Austrian Beverage Institute decide on the quality classification of the hops and thus its price. The criteria used are: the appearance and the colour of the cones (may not be discoloured or out of shape) as well as the smell and taste.
- Quality labelling:
HansBergLand Hopfen bear the “Mühlviertler Hopfen“ quality mark:
- Marketing:
Customers are small and large breweries in the region. Around 60 % is bought by the main customer, the Brau Union Österreich AG (Austrian Brewery Union).
About 100 breweries across Austria purchase their hops from the Mühlviertel Region. There are no breweries in the HansBergLand Region itself.
Connection between the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- Specific soil and climate conditions in the “HansBergland Hopfen” Region provide
optimal conditions for growing hops.
- HansBergLand Hopfen mainly consist of aroma hops, which are particularly
well-adapted to the local conditions of the region.
- Thanks to the method of cultivation and the specific geographical situation,
hops can be produced which gives the beer a very delicate flavour.
- The production of HansBergLand Hopfen is the result of traditional knowledge,
which has been passed down from generation to generation: the traditional
knowledge and expertise of hops farmers (adaptation of the cultivation to the
environmental conditions, selection and varieties, traditional cultivation and
storage methods and harvesting know-how) as well as the expertise of processors.
- Utilisation:
HansBergLand Hopfen are mainly used in the production of beer, where it provides the beer with a very delicate flavour.
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
A culinary delicacy is the hop asparagus or hop sprouts (young shoots of the hop plant), which are harvested in spring.
Hops are also a very versatile material for decorating: flower arrangements and wreathes are made from the bines.
- Protection:
-
Key words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Upper Austria, region, Mühlviertel, Hansbergland, hops, aroma hops, Humulus lupulus lupulin, Hansbergland Hopfen, HansBergLand hops
Bibliography/ References
- Bier
http://www.genussland.at/produkte/oberoesterreich-schmankerl/1115895/bier.html
- COMMERCIAL HOP EXTRACTS RICH IN XANTHOHUMOL
http://www.lfl.bayern.de/ipz/hopfen/10585/wk07_bericht_2.pdf#page=41
- Die beste Hopfenernte seit 16 Jahren
http://www.rundschau.co.at/lokales/artikel/2008/10/16/die-beste-hopfenernte-seit-16-jahren
- Die Dolde Weiblichkeit
http://www.starke-marken.at/ref15.asp
- Die Kulturgeschichte des Mühlviertels
http://www.euregio-bayern.de/geo/kulturgeo_a/mkgeo.htm
- Das Mühlviertel
http://www.asm-ksl.it/angebote/lehrmaterialien/Boehmerwald/Einfuehrung.htm
- Das Mühlviertel und Südböhmen mit allen Sinnen erleben
http://www.gw.eduhi.at/bundesarge/exkursionen/muehlviertel.doc
- Echter Hopfen
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echter_Hopfen
- EinBlick ins HansBergLand
http://shell.riskommunal.at/region/hansbergland/html/Oktober2006_web.pdf
- Foundation contract of the hops cultivation cooperative of 1951
- "Genuss Region Österreich - Eferdinger Landl Gemüse, HansBergLand Hopfen und Sauwald Erdäpfel werden kulinarisches Erbe"
http://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/cps/rde/xchg/SID-2CE6EC9F-81CFBEA6/ooe/hs.xsl/38282_DEU_HTML.htm#Sub%20Stockinger116200
- Genussregion HansBergLand Hopfen
http://www.genussland.at/produkte/produzenten/detail/937923/genussregion-hansbergland-hopfen.html
- Hansbergland
http://www.hansbergland.at/system/web/default.aspx?menuonr=219243379
- Hopfen (Humulus lupulus)
http://online-media.uni-marburg.de/biologie/nutzpflanzen/magnus/homepage.htm
- Hopfen
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopfen
- Hopfen
http://www.polleninfo.org/index.php?language=de&nav=_n2&module=article&action=first_page&id_parent=1135&id=41
- Hopfen
http://www.heilkraeuter.de/lexikon/hopfen.htm
- Hopfen (Humidus L.)
http://www.peter-hug.ch/lexikon/Hopfen
- Hopfen
http://www.feenkraut.de/herbs/hopfen.html
- Hopfenanbau
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.h/h863917.htm
- Hopfenbau im Mühlviertel
http://www.hopfenbau.at/Sorten.html
- Hopfenbonitierung 2008: Bester Hopfen für österreichisches Bier
http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung.php?schluessel=OTS_20081014_OTS0080&ch=wirtschaft
- Hopfenmuseum
http://www.hopfenland.at/index.php?modul=museum
- Hopfenspargel
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopfenspargel
- Hopfensteig
http://www.tiscover.at/at/guide/5,de,SCH1/objectId,SIG706861at,curr,EUR,parentId,RGN20at,season,at1,selectedEntry,sights/intern.html
- Ist Bier gesund?
http://www.uni-saarland.de/mediadb/profil/veroeffentlichungen/ffmagazin/2-2001/6.pdf
- Klimatographie von Österreich
www.boku.ac.at/imp/education/Klima-c/STKAP4CO.DOC
- Mühlviertel
http://www.alpen-guide.de/reisefuehrer/region/muehlviertler-kernland
- Mühlviertel
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BChlviertel
- Mühlviertel
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.m/m891719.htm
- Mühlviertel
http://www.quaeldich.de/regionen/muehlviertel/
- Region Hansbergland
http://www.dasmuehlviertel.at/hansbergland
- SIEVERS, G.W. (2007): Der Hopfen vom Hansbergland und Der Hopfenspargel.
In: Genussland Österreich – Was Küche und Keller zu bieten haben, Leopold
Stocker Verlag, Graz, 126ff - St. Ulrich im Mühlkreis
http://www.geomix.at/oesterreich/Ober%C3%B6sterreich/Rohrbach/St.+Ulrich+im+M%FChlkreis.html
- Verband der Bräuereien Österreichs- Jahresbericht Juni 2007 bis Juni 2008
http://www.bierserver.at/cms/download/jahresbericht_2008.pdf
- Willkommen im HansBergLand
www.hansbergland.at
- Wirtschaft im Mühlviertel
http://www.upperaustria.org/region/mviertel/land/wirtsch.htm
- Xanthohumol im Hopfen hat hohe Schutzwirkung
http://www.brauer-bund.de/presse/pressetexte.php3?id=67
All internet references last accessed on 20 October 2008.
Language code
German
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
Regional contact
Region HansBergLand
Regionalkoordinatorin Elisabeth Pichler
4172 St. Johann/Wbg. Nr. 9/ Oberösterreich
Phone:+43(0) 7217/20 605
Mobile: +43(0) 699/ 13 90 00 00
E- Mail: info@hansbergland.at
www.hansbergland.at
Authors: Eva Sommer, Doris Reinthaler, Erhard Höbaus
02.03.2012, Lebensministerium III/4