Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Chapman hops in 1880

A Chapman English Ale label featuring a drawing of the brewery.
On with Chapman's hops.

There aren’t as many of them as at some other breweries. Either two or three two types of copper hops per beer. All but one of them English. And reasonably fresh, with the oldest only from 1878. The majority from Mid-Kent or Kent. Interestingly, all the English hops are from the South: Kent, Sussex and Hampshire.

The cheapest beer, X Ale, used the oldest hops, with none from the most recent harvest. It also had what would have been the cheapest hops: those from California. The stronger Mild, XX Ale, contained noticeably better hops, from Mid-Kent and Sussex.

Only the Pale Ales and Stock Ale received dry hops. In all three cases very fresh hops, no more than a few months old, were employed. 

Chapman hops in 1880
Beer Style hop 1 hop 2 hop 3 dry hops
X Mild Kent 1878 Calif. 1879    
XX Mild Sussex 1880 Mid Kent 1878 Mid Kent 1878  
XXX Stock Ale Sussex 1880 Mid Kent 1878 Mid Kent 1878 Hants 1880
AK Pale Ale Kent 1878 Hants 1880   Kent 1880
PA Pale Ale Kent 1879 Hants 1880   Kent 1880
S Stout Sussex 1880 Mid Kent 1878 Mid Kent 1878  
Source:
Chapman brewing record.

 

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