Hop crop brews interest in history

March 16, 2015, 8 a.m.

Railton micro-brewery Seven Sheds invited people to pick hops and reconnect with Tasmania's beer-brewing roots on Saturday.

RAILTON brewery Seven Sheds invited people to pick hops and reconnect with Tasmania's beer-brewing roots on Saturday.

Although the annual hop-picking day attracted fewer people than expected, Seven Sheds owner and brewer Willie Simpson was impressed with the efforts of those who helped harvest the crop.

"To be honest it was very quiet, but we had enough volunteer pickers that we managed to pick all the remaining hops before it started to rain," Mr Simpson said.

HOP TO IT: Cathy and Stephen Kettle joing in the fun of picking hops.

"We actually picked a record harvest of that particular variety."

It is the brewery's eighth year growing hops and this year's pickings will be turned into a single batch Leggett Indian Pale Ale.

The annual harvest attracted a few families, "which was what happened back in the day" Mr Simpson said.

"Families would go and camp for weeks on end and pick the hops," he said.

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Hop crop brews interest in history