My dad has been growing hops for years. (There’s some still growing on the property from when he lived in the house as a teenager.)  I first became familiar with the climbing green plant from him. Though, some people look at me funny when I say Gavin & I are growing hops. “What are hops?” they ask. The following is a brief explanation for those who may be foreign to the craft beer scene. Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant Humulus lupulus.[1] They are used primarily as a bittering, flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they, beyond bitterness, impart floral, fruity or citrusy flavors and aroma;[2] though they are…