Freshops. Hops. Hops are the female flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant, Humulus lupulus.[1] They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine.
In the Middle Ages beers tended to be of a very low alcohol content (small beer) and were commonly consumed as a safer alternative to untreated water. Each village tended to have one or more small breweries with a barley field and a hop garden in close vicinity[citation needed]. Early documents include mention of a hop garden in the will of Charlemagne's father, Pepin III.[2][3] However, the first documented use of hops in beer as a flavoring agent is from the 11th century[citation needed].
Hopville . the free online community for homebrewers.