Spreading Hoppiness

No question's a stupid question , that's this week's theme on the Spreading Hoppiness podcast! We've gathered four of our supplier partners to share their latest updates. From innovations in brewing to the checks that could save you time, money and future headaches, we discuss the questions you should be asking and the answers you need to know. And that's not all... For this month's Five Minutes w...

Let's here some stories from the hop yards.  Recorded at the Craft Brewers Conference in the USA, Faram's Paul Corbett sits down with our North American hop grower friends to chat about their farms, families, shining varieties, and growing conditions behind influential hops.  Our regular Five Minutes with Faram focuses on Hugo from Renegade Brewery in the UK. Faram's Jon gets Hugo's take on his br...

Ever wondered how the same Hop Development Variety performs across different beer styles?   In this episode of Spreading Hoppiness, we’re bringing you our 3•2•1 Cross-Style Brewing Showcase from BeerX to answer that very question! Featuring three great brewers - Pip from Ampersand, Mike from Mason's and Dan from Copper Beech.   Three brewers. Two beer styles each. One single hop variety per brewer...

We’re back for season 3! Have you missed us?  This week we are kicking things off with a cracker of an episode! 🎙️🌱 We have Flo Vialan our new Market Development Manager with 25 years of brewing experience, taking on Will Rogers, quizzing him about biochar, soil health and the future of hop growing, giving you that brewers perspective! From ancient Amazonian 'black earth' to modern lab technology...

Harvest is over so let’s recap on the 2025 growing season, as we hear from 3 hop growers and our own Technical Director Will Rogers Will sits down with growers Chris, Matt and James to chat through a season that was… well, fuggley in more ways than one. From heatwaves to climate battles, the growers tell all on what it really takes to grow top quality hops throughout these challenging conditions....

It’s back to school this week on Spreading Hoppiness!  Join Faram's Paddie as he heads to Nottingham University to catch up with the Murphy & Son technical team, in their brand-new technical lab! From the latest equipment developments and new products, to rescuing your infected yeast, this facility opens up a world of possibilities and beer testing abilities.  Join Steph, James and Sara as the...

Making your beers pop! In this episode, the brewing experts from our Brewery Resource Roadshow jump into practical tips and fresh perspectives. Join us as Murphy & Son share how to extend the life of your brews, Crisp Malt reveals their guide to achieving the perfect boiling wort, and Fermentis talks lager with expert advice on how to make your beers pop. The conversation keeps flowing as Fara...

We're back with Spreading Hoppiness, and this week Faram Jon heads over to Oakham Ales and gets technical with head brewer Ed! From the kit they use to maximise hop flavour, to how Citra® became a game-changer in the brewery, as well as Ed's beer career!  Meanwhile Paddie heads north to Scotland to meet Ali from West Brewery in Glasgow. This German themed brewhouse is strict in following the Reinh...

It's Spreading Hoppiness time!  In this episode we have another catch up chat with our brewery supplier friends to see what's new in the world of malt, yeast and brewing aids. From perfecting your malt bill to dialling in yeast precision, we cover practical tips, sustainability ideas, supplier support updates, and ways to boost efficiency and cut costs. That's not all, Maddie sits down with Libby...

Step inside one of the world's most iconic breweries - Budvar! In this episode of Spreading Hoppiness, our own Will Rogers travels to the Czech Republic to meet Adam Brož, the tenth legendary Brewmaster in Budvar's extensive history. Together, they share the traditions and techniques behind Budvar's authentic beers, from 300-meter-deep wells providing the perfect water, to the extended lagering pr...

International Hop Growers, the importance of working together & the tighty whities tale Get ready to set off across the world on this week's episode of Spreading Hoppiness! We are bringing you ear to ear with 5 international hop growers from Slovenia, New Zealand, North America and the UK.  Learn about their backgrounds, their expertise and flavour breakthroughs with some great stories along t...

Hop Heats Continues... On this week's episode, our sensory session is bound to get your taste buds tingling! Join Charles Faram for the latest chapter in our experimental hop journey, with Buxton Brewery. We have brought together a panel of experts and 150 brewers to taste, explore and critique 4 BRAND new hop varieties that have never been brewed with before! Brewing trials provide the vital feed...

Welcome back to Spreading Hoppiness, The Charles Faram Podcast, where we explore all things hops and brewing.  In this latest episode, Hops & High-Tech Innovations hosts Maddie & Paddie chat with Craig Thomas (Abstrax Hops) and Julian Shrago (Beachwood Brewing) and, they learn how Abstrax is shaping the future of brewing. Julian shares his journey from aerospace engineer to brewmaster, whi...

What do witches, world records, a day dedicated to celebrating beer, and hop root foraging have in common?   More than you realise, but for today it’s Jane Peyton! This month, we sit down with extraordinary storyteller and beer aficionado Jane to uncover the ‘spellbinding’ truth behind the classic Disney witch image, Jane’s adventures picking hops and foraging for rare hop shoots, the history of w...

We're back for 2025, and we have a brilliant line up of hoppy topics, technical talks and brewing techniques! This week we hear from hop grower Jim Barrett as he gives us the low down on the 2024 harvest, what methods he's been using to create award winning hops and how he's reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Could this be the future of hop growing? But that's not all—we catch up with Welsh...

On this week's episode, Growers and Brewers talk relationships, but not the romantic kind... from crying on a tractor to why it's helpful for brewers to get to know their hop growers. We have a huge selection of guests, including the team from Wye Valley Brewery, Ant from Ledbury Real Ales, and two of our illustrious hop growers, Tom Probert and Simon Parker, with plenty more mentions along the wa...

Ever wondered about the science behind hop breeding or weather proofing the future? Well on this week's episode find out in a way we'll all understand, as Mark Dredge catches up with Klara Hajdu, Hop Breeder and expert at Wye Hops. From the Noah's ark of hops, to the magic of creating aroma, let her guide you through hop breeding as she brings her PhD research to life.  But that’s not all! Tune in...

Get ready for malt to take the spotlight on this week’s episode of Spreading Hoppiness. We welcome malt expert Axel Jany from Weyermann® Specialty Malts, all the way from Germany. He sits down with our own brewing expert Faram's Jon and Beer Writer Mark Dredge to chat about the world of malt and its impact on your beer. From the heritage of favourite varieties such as ISARIA 1924® to developments...

It’s time for green-hopped beers! Join brewing experts Ben Adams and Chris Gooch from Teme Valley Brewery as they reveal the secrets behind using green hops in your brews. They discuss all things technical, from timing to quantity and flavour. Packed with expert tips, tricks, and stories, this episode will inspire your next brewing adventure. But that’s not all! Join Paddie as he chats with the te...

Born to hop farmer or wanted to be a pilot? Tales of hop picking, changes over the years and what remains timeless in the craft.  Join us on this week's podcast, as Charlie, Maddie and Paddie, chat with four of our Charles Faram Farms growers about what it’s like growing up with hops in your blood. Featuring Herefordshire-based Tom Probert, Worcestershire’s Richard Capper, and Molly & Bill Bid...

This week, you join us on the farm—hop grower Tom Probert's farm, to be precise! Hop yards are full of wildlife, some we like, and some we don't! Grower Tom Probert and our own Will Rogers put hop agronomist Jonathan Blackman to the test as they go through what is essential to hop growing and what you need to avoid. This episode explores the clever ways farmers are controlling pests, keeping soil...

Brewing experts Rhys Pillai, Brian Dickson and Jim Rangeley unlock the mysteries that make New Zealand hops the way they are. Hosted by flavour nerd Mark Dredge with growing insights from our own Will Rogers.  This episode is bursting with brewer experiences from hop farm to brew.  You'll come away able to smash any pub quiz with questions about triploids and biosecurity. Paddie then heads over to...

Best of both! In this episode, we're joined by Ant Stevens co-owner of Ledbury Real Ales WHO IS ALSO, Head of Innovation - in his other job.  Ant knows a massive amount about carbon issues because over the last two years, he's been building a carbon credit marketplace that is allowing people who are capturing carbon dioxide, or greenhouse gases, to then transact those with companies that want to b...

Get ready for a flavour-packed adventure in this week's episode of Spreading Hoppiness! Join Mark Dredge and Jon Stringer as they dive into the world of taste, exploring everything from fruit to hops – and even cannabis (without the CBD & THC). Is this the groundbreaking product your brewery has been waiting for? But that's not all – Paddie puts Hook Norton Brewer Andy to the test with this we...

This week's episode is brought to you from New Zealand! Will Rogers, the group technical director, catches up with New Zealand Hop master Dr. Ron Beatson as they discuss all things New Zealand Hops and uncover the science, stories, and sensational flavours behind these varieties. But wait, there's more! Join Maddie as she chats with Berkshire-based brewer Ben from Stardust Brewery in this week's F...