Last year, 62-year-old retired veterinarian and Gilroy resident
Dennis Springgay saw a financial opportunity when a friend told him
that there was a hops shortage in the country. All the major beer
companies, like Budweiser and Miller were buying up everything that
was available.
Last year, 62-year-old retired veterinarian and Gilroy resident Dennis Springgay saw a financial opportunity when a friend told him that there was a hops shortage in the country. All the major beer companies, like Budweiser and Miller were buying up everything that was available. There was nothing left over for all the home brewers.
Springgay decided to take a stab at growing hops and selling them, even though he’d never done anything like it before. But instead of making a bunch of money, he found a passion.
“I don’t make any money on it,” Springgay said with a smile. “I figure I’m getting 25 cents an hour for my labor.”
Springgay had a difficult time putting into words what about growing hops is so fulfilling. He insisted it’s the plants themselves that fascinate him.
“They are pretty amazing plants. Once they get going, they take off like crazy. You can literally watch them grow. Eight inches in one day in not uncommon,” Springgay said.
They grow much like grape vines, spiraling up a contraption with several ropes hanging vertically that Springgay built.
Originally hailing from the small town of Clio, Mich., Springgay met his wife while in college at Michigan State. They moved to California a few years later. They have two children and are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year.
Springgay is eager to talk hops with anyone willing to listen and has become quite knowledgeable. Hops are essentially sterile flowers that give the beer their flavor. There are different varieties that create the different kinds of beer. They generally start growing in March. They reach their peak in late summer and are dormant in the winter time.
Initially, Springgay sold hops to his friend, but quickly found out there were lots of other home brewers in the area, even organizations devoted to it. Home brewers, Springgay said, are allowed to brew their own beer, but aren’t permitted to sell any of it, though they have been known to give plenty of it away.
While a lot of home brewers do grow their own hops, they often have a difficult time successfully getting production. It takes a lot of work to prepare and care for them. Springgay on the other hand hasn’t had much of a difficult time yielding harvest.
“I guess it’s because I did enough research before putting these things in,” he said modestly.
For someone with no prior knowledge or experience, he has designed a rather professional setup in his yard. He constructed several poles and ropes, each with an appropriate distance between plants to prevent the bines from interweaving. The first year he harvested two pounds. This year he’s harvested 20. He’s hoping next year will be even better.
“Apparently there are not a lot of guys willing to sell directly to these home brewers. I’m growing a lot of hops for what I’m doing. But I’d have to double or triple it just to make some money. I’m out here working essentially every day,” Springgay said.
Springgay sells hops at $5 an ounce, shipping included. Normally customers purchase between two and six ounces at a time.
When Springgay first got into growing hops, the last thing he expected was to develop new friendships. But that is precisely what has happened.
“I’m really enjoying getting to know the people in the home brewing community,” Springgay said. “They are a lot of fun and very committed to their art. They look at this as art. They are a very close knit community.”
Patrick M. Horn purchased hops from Springgay this year. Horn and his friend Bryan Hermannson are two local home brewers Springgay has gotten to know that call themselves Pacific Brewing Laboratory.
“What attracted me to Dennis was that he’s local and it’s organic,” Horn said. “We got to pick the hops ourselves. It was really amazing to feel. I mean we’re literally picking bugs off them. There aren’t a lot of guys out there growing. It was a great experience. We plan to work with him next year.”
An even more unexpected effect of his new interest was that it would motivate him to get up to date with modern technology, something he has actively resisted doing for years.
“I said I was going to die a dinosaur and was perfectly happy with that, but this thing has brought me into the 21st century. I am learning to be computer literate now, slowly. I have to do e-mail stuff. So, I’m taking computer classes,” Springgay said.
All in all, Springgay is having a lot of fun, and though his new found passion requires him to put in a lot of hard work, he doesn’t mind. He’s also not taking any of it too seriously.
“I just think it’s silly. Grown men shouldn’t play games like this,” he said laughing. “But it keeps me busy. It keeps me out of trouble.”
For more information, contact Dennis Springgay at da*******@***il.com.
