Isithombe: I-Autumn Brewing ne-Melba Hops

Isithombe sithwebula umzuzu opholile kodwa okhuthele endaweni yokuphuza utshwala edolobhaneni elincane, elikhanyiselwe ngokufudumele kokukhanya kwantambama. Indawo inothile ngomkhathi wesizini, lapho imibala yekwindla esagolide ihlangana ngokuvumelana nemifino yemvelo ye-Melba hops esanda kuvunwa. Ngaphambili, umnikazi wotshwala umi etafuleni eliqinile lamapulangwe, izandla zakhe ezinyakazekile ziphethe amakhoni amaningana e-hop. Indlela akhuluma ngayo ingeyokugxilisa ingqondo nenhlonipho ethule, njengokungathi akaphethe nje isithako sokuphisa kodwa wona kanye umongo wezwe elimzungezile. Izigaxa zicwebezela kancane, ama-bract awo athambile abamba imisebe yokushona kwelanga, eveza isithembiso se-lupulin engaphakathi. Kusabalele etafuleni ama-hops amaningi, asanda kukhiwa, amandla awo agqamile ahluke kahle nokhuni oludala olungaphansi kwawo.

Izindonga zangaphandle zendawo yokuphuzela utshwala ziphila ngamabhobho e-hop akhuphukayo futhi agoqe, ama-cones awo alenga njengemihlobiso eceleni kohlangothi lwezinkuni. Lokhu kuhlangana kwezitshalo nesakhiwo kuqinisa ukuxhumana phakathi komhlaba nomsebenzi wezandla ngaphakathi, isingathekiso esibukwayo sokwenza utshwala njengesenzo sokuhumusha imvelo ibe isiko. Emhlabathini ophakathi, amaketela ethusi aphucuziwe ayabenyezela ngemibala enjenge-amber yokushona kwelanga, izimo zawo ezigobile zisikhumbuza isiko lokuphisa lamakhulu eminyaka. Eceleni kwawo, amathangi acijile ensimbi engenasici ayaphakama ngokungafani, izimpawu zokunemba, ukulawula, kanye nenguquko yesimanje yobuciko bophisi. Ukuhlangana kwethusi lomhlaba wakudala kanye nensimbi yesimanje kugcizelela ibhalansi yamagugu kanye nokuqanjwa okusha enhliziyweni yomsebenzi wezandla.

Njengoba iso liqhubekela phambili ngemuva, isehlakalo sivuleka sibe i-panorama ebabazekayo yamagquma azungezayo kanye nomfula omazombezombe, womabili apendwe ngemibala yegolide, i-russet, kanye nohlaza olufiphalayo njengoba usuku seluya ngasekupheleni. Lo mhlaba awukona nje ukuhlobisa; ikhuluma nge-terroir, ithonya elicashile lenhlabathi, isimo sezulu, nesimo sezwe okwenza i-Melba hop ihluke. Amagquma asikisela amasimu avundile lapho kutshalwa khona ama-hops, kanti umfula usho ukuphila, ukuqhubeka, kanye namanzi wona ngokwawo ayisici esibalulekile ekukhiqizeni utshwala. Isibhakabhaka, esicwebezela ngemisebe ethambile ye-amber ne-rose, sibonisa ukufudumala kwesizinda sokuphisa utshwala, sihlanganisa umhlaba wemvelo kanye nemvelo eklanywe ngephalethi eyodwa evumelanayo.

Umkhathi ungomunye woguquko, wokushintsha kwezinkathi zonyaka kanye nemvelo ejikelezayo yokuzenzela utshwala. Ukuvunwa kwamahops kubonisa kokubili ukuphela nesiqalo: isiphetho sezinyanga zokukhula nokunakekelwa, kanye nokuqala kokuguqulwa kwawo abe ubhiya. Ukunaka kukamenzi wotshwala ukucophelela kukhoni ngayinye kufanekisela isineke nokunemba okuchaza ukwenziwa kotshwala, lapho zonke izinqumo ezincane—ukukhethwa, ukuthi zomiswe kanjani, ukuthi zengezwe kangakanani—zingalolonga uhlamvu lomkhiqizo wokugcina. Kulesi sikhathi esithulile, esicishe sibe nokuzindla, ubuciko bokwenza utshwala buziveza njengenqubo yomshini kodwa njengengxoxo nemvelo, eqondiswa ulwazi lomphisi wephisi kanye nengqondo.

Okwenza indawo iphoqe ikakhulukazi umuzwa wayo wokulinganisela phakathi kokusondelana nokwanda. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umbukeli udonswa emininingwaneni eseduze yama-hops ezandleni zomthengisi, akwazi cishe ukuzwa inhlaka yawo enamathelayo futhi acabange iphunga lawo elimnandi, elinezithelo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukubuka okugcwele kwamagquma nomfula kuvula ifreyimu endaweni ebanzi, kusikhumbuza ukuthi wonke ubhiya uqala ngendawo, ngomhlabathi, isimo sezulu, nezinkathi zonyaka ezilolonga izithako zawo. Amaketela ethusi namathangi ensimbi agxilisa lokhu kubili, okumelela amathuluzi lapho umenzi wotshwala ahambisa khona kokubili inala yemvelo nobuhlakani bomuntu kube into ephathekayo nehlukanisekayo.

Ekugcineni, lesi sithombe sidlulisa okungaphezu nje kwendawo yokuphisa; ihlanganisa ifilosofi yobungcweti esekelwe ekuhlonipheni kokubili isiko nokuqanjwa kabusha, kokubili komhlaba kanye nezabasebenzi. I-Melba hop awethulwa njengezinto ezingavuthiwe, kodwa njengesixhumanisi esiphilayo phakathi komhlaba nengilazi. Umdidiyeli wotshwala, ekuhloleni kwakhe okuthulile, uba ngumnakekeli waleso sixhumanisi, eqinisekisa ukuthi ukunambitheka kwesizini kanye nohlamvu lwe-terroir kuhanjiswa phambili kuqeqebana ngalinye. Uyisithombe esigcwele isineke, ukuzinikela, nomuzwa ojulile wendawo—isimemo sokwazisa ubhiya hhayi nje njengesiphuzo kodwa njengendlela yokubonisa isikhathi, indawo, nokunakekela.

Isithombe sihlobene: Ama-Hops in Beer Brewing: Melba