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I picked up some spent hops from a different brewery from usual at the weekend. When I came to spread them on my plot I noticed there were a lot of what looked like little bits of wood in with them- any idea what they might be?

Hop stalk ?      Cheers,     Tony.

Depends on the beer there brewing but some places will add oak chips to darker beers.

Talking about spent hops takes me back to when I first started in 1948 as a garden-boy. In those days you could pay the local brewery I think ten shillings and you could have all the spent hops you could move in a day. My headgardener used to hire a lorry and man and we had all day long moving hops , it was used as a mulch as well as being dug in. Now I see granulated hops in bags  ???

When I Brew there is always bits of wood in there. I think its there just to bulk up what they have. wouldn't worry about it.

I get the spent hops free from two small local breweries who still do it the traditional way. I think oak chips could be right, Louise. Don't think they'll do any harm, just won't rot down as quick as the hops.