It doesn't matter whether it's medieval society or modern, is there anything that symbolizes “social” more than beer? People have been brewing beer since 7000 BCE in the East and 3500 BCE in the West.

Hops have been being added to beer since at least the 9th century. The practice began in Germany and spread west from there.

This site offers interesting historical background with a thorough discussion of process packed into it. Likewise this site, although this one does give directions for how to make your own from scratch, starting at the feed store.

This site has a ton of great information and the link in it has even more. If you want to try your hand at “real” medieval brewing, this is the place to start.

If you're using your own hops with this method, you'll need to know a bit about the harvesting of your hops. This video shows clearly what hops look like when they're ready to harvest.

Both of these sites have information which will help you harvest, use, and store your hops. Try this one from Beer and Brewing Magazine or this one from Homebrewing Supply Co. 

I found this video detailing a great way to dry your hops without laying out a great deal of money on your set-up. My only comment is that in rainy areas you might want to set it up in an open garage or other protected area.  By the way, this method could be used for drying many different herbs.

Or you can go with the Modern method, which will give you a more consistent brew with a flavor more nearly like the beer modern palates are accustomed to.

The Homebrewer's Association has an excellent step-by-step tutorial  for the beginner.

Once you've mastered the basics, you can set about customizing your brew. Beer and Brewing magazine has this tutorial on how to hop up your homebrew.