Anyone Grow Hops?

[caerleon]

I have a rather under utilised allotment and was wondering if it was worth setting up my own trellis/cage and growing them for homebrewing use. Anyone here grow and willing to give advice on soil type and how and more importantly when to plant etc.

Thanks in advance! :thumb:

 

There are several of us grow hops!
Don't worry about little things like soil type, they grow like Twitch.
Buy and plant rhizomes Mar/Apr.

 

[Muddydisco]

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2555

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=6019

 

[phettebs]

I grow Cascade and Centennial. This is the 3rd year for these hops so I'm anticipating a good harvest! Here are some pics from a couple weeks ago:

Barry

 

[caerleon]

OMG! Thats a huge plant! I guess you will be selling off the surplus or can you dry freeze for the next year?

Thanks for the replies

 

[Tony]

Christ almighty Barry ... that's going to be a bumper harvest! They look like they're ready now! Absolutely beautiful! Well done!

I have mine in for the first year and looks like I'll be lucky to get a couple of brews out of this years. How was your first year?

 

[phettebs]

Yeah, they went a bit nuts. I will dry them, vacuum seal, and then put in the freezer. Last year I just dried and put them in zip lock bags. They weren't very air tight.

My first year, I literally got a handful of hops. The second year (last year) it looked a lot like these pictures. I think I ended up with about 5 pounds total after drying! :shock:

I may need a bigger freezer this year!! I'll probably give a bunch of them away.

Barry

 

[Bru4u]

That really is something to aspire to Barry, excellent hop garden you have there. :clap:

 

[Wez]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[rickthebrew]

Barry they look great - do they smell as they grow, hope this isn`t a stupid question!

 

[phettebs]

They get more and more "hoppy" as they grow, especially towards the end of the growing cycle when the lupulin starts to escape.

Working with the plants is a pain though. They are very prickly.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I've got a dwarf variety that's called "Prima Donna".... Last year I got enough from 1 plant to brew 160 pints in it's first year...
Pictures from last year just before harvest

 

I grow Cascade and Centennial. This is the 3rd year for these hops so I'm anticipating a good harvest! Here are some pics from a couple weeks ago:

You don't do things by halves do you!

 

[highwayman]

I'm in my first year with a Challenger Hop plant .. but will
only get a handful this year!?! :cry: I grew a Fuggles Hop Root given to me by Aleman but I left it in a pot and it's not done very well! I'll plant it on the garden when it dies back and hope it does better next year in the ground :thumb:
Yours are fantastic Barry :clap:

 

[ano]

A friend of mine might be opening a pub/restaurant next year and has asked me a bit about making their own beer. I've suggested growing their own hops for a seasonal ale festival, they've got a bit of space out back, and would use this as a picture to entice them! Think of this growing across the back of a pub you frequent, then one day being able to drink those very hops!

 

[cwrw]

Hi,
Anyone know what flavour will HUMULUS LUPULUS (common hop) impart - compares to what commercial hop?

 

[jamesb]

Hi,
Anyone know what flavour will HUMULUS LUPULUS (common hop) impart - compares to what commercial hop?

HUMULUS LUPULUS is the standard hop family. It's the strain that matters.

Think of it like yeast. All brewer's ale yeasts are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but within that we get the different strains like Nottingham and WLP-400, each with different characters.

 

[highwayman]

BB looks like your garden is going to be famous Buddy - I'd get some prints run off and sign them quick - The commission will pay for your new Stainless Steel 50ltr Mash Tun :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[cwrw]

Hi,
Anyone know what flavour will HUMULUS LUPULUS (common hop) impart - compares to what commercial hop?

HUMULUS LUPULUS is the standard hop family. It's the strain that matters.

Think of it like yeast. All brewer's ale yeasts are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but within that we get the different strains like Nottingham and WLP-400, each with different characters.

Cheers James, but I would love to know what the properties of the hop plants on ebay are as they do not specify strains as such.

 

I would love to know what the properties of the hop plants on ebay are as they do not specify strains as such.

I would recommend that that you don't buy!
The seller probably doesn't know the strain either or he would have proudly stated it.
Odd time of year to be selling hop plants. :wha: