Hops in my garden

[matjam]

Hi all,

Since we moved into our house there have been a few hops growing in the garden but I've never really cared for them.
However, since starting this homebrewing lark I'm seeing them in a different light.

My problem is I have no idea as to what type of hops they are and from reading other posts regarding identifying varieties it's pretty much impossible.

Still, I'll post a few pictures for people to cast their eyes over.

If I crush one between my fingers they definately smell of beer!

I've only done a Wherry brew so far but I am aware that people add dry hops to improve the aroma etc.

So I'm thinking I'll just pick them and dry them in the oven. Any advice on this regarding timings, temps etc?

 

[godfrey]

this is the only cone pics I found so far

I would love a chart with more varietys

source

 

[Bluezephyr]

I put my hops in a very fine mesh bag and hung up near a window we always keep open.kept agitating them every day, doesn't take long and pretty sure force drying them isn't good for them.

 

[matjam]

Thanks for the replies.

I've been thinking that they've almost certainly come from a garden centre (the previous owners spent a fortune at garden centres). We have a Blooms around here and after a quick search on their website they only stock one type of hop - Humulus lupinus 'Golden Tassels' Golden Hop.
http://www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk/item/Deciduous-Climbers/Golden-Tassels/FQQ
It looks very similar.

Is this just an ornamental and no good for anything apart from climbing up my fence?

 

[BIGJIM72]

Hop info
http://www.aplus-hops.co.uk/ProductDeta ... ode=GT2LHP

History of Oast houses
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oast_house

 

[matjam]

Thanks for that BigJim - very interesting.
I'll pick them and air dry them and see what happens.
I've got nothing to lose.

[edited typo]

 

[BIGJIM72]

I use a dehydrator for mine at around 40'c,then vac pac.

 

[Duxuk]

They look like the golden hop I used to have in my garden. They are decorative, rather than a brewing hop. I did use mine to dry hop and thought they gave quite a resinous charachter. I used a shed load, as I remember. Mine stopped producing flowers because they were in the shade of other plants, so they were a gonner :evil:

 

[matjam]

Thanks Duxuk.
I'm only thinking of adding them dry to a kit - nothing very adverturous.

I've picked what was there - they came in at 100g wet weight. People say dry weight is 1/5 of wet, so that's a massive 20g!!

Maybe I'll just dump them rather than risk ruining a 23L batch.