Should I pick wild hops?

[andypatt]

I recently found some hops growing by the roadside near where I live - Should I pick them and use them in a brew?

Also, I would love to know how I go about working out what kind of hops they are? Maybe Tea?

Any help much appreciated!

 

[Gerryjo]

Why not there free but no idea as how to distinguish apart from brewing as a SMaSH and trying to analyse what aroma and flavours you find.

 

[Drunkula]

YES! Don't rely on them for bittering or anything but consider them for fun in the last half hour. I've done a load of beers with 'comedy' hops and it's so much fun. If you can squeeze them in your hands and they remotely resemble something that's not a rotting fox then brew it!

 

[An Ankoù]

I recently found some hops growing by the roadside near where I live - Should I pick them and use them in a brew?

Also, I would love to know how I go about working out what kind of hops they are? Maybe Tea?

Any help much appreciated!

If you're in Europe, it's still at least 5 months too early for hops. Are you sure they're hops?

 

[Bevvied]

I'm keen on the entire camping and foraging thing.
The only thing I can think of this time of year is bog myrtle which might just be appearing.

 

[andypatt]

If you're in Europe, it's still at least 5 months too early for hops. Are you sure they're hops?

You are right - I saw them end of aummer last year, but they got cut back before I could pick them. noticed yesterday the vines growing again so hopefully will get a second chance at them.

 

[An Ankoù]

You are right - I saw them end of aummer last year, but they got cut back before I could pick them. noticed yesterday the vines growing again so hopefully will get a second chance at them.

Absolutely go for it then.

 

[Pennine]

definitely try it out, i have three separate spots identified with wild hops growing around where I live. Was planning on doing some more sampling and experimenting with DME and wild hops this fall.

the wild ones in the back yard were pretty good last year. very unique.

 

[andypatt]

So thats a resounding YES then! Now I just need to keep an eye on them coming into autumn and make sure no-one has the same idea, or the council gets to them first!

My main worry was the taste tbh, as they are right next to a busy road (Pollution etc.) but from what you have said I should just get on with it! Thanks.

 

[nixhaz]

If you can grab a bit of the root when they get hacked down, then you could maybe grow them somewhere less polluted! This video shows how (near the end)

 

[stevey]

I picked some last year and did a couple of experimental brews. The drawbacks are that, although you may have a rough idea of which hops were grown in the area, these hops will not be representative of that variety. All the hops we know and love are reproduced by cuttings or rhizomes to retain the character of the parent plant.
You won't know the AA%age, in my experience it was very low, if I was to use them again I would vastly increase the bittering amount (think kilos instead of grams). They may be ok just used as aroma hops, but I didn't try that.
I was disappointed with both brews I made with them, I used significantly more in the 2nd brew, but both had hardly any hop flavour; just a grassy smell.
Where I live they are growing absolutely everywhere when you start looking for them, but I wouldn't waste my time again. They look much nicer growing where they are rather than in my beer.
1st week in september (wild hops may need longer) , is harvest time if you want to try them. Wait until they start to go a little brown, dried is best, but can be used fresh (I did). They also carry a lot of bugs with them, so try to give them a bit of a shake or gentle wash with cold water.

If you have room to grow them, rhizomes of known varieties are cheap, I think they have to be planted before 1st frost.

 

[stevey]

I will add though, that there's a very high probability that my hops were descended from EKG, which are quite low in AA anyway, so yours may be better.

 

[Clint]

Comedy hops...I like that!
Perhaps you could name the wild variety...
Chubby Brownling...

 

[Brew_DD2]

Get on it! Just use something fairly neutral for bittering, then slam a load of these in at the end. I'd not bother drying them either tbh. Pick them and brew with them the same day. Look up wet hopping.

 

[Old_P]

I was out walking yesterday and started to notice wild hops growing in a number of places. After searching through the forum I get the impression they are not worth using. I picked a few to see if they are ripe, which they are, but have very little aroma.

 

[Gerryjo]

I was out walking yesterday and started to notice wild hops growing in a number of places. After searching through the forum I get the impression they are not worth using. I picked a few to see if they are ripe, which they are, but have very little aroma.

Pick them surely and test them at home with a SMaSH as you'll never know and they are free.
Try a hop tea for flavour as this will help you to determine whether or not you will use them for bittering or aroma or maybe both.

 

[UKSkydiver]

A friend said he'd seen some wild hops so I popped over yesterday for a sneaky peak.
Some were ready, most not so much, and the aroma went from grassy for the green ones to what I would describe as wild garlic with a hint of hops.
The comments here suggest it's not worth it when you consider wild hops seem to be less aromatic, having to harvest large amounts, having to dry them, having to harvest and use within a given time frame etc etc.
I like the idea of fresh, locally foraged, wild hops, but, in reality, it doesn't seem practical.
Things I have learned:
Wild hops like to grow high, really high. So high that a ladder would be needed. They like to grow just the other side of a brook. They like to grow right next to stinging nettles. They like to grow in and around bramble bushes. They range from nowhere near ready to pick, to past their best.

Here are some nice pics though