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Growing Hops

Ozzy2001

Ozzy2001

Has anybody successfully grown hops that they were able to harvest? Thinking about doing it this year, and I was just curious if anybody had any luck with it.
 
Yeah...they grow like weeds and spread even worse. I've grown many varieties for brewing. I personally think they are more of a PITA than it's worth especially considering the affordable prices for brewing. I usually throw most of my cones out as I have way too many. I think I'll dig mine up this year and grow something different. 
 
They can be VERY invasive!
Also growing conditions change their taste or whatever.
I grew Hallertauer , Tettanger , Saaz , willamette ,cascade and some northern ca. or oregan variety (a US version of a European hops).
Stuff is like Ivy,Have to kill the roots...
It was COOL at first,But when the local brew supply shop gets overdosed with my extra stuff (for free),it wasn't worth growing anymore.
I do like Hops flowers MORE than Pellets.
To ME it makes a BIG difference in my brews.
Took YEARS to kill off my plants.
As bad as Horseradish...
 
dragonsfire said:
Yes, Had a nice bag full , year 2 and three was crap.
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I had the opposite, just vines and leaves first year and the hops starting the second year. I have mine in an area of my yard that doesn't get a lot of intense direct sun and they still do pretty good. They are Cascade variety.
 
I like fresh dried hops a LOT better than pellets etc.
But it was way to much work messing with vines that grew up to my roof and -even if they put out a few flowers per foot,it was more than I or my buddies could use.Lots of work too.
As you can see by my hops selection,I like brewing Bocks,Dopple Bocks,Wheat Beer,Pilsners , a few stouts and Barley wines along with a few pale ales.
My Barley wine SUCKS until it blends for 1-2 years.Too much Chocolate grains.
You wouldn't believe the taste after it blends and ages.
THEN it is GREAT/Exceptional!
 
Getting expensive to buy common beer these days.
 
Brewing WAS VERY cheap,not anymore.
 
Less than what I brew,BUT way more expensive now.
3 cases of ANY brew was about $30. ,now is easily $50.+ min. per batch for a simple ale.
I do mostly Grain and extract brews.
I used to do grain brews.
I can't anymore-electric stove screwed me as far as temp. control goes.
Very important for a grain brew,In My opinion.
Especially with certain specific recipes.
Trying to make a stout beer that tastes close to what I want/like.
 
Love growing hops have been for a long time. Going to add a couple new varieties this spring. I prune my plants back in spring to a few larger main vines and train them where I want them to grow. If you have friends extra hops never get wasted, well unless you send them to GM..haha
 
We're on 5 acres, but it's mostly wooded. As long as the sunlight will work I have a spot that's away from everything else, so I wouldn't have to worry about it being invasive.
 
grantmichaels said:
If you vacuum-seal dried hops from a friend and they weren't all the way dry - they'll grow mold, and you'll worry about botulism due to the anaerobic environment of the vac-pack ;)
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you know i'm just busting your stones. your one of the few I could send a bucket full of fresh hops to and just chuck in the compost cause life got in the way and its cool.  :D
 
at this point i would know what to do, but when they came, i didn't know how to utilize hops like that ...
 
i could have whirlpooled or hopbursted an IPA w/ them to good effect, but i didn't think i liked IPA's at that time, and stouts/porters just get a bittering addition (and using hops of unknown AA would kind suck for that) ...
 
anyways, thanks ... i was smarter when Ozzy had some - i knew i couldn't utilize them in the timeframe they needed to be used within ..
 
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