In the brewing world, hops are a great topic of debate, hops come in many varieties and usually distinguished between flavour(bitterness) and aroma. Unlike pepper growers, where you can eat a hot pepper outright, use it in cooking, pickle them or make a sauce, the beer community just has the end result to work with - the beer (and they usually have to wait 30 days before trying it for the carbonation to take effect). Now, beer can come in many flavours and that is what they work towards.
When I did brew I used northern brewer, cascade and saaz - no I didn't grow them, I purchased in a sealed bag from a brewing supply company. I am lucky with our local water quality - mountain freshness, just another item to consider when brewing.
Also, what kind of beer do you plan on making? (light lager, lager, ale, draft, stout, strong etc). It would be a shame to want to make a Miller clone, something you could pick up at your local gas station for $3.00 a six pack.
I have made a couple varieties of stout, lager, ale and my favourite flavour was a strong beer variety. A strong has a nice amber/redish appearence and quite a smooth flavour, similar to a cream ale.
Today I just make wines, grapes come up from California (many varieties), I have a crusher and a press to help me along. Also, I make a cherry wine from a local cherry that grows here called a nan-king cherry. What a beautiful presentation it makes at Christmas and the flavour along with turkey just seem to work together. (Now I am salivating).
thnx.
