18 replies to this topic

[Bklmt2000]

Just placed an order w/ Hops Direct for Centennial & Magnum rhizomes (1 each).

 

My second-year Cascade is starting to show some growth, in the form of 3 buds at the moment; hopefully more will follow.

 

Anyone else taking the plunge and growing their own hops?

[positiveContact]

been doing it for a few years now.  mine are all cascades.  I've expanded the garden to grow around a couple sides of my deck.  it kind of makes a privacy wall by the end of the summer.

 

picking and drying is a serious PITA.  last year I didn't pick any - too lazy.

[HVB]

picking and drying is a serious PITA.  last year I didn't pick any - too lazy.

 

I think mine are around the 7th or 8th year.  I have 4 varieties and truth be told I am about ready to just rip them out.  Seems to be more or a PITA than it is worth to be honest. 

[denny]

I tore mine out last year because it was such a hassle to pick and process them all.  One 14 year old Cascade plant yielding in excess of 20 lb. a year.

Edited by denny, 14 March 2016 - 11:51 AM.

[Bklmt2000]

I tore mine out last year because it was such a hassle to pick and process them all.  One 14 year old Cascade plant yielding in excess of 20 lb. a year.

 

Holy cow.  That's getting it done. 

 

I won't be sad if my hop garden gets anywhere near that productive, all plants combined.  I know, I say that now. 

[positiveContact]

I tore mine out last year because it was such a hassle to pick and process them all.  One 14 year old Cascade plant yielding in excess of 20 lb. a year.

 

the trick is to not give a flying fuck about harvesting anything.  view them as ornamental with the option to pick if you are so inclined and they are much nicer.  my only problem with them at this point is the goddamn Japanese beetles that come to eat them.

[neddles]

 

 

James Altwies of Gorst Valley Hops give us some excellent advice on making sure our homegrown hops get a good start on the season.

Streaming mp3

 

BBR had this on a few weeks ago. Lots of good information regarding hop growing. I have a big garden so putting some hops in nearby is attractive to me. Also, I suspect my area would be pretty good for growing hops. However my time to brew, garden, and do everything else I like to do has been dwindling in recent years. So I probably won't put any in. Additionally, I'm still not convinced that if I go through all the trouble to grow these hops as well as possible that the end product will taste as good as what I am used to in my beer. Has anyone grown hops that meet or exceed their expectations for flavor/aroma?

[positiveContact]

Streaming mp3

 

BBR had this on a few weeks ago. Lots of good information regarding hop growing. I have a big garden so putting some hops in nearby is attractive to me. Also, I suspect my area would be pretty good for growing hops. However my time to brew, garden, and do everything else I like to do has been dwindling in recent years. So I probably won't put any in. Additionally, I'm still not convinced that if I go through all the trouble to grow these hops as well as possible that the end product will taste as good as what I am used to in my beer. Has anyone grown hops that meet or exceed their expectations for flavor/aroma?

 

I have not personally.  a friend of my brother sent me some cascades that were just as good as anything I've bought from the pros.  I think that part of it was that he used a food dehydrator to dry them.

[denny]

the trick is to not give a flying #### about harvesting anything.  view them as ornamental with the option to pick if you are so inclined and they are much nicer.  my only problem with them at this point is the goddamn Japanese beetles that come to eat them.

 

That's what I did the last few years, but I finally wanted to put an end to it.

I have not personally.  a friend of my brother sent me some cascades that were just as good as anything I've bought from the pros.  I think that part of it was that he used a food dehydrator to dry them.

 

What I learned is to dry them around 130F, like the hop farms do.  I was worried about that high a temp for many years, but once I tried it, it was the key.

[positiveContact]

That's what I did the last few years, but I finally wanted to put an end to it.

 

What I learned is to dry them around 130F, like the hop farms do.  I was worried about that high a temp for many years, but once I tried it, it was the key.

 

I don't really have a way to make that happen.  maybe a space heater?

[SchwanzBrewer]

Just out of curiosity why order rhizomes when you can get a crown?

 

Great Lakes hops sells crown for a couple bucks more and you are more likely to get a decent first year harvest.

[MyaCullen]

been doing it for a few years now.  mine are all cascades.  I've expanded the garden to grow around a couple sides of my deck.  it kind of makes a privacy wall by the end of the summer.

 

picking and drying is a serious PITA.  last year I didn't pick any - too lazy.

I train mine to shade my West Facing picture window in the living room, works great

[MakeMeHoppy]

I don't mind the harvest. I see when they are ready and when I'm hanging out on the deck I'll pick enough to cover a window screen full that I dry them on. My wife hated the idea when I first started now she complains each year when I cut them down and our living privacy fence is gone.

[Bklmt2000]

Bumping this one.

 

My order from Hopsdirect arrived yesterday, and my new rhizomes got planted in their forever home (our side garden bed, on the east side of the house).

 

I had ordered one of each (cent and magnum), but when i opened the box from Hopsdirect, i saw 2 good-looking rhizomes per variety instead. 

[denny]

I don't really have a way to make that happen.  maybe a space heater?

 

I use a food dehydrator.  Remember, hops start composting themselves within an hour of harvesting, so you want to get them dry as quickly as possible.  On the hop farms, it's maybe 10 min. from picking to drying.

[positiveContact]

I use a food dehydrator.  Remember, hops start composting themselves within an hour of harvesting, so you want to get them dry as quickly as possible.  On the hop farms, it's maybe 10 min. from picking to drying.

 

that's a good point.  i often spend an hour picking before the drying starts.  guess i should do small batches.

[Bklmt2000]

Bumping this thread for an unexpected, yet pleasant, discovery.  Ok, so after I planted my new rhizomes last month; ordered 1 each of Magnum & Cent, but got 2 each.  Awesome, right?

 

Well, only 1 of each sprouted, and i thought the other rhizome for each variety was toast.  Until today.

 

The rhizomes i previously gave up for dead are, in fact, very much alive and well.  Yay. 

 

Moral of the story: there is no moral, i'm just glad all of my hop plants are alive and well. 

[positiveContact]

year one is never great in terms of yield.  next year you'll rocking hard. 

[Bklmt2000]

That's exactly what i'm hoping for.

 

I tend to brew a lot of hoppy American styles, mainly APA/IPA, so i cleverly tried to tailor my hop garden to the 3 hops I use the most: Cascade, Magnum, and Centennial.

 

In another year or 2, i see lots of clone batches in my future, (2-Hearted Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale, Burning River Ale, etc.), which is awesome.