Growing Hops

DeanRIowa · Post by **DeanRIowa** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 1:01 pm

My main hobby is gardening, thus I thought I might try to grow some hops next season.

Is anyone else growing hops?

Any good suppliers to recommend for rhizomes?

Any advice would be appreciated. Any recommended types? I have thought of growing Saaz and not sure on the others I would like to try out three types to start. I want to be able use them in some of my planned beers, Blonde Ales, Kolsch, Pilsner, Marzen, Vienna Lagers, Irish Red Ale, German Alt.

thanks,
Dean

davidw · Post by **davidw** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 2:54 pm

I know a few brewers and non-brewers that grow hops. I've provided rhizomes to 4 or 5 different people in the area and have grown Cascade, Mt. Hood, Tettnang and Willamette. The Tettnang and Willamette never did very well and eventually didn't come back after about the 3 or 4th year. I moved the Cascade, which has always been very prolific, and Mt. Hood into half whiskey barrels when they had developed good sized crowns by their 4th year. The year after I moved them into the barrels they were already root bound and needed a lot of water to prevent them from drying up in late July before the cones had fully developed. So following that year I drilled inch diameter holes in the bottom of the barrels. The next year their roots found their way through the holes and they have done well ever since. This year with the steady rain we have had, plus having rain barrels, I am surprised that we are into September and mine are still green, not dried out, and still producing hops. I've taken 9 pounds off my Cascade and probably have another pound or two waiting to be picked this weekend. The Mt. Hood has only produced around half that. As I said the Cascade has always done very well. The Mt. Hood has good years and not as good years.

I had ordered mine from Northern Brewer and if I remember correctly they actually drop-shipped them from www.freshops.com No reason why you couldn't just order directly from them next spring.

It looks like the new hop crop will be coming in around October 1! I love hops.

davidw · Post by **davidw** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 2:58 pm

Should have mentioned, I've used the Mt. Hood often in alts, a couple marzen, and also brown ale and really liked the flavor and aroma they add. I use the Cascade frequently for late hop additions to PA's, IPA's, brown ales, american stouts and porters.

I've also been known, as I'm going to do tonight, to walk back there while grilling or smoking, pick some fresh hops off of the bines, crush them up a little bit in my hand, and drop them into whatever beer I may have in hand at the time. Which tonight will be a Summit Octoberfest. (it is delicious this year)

kurtford · Post by **kurtford** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 6:28 pm

I grow cascade hops that I got from Franklin, first year hops don't produce very much and are not very tasty. This is my second year and I have way too much for me to ever use and the hop itself is looking and smelling a lot better than the ones I used last year. I need to go out and pick all the rest of them and give them away at the next meeting. There is a posting on the beernuts site on this year's hop crop. So far, they are extremely easy to grow and take no effort at all.

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:01 pm

Like Kurt said, several people started a cascade in town from my plant. Most have had good luck. It grows very well here. Just give it light and something to climb. Check out my photo album on this site of my hops before I transplantd them a couple years ago.

http://www.crbeernuts.org/phpBB3/album.php?user_id=14

DeanRIowa · Post by **DeanRIowa** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:08 pm

Sounds like Cascade, and MT hood do well here in Iowa, might consider them. As I said I want to try Saaz, even though I have heard they are tougher to grow. Any other ideas for German ales and Irish red type hops?

I was thinking maybe Hersbrucker, Hallertau, Tettnang, Vanguard, or Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. Any other ideas?

I was thinking of ordering from Freshops and/or Northern Brewer.

What do you use for trellis? I have three telephones. Simple ideas would be nice.

Matt those are some nice looking Cascade plants.

thanks,
Dean

kurtford · Post by **kurtford** » Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:07 am

It seems like I use Hallertau a lot, maybe next spring I'll get some rhizomes and give it a try.

http://www.crbeernuts.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=1208 is the 2011 hop crop page if you couldn't find it.

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:01 pm

Searching for some Cascade rhizomes to plant in a couple 5 gallon buckets and let them climb up the deck and see what happens. When is the best time to plant them. I don't expect much if any the first year.

prieff · Post by **prieff** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:15 pm

Mine took off like rockets. Pre order some and plant 2 to a container. I think 5 gal buckets are to small tho. I would plant early march to late April. I got 3.5# wet last year. They ALL went into a 5gal batch. Hoppilicious. On Jan 23, 2013 1:01 PM, "Bones" <brew-tech@crbeernuts.org (brew-tech@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Searching for some Cascade rhizomes to plant in a couple 5 gallon buckets and let them climb up the deck and see what happens. When is the best time to plant them. I don't expect much if any the first year.

Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

tony b · Post by **tony b** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:48 pm

Since you won't get anything the first year anyway, you can wait until they start coming up in the spring and get some free cuttings from Club members. Several of us have mature Cascade plants and dig up runners in the Spring.

prieff · Post by **prieff** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:53 pm

I got 12oz dried from 2 hills first year. I did cut vine runners last year and planted them in 30 gallon planters. 2 out of 3 took off and grew big. I do advocate a large container or in the ground. Hard to keep planter hops wet....so the bigger the better. On Jan 23, 2013 4:48 PM, "tony b" <brew-tech@crbeernuts.org (brew-tech@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Since you won't get anything the first year anyway, you can wait until they start coming up in the spring and get some free cuttings from Club members. Several of us have mature Cascade plants and dig up runners in the Spring.

A Mighty Wind's A Brewing

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy! Ben Franklin

Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 8:19 am

Hmmm, maybe I need to build a trellis and plant them in the ground. Just unsure where. We have a small lot, very open, very sunny, very windy, with a drainage way in the back 10' here in suburbia

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:10 am

I've grown Cascades (from Matt), Sunbeam (a Saaz hybrid), Magnum, and Goldings.I have a very shaded yard, and have met with limited success.

The Cascades have been somewhat productive, and the Sunbeam have done OK. The Magnums have grown OK early in the year, but very few hop cones. The Goldings have never done much at all.

I talked to James Altweis from Gorst Valley hops in Wisconsin about midwest varietals for the homebrewer. He suggested Cascades and Centennials are generally good producers. And I think he said Magnum also usually do pretty well. He indicated most European varieties really don't grow very well for us. His suggestion was grow Cascade, and if you want other grow something else as well, do it, just don't expect much production.

I ordered rhizomes from Freshops, they seem to have some varieties you don't see elsewhere.

Sunbeam: Saaz hybrid characterized by golden yellow leaves; developed in 1990 at the USDA breeding program in Oregon; vigorous with early maturity and good yield; moderate resistance to Downy Mildew and Verticillium Wilt. Despite its name, prefers filtered sun; excellent ornamental choice.

Magnum: A late-maturing Hallertauer hybrid developed at the Hop Research Institute in Hüll (Germany) with excellent yield potential, high alpha content, good storage stability and resistance to wilt and Downy Mildew, low tolerance to Powdery Mildew. Germany’s second largest hop variety; limited US acreage.

tony b · Post by **tony b** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:30 pm

Plant them where they get as much sun as you can and where they can get lots of moisture - they are water hogs. You will be shocked at how high they grow (20ft or more), so plan your trellis accordingly.