I would like to know the results of home grown hops.
Is it worth all the effort?
i.e. Growing Harvesting, Drying, Storage.
Are successful brews made.
Can they be compared to professionally supplied hops
How does one determine the AA. etc.etc.
Really looking for other growers comments and a general discussion
I grow my own and have had varying rates of success
Home grown Hops
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scuppeteer
- Under the Table
- Posts: 1512
- Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:32 pm
- Location: Brenchley, Kent (Birthplace of Fuggles... or is it?)
Re: Home grown Hops
I can only imagine your varying degree of success, depends on the year. Hops are fickle things and vary season to season. This year has been pretty good depending on the variety. Most yields are up this year and Bramling X have been particularly good.
Is it worth the effort? Depends on your outlook I suppose. I find the satisfaction of brewing with your own hops more than worth it. Yes they can be a pain when they suffer fly and disease but if you know how to deal with that its not really much effort.
No you can't work out the AA, commercial growers don't even know it. Only the factors and their labs can work it out. So whatever variety you have you can only make a guesstimate comparison.
So long as you harvest and dry at the right time you'll be fine, once dried keep them cool and air tight. They will last for ages.
They are labour intensive commercially, but a couple of bines in the garden.. not really. Being born and bred in the heart of Kent, I still wish there were the 40,000 odd acres that used to be grown here.
So is it worth it? Feck yeah!
Is it worth the effort? Depends on your outlook I suppose. I find the satisfaction of brewing with your own hops more than worth it. Yes they can be a pain when they suffer fly and disease but if you know how to deal with that its not really much effort.
No you can't work out the AA, commercial growers don't even know it. Only the factors and their labs can work it out. So whatever variety you have you can only make a guesstimate comparison.
So long as you harvest and dry at the right time you'll be fine, once dried keep them cool and air tight. They will last for ages.
They are labour intensive commercially, but a couple of bines in the garden.. not really. Being born and bred in the heart of Kent, I still wish there were the 40,000 odd acres that used to be grown here.
So is it worth it? Feck yeah!
Dave Berry
Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!
Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC
Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!
Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC
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SamT
Re: Home grown Hops
Just grown a bine of Fuggles, as
a) I wanted to brew with them
b) the look and smell nice in the garden
A first year bine produced 50(very) dried grams of hops - need to work on my drying technique. They were dried in a mates conservatory, so the light has bleached them a little ... will report back after I try and brew with 'em.
a) I wanted to brew with them
b) the look and smell nice in the garden
A first year bine produced 50(very) dried grams of hops - need to work on my drying technique. They were dried in a mates conservatory, so the light has bleached them a little ... will report back after I try and brew with 'em.