Brew UK Forum | General Brewing Discussions
Hop Growers 2010
I've decided to start a thread for hop growers only.
The the other one is getting a little crowded.
I will be growing:
1 x Fuggle
1 x English Mathon (Goldings type)
1 x Unknown
I ordered the hops from http://www.aplus-hops.co.uk/ last year, and received them in November? I think.
They came as bare roots in plastic bags.
I put them in the fridge for a few days until I sorted out something to put them in.
I planted them in buckets (5 x 1" holes in the bottom).
I left them in the garage over the winter, and put them out when I saw they had sprouted. I could have put them out a week or so earlier.
I got the unknown hops from a family friend. Their son used to home brew.
13/4/10
I've sunk the buckets into the ground. It'll stop them from blowing over, and keep the roots cool on hot days(if we have any this summer).
I made a little tepee to help the hops get off the ground.
The idea is to use plastic coated string (the stuff you get for washing lines), and run it up the side of the house. Then run the string back down and tie it off, allowing me to let down and raise the hops as needed.
The lines will go approximately were I've drawn them on this photo.
There is shade to the left of the chimney, so I want to keep them to the right (south side).
The third hop plant is just to the right out of shot, but will be going straight up.
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Nice post and pics Varnish!
Mine are just sprouting and will update with pics when there is something significant happening :o)
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Niccceeeeee!
I take it I have missed my opertunity to plant some hops this year then?
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
20/4/10
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
They may be some life in mine yet. Thought I'd killed it but there are some green shoots. Fingers crossed. Don't think I'll be posting any pictures anytime soon though!
All looking good there Varnish!
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Coming on.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Posted this on my brewday post but will pop it in here too. All looks well, bit shocked with the rate of growth (well I was when the sun was shining). I'm hoping that when this reached around the 9' mark I can train it along the horizontal
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Lift off. Finally after a few weeks the hot weather has done the necessary. I've run some twine up to my bathroom window, with the plan to let it out as they grow up. They've put on about a foot in the last week
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Lookin' goooooooooood! What type are they?
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
prima donna and mathon, sourced from aplus hops that varnish linked at the top.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
They've slowed down a bit now.
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Woah they have grown loads in the last month, nicely done sir! I have finally found the wild hops growing over a hedge that a friend from work told me about. I must see if I can use them when they are ready!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Has slowed considerably in the last week ... but as its the first season I wasn't expecting it to go nuts - and it is a dwarf hop.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I think I was under watering mine.
I've stated watering them with about 1 1/2 gallons a day and they've taken off again.
Probably over watering them but they seem to like it.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Never seen anything other than the fact that they love water... if it's working I wouldn't worry!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
My two luvverlies are quite thirsty. Couple of litres each per day I reckon. The Prima Donna on the left is growing very slowly, but the Mathon on the right is screaming away.
One question I have though, I was really careful to only have 3 vines growing in each pot. But the Prima Donna refuses to respect my authoratah. Its really bushy at the bottom. Should I keep snipping them back, or just let it go for it?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Im having the same issue with my prima donna i have three vines growing with several growing from the base of them do i trim them?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
well, i dont know if its the "right" answer, but I chopped mine back to 3 main vines. Having a normal plant next to the dwarf variety, its clear to see the dwarf one has a preference to be bushy, where the regular one is just going like a rocket straight up. Cant wait to see how much fruit(?) it bears.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hows everyone's hops doing?
I'm gonna start feeding mine this week with some 20-20-20.
Goldings on left, Fuggles right.
The goldings is much taller, but the fuggles is much bushier.
Anyone know when to expect flowers?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Oh, and my little green house got destroyed yesterday in the wind
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Looking good varnish, very different aren't they!
No idea when the flowers will begin - in fact I know very little, I must read up on it. Do the flowers need to be pollinated? If so, do they need pollen from the same variety?
Hmm ... never noticed that before - pollinated with an i and pollen with an e. Damn weird.
Sorry to hear about the greenhouse, is it repairable?
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I'm not gonna bother repairing the green house.
At least not for a while.
The flowers, as far as I know are wind pollinated.
I don't think it makes a difference if the hops are pollinated or not.
If you have wild hops near by they'll be pollinated. If not they won't.
This link says seedless hops are more betterer.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/hop.html
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Ahhh .... sensimilla. Nudge nudge, wink wink :o)
Good link that Varnish!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
The plants are related.
I after some sticky icky buds from these beauties.
And I think I may be in luck.
Those bits that aren't leaves I believe are some very small hop flowers.
Hanging down, growing from between the leaf node and the steam.
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
OMG! Mate that looks amazing. How high do you reckon they are? You lucky ***?!?**!?!*?*!?*!?*!?*?*!?*?!*?!
Oh yeah. Thats one long swearword!
I will have to check on the wild ones and post an update.
Lucky man.
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Those look fantastic Varnish .. I'm going to have to examine my plant more carefully when I get home!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I found some hops.
Well actually I knew they were there, I just hadn't had a chance to look at them until now.
This first one grows outside a local pub.
It's about 10 foot wide but I didn't see any flowers. It could be a male plant
This other one is actually in someone's garden. But it's obviously wild. Again no flowers, and a bit of mould.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thought this might help.
There are a couple of ways to tell. One is to squeeze a cone between your thumb and fore finger and if the cone stays compressed, it's not ready, it should "rebound" to it's basic shape. The other, that has been mentioned is the tips of the cones will start to brown. The "petals" on the cone should also start to feel kind of papery as opposed to how they feel when they are still immature.
Or flick the cones, and if they come off, the plant is ready to harvest.
Mine are looking good at the moment. I don't think it'll be too long before they are ready to harvest.
I'll get some pictures tomorrow.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Well, I managed to get some pictures a week later.
Goldings
Fuggles
Here's a fuggles cut open. The yellow lupin shows up better than I thought it would.
There where some seeds inside, so I guess there is some male hop pollen floating around.
Maybe a week or two before harvest......
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Forgot to say;
Smells awesome.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
They look brilliant Varnish. Better get a brew planned.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Those look amazing Varnish, quite a good harvest there. Mine are a bit smaller than those and I probably have enough for two brews as this is only the plant's first year.
Great work!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Mutha Fu.........
Lucky man, I bet you cant wait to brew with those babies!
I must post the piccys of our wild hops growing - I looked at em again a few days ago and there are masses of em!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Nice one! I'm thinking of doing this next year but haven't got a massive gable end to tie them to. Saw on another website that you can use a much shorter piece of wood, tie the string to the top of the wood and to the pot. The string is really long and as the bind climbs up the string you feed out a bit more string.
This means that the bind lies in a coil just above the pot until it's done.
Not sure that it'll work in our climate. It being damp and all but might give it a go.
PS - Where did you source the hop plants?
Fermenting:
Condtioning: Twibute Clone
Drinking: 100% wheat, Fixby Gold
Posted 1 year ago by Member
That was a really bad explanation so here's the video:
http://c2.libsyn.com/media/18257/bbv03-24-09colbygarden.mp4?nvb=20100901132844&nva=20100902133844&sid=301c2d6129bd3c90d1091480ed182315&l_sid=18257&l_eid=&l_mid=1511267&t=0af8dd6b384135c29fe84
Fermenting:
Condtioning: Twibute Clone
Drinking: 100% wheat, Fixby Gold
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Look at this:
Not even mine.
I spotted them on the road side just past The Bruces Arms (Witshire, near East Grafton) so I swung into the pub car park, and spent 5 minutes stuffing my jacket pockets.
There are still loads left so if anyone's in the area go and grab some. I think I'll go back with a bag and grab some more.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Oh don't mind me.
Just finding another source of wild hops.
These ones were from Oare (Wiltshire) growing in a hedge on the road side.
Still loads there.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
We have a wild bush right near my house packed with buds but to be honest I have so little time to brew at the moment that I wouldn't dare use a unknown hop in my beer as I can't risk a rubbish batch. I guess if you just use for aroma then you don't have too much to lose. Just use loads.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi guys - I am very lucky as I have 2 hop plants growing over my back fence, one is from my neigbor, the other is "wild", maybe way there when i cut another bush back. Both are unidentified, and both are different, that's apparent from colour of the foliage and the maturation time. Managed to pick 600g off the first one yesterday, lots more to come
I'm going to make some extract brews from these, any ideas of a good recipie when you have no idea what the hop is? Lukily i like all beers so I'm totally open to suggstion.
I don't have that much space to brew with, so i'm going to have to store some of these hops, any suggestions? I have no freezer space unfortunatley, can I dry them in the oven?
Cheers all,
Fermenting: Blackberry wine
Conditioning: Summer Ale, Strawberry wine, Parsnip Sherry
Drinking: Rhubarb wine
Posted 1 year ago by Member
growing two fuggles plants (my first attempt)- one is bearing flowers,the other nothing. any suggestions?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
@ Mentalfloss
I wouldn't dry in an oven. Just leave them on some newspaper.
As for recipes? Any I guess. I think the advice usually given is to use the hops just for aroma. So add in the last 5-10 minutes of the boil.
@Poshfan
If there's no flowers by now I doubt there will be any this year.
Don't worry, the plants are perennial so they'll grow back next year and should produce more hops each year as they become more established.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Varnish... next year I plan to plant mine in the soil rather than a pot .. should I cut back now (I've harvested) and plant in the ground - or should I tuck it away in the pot and plant next april?
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Cheers Varnish
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I harvested the other day too.
I was going to leave the binds up until they die back. Probably in the first frost(only 4 or so weeks now!)
Then move the pots into the garage for over the winter.
Next year I plan to move them to 5 gallon fermentors (I have two old ones) as they've filled their buckets up already.
Oh that carrier bag full of hops (picture above), 62g.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Wondering if you could make Hop Hashish?
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
You don't get a lot of hops for the effort then?
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
No.
However the crop is supposed to improve each year as the root crown becomes more established.
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Hey 100g of hops, Id be happy with 10g free hops! What brew will you be doing then varnish?
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Great pics!!
I saw some advice on the net that said cut back mid to late october and plant in the ground mid november .. I'll try that I think...
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
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