Help With Hops

[worldvirus]

Hi all, Just started brewing again after a 10 year hiatus (and wondering why I ever stopped).

Anyway, I'm doing my brewing up at my farm in the Otways where I've discovered hops growing wild down in the creek at my neighbours place.
He's been poisoning them along with the blackberries, but I've managed to grab a fair amount of roots to plant around at mine.
I've been chatting to the previous owners and the consensus is they where planted around 3 generations ago so I guess they are a pretty old variety.

Is there any members out there with a talent for identifying hop varieties? I've brought a few ziplock bags with roots in sawdust back to Melb and would be happy to post to anyone who thinks they could help. I understand I'll have to wait until they grow and flower before I'll get any answers.

if anyone has the skills and is interested please PM be with an address and i'll post out a bag

 

[Batz]

Hi all, Just started brewing again after a 10 year hiatus (and wondering why I ever stopped).

Anyway, I'm doing my brewing up at my farm in the Otways where I've discovered hops growing wild down in the creek at my neighbours place.
He's been poisoning them along with the blackberries, but I've managed to grab a fair amount of roots to plant around at mine.
I've been chatting to the previous owners and the consensus is they where planted around 3 generations ago so I guess they are a pretty old variety.

Is there any members out there with a talent for identifying hop varieties? I've brought a few ziplock bags with roots in sawdust back to Melb and would be happy to post to anyone who thinks they could help. I understand I'll have to wait until they grow and flower before I'll get any answers.

if anyone has the skills and is interested please PM be with an address and i'll post out a bag

I'll say they would be Pride or Ringwood, try a brew with them.

Batz

 

[jyo]

Hi all, Just started brewing again after a 10 year hiatus (and wondering why I ever stopped).

Anyway, I'm doing my brewing up at my farm in the Otways where I've discovered hops growing wild down in the creek at my neighbours place.
He's been poisoning them along with the blackberries, but I've managed to grab a fair amount of roots to plant around at mine.
I've been chatting to the previous owners and the consensus is they where planted around 3 generations ago so I guess they are a pretty old variety.

Is there any members out there with a talent for identifying hop varieties? I've brought a few ziplock bags with roots in sawdust back to Melb and would be happy to post to anyone who thinks they could help. I understand I'll have to wait until they grow and flower before I'll get any answers.

if anyone has the skills and is interested please PM be with an address and i'll post out a bag

I'm not sure on helping with the identification, but you might be better off not digging them up this time of the year mate. I had to do this two years ago in February as we moved house and the poor buggas rotted in the pots.
Maybe ask your neighbour to leave a patch unpoisoned for you till about July-August, then dig to your hearts content.
Just my experience, mate.

P.S.- Great find BTW.

 

[worldvirus]

thanks jyo i'll see if any survived the his poisoning, hopefully the roots and plants i got will make it.

I thought of pride of ringwood batz but according to wikipedia they were first used in 1965 ...these are at least 50 years older

 

[jiesu]

Shame he poisoned them. You would get some massive rhizomes of those suckers.
If their is any hop flowers you might be able to take some pictures of them and show
them here on the forum. I'm sure some greenthumbs will be able to ID them for you.

 

[manticle]

Could be ornamental. Do you know if they've ever been used for brewing?

 

[Dazza_devil]

They could of popped up from a seed. In which case they would be a variety in their own right.

 

[[email protected]]

There used to be hops fields around Forrest in the late 19-century and up until WW2. Not sure where in the Otways you are, but they could be a remnant of the old hopfields. I got a book from the local historical society which says the hops grown at the turn of the 20th century were Goldings and Clusters.

I hope yours aren't from seed as I've got my hops growing at the in-laws (outside Apollo Bay) and I don't want any wild hops around! 100 years of reseeding, god knows what they are now.

 

[worldvirus]

as far as i understand hops wont grow from seed (here) and the ornamental idea doesnt work as they were 300m (at least) from the old dairy (back then).
Hopz may the best guess with the Goldings and Clusters idea ....i'm on the bambra boonah border
I have no idea, but i know for sure they weren't planted in the last 50 years

 

[[email protected]]

as far as i understand hops wont grow from seed (here) and the ornamental idea doesnt work as they were 300m (at least) from the old dairy (back then).
Hopz may the best guess with the Goldings and Clusters idea ....i'm on the bambra boonah border
I have no idea, but i know for sure they weren't planted in the last 50 years

sounds like you have a living piece of history! where you are isn't too far from Forrest and I think hops were grown out around the East Branch of the Barwon river and pennyroyal creek.

a 3-generations old plant would have a huge rhizome crown (a big mass of woody stems).

 

[Dazza_devil]

as far as i understand hops wont grow from seed (here)

What's stopping them growing from seed?

These babies did,

 

[worldvirus]

Nice one Boagsy well I guess that shows how much I know about growing hops!

Yer Hopz I planted a few rhizomes over at my place that were well over two metres long.
heading down there tomorrow so will check out what survived the poison and maybe do some more digging. Move a few more.

got a jar full of flowers so I guess I'll mix them in a brew and see what the outcome is

 

[jyo]

What's stopping them growing from seed?

These babies did,

Do you know what species they are, Boagsy?
I have seen hops sold online from seed, yet the origin has never been specified. The sites I have looked at will usually say that the hops are ornamental.
Cheers, john.

 

[worldvirus]

Seems most of the vines survived the poison grabbed a few pic's if that helps.
Most of the flowers have dropped, those that remain are full of oil and scent.
Still happy to post out some roots if anyone thinks they can grow and identify these, just message me with an address