How To Id Hop Plants

[Oatlands Brewer]

Have been given two hop plants in pots today from a customer who works at the botanical gardens in hobart

They are only tagged Humulus lupulus

anyway to find out what they are.

 

[barls]

compare leaves and cones with know versions

 

[Murcluf]

Could always ask him what it is next time he comes in or ring the botanical gardens and ask them what hops they have got there.

I was going to buy some hop seeds from OS to try and grow here but they could n't tell me what variety they were either so I didn't get them.

Hope you get a better answer then I got.

Hi, The Hops are not a variety, They are "Common Hops" - Varieties do not come true from seed and must be grown from rootstock / rhizomes to remain true. Many regards, Sue (See the web for stockist in Europe)

I've got seven varieties of hops growing and bar the fact that I have the plants marked and I know what is where I'd have NFI to tell each apart at this point.

 

[Oatlands Brewer]

i asked her when she dropped them off but she had no idea.

one plant is as healthy as, and the other looks to be struggling, the healthy one has bigger leaves but i put this down to there condition.

i guess the old google search for pics of known varietys, anyone know of a good resources.

 

[lastdrinks]

Sounds like a mystery dry hoped beer coming up. Even if you cant tell exactly then, as long as it tastes good keep it.

 

[Oatlands Brewer]

i though about doing that Lastdrinks, brewing a pale with this stuff (if it flowers this year) and giving it to someone more knowledgable than i for an ID.

 

[daemon]

I had a similar problem buying some hops labelled as "probably POR" but after a brew with it and taking the dry hops to a few experts they appear to be Cluster. I made an experimental brew with them to start with and just estimated their bitterness as 5%. Bought them to see if hops would grow in my local region and got over 100g dry from the first year. Unfortunately 2009 was very, very dry for the local region here and even though I'd been watering them it simply wasn't enough. They've bounced back a bit with some recent rain but no where near as strong as last year.

Thankfully all except for one rhizome I bought this year has been growing well, it's amazing how well they grow really. "Humulus lupulus" is normally just the very generic variety, I'm not sure how good it will be for brewing.

 

[Stuffa]

Your plants may be an ornamental variety most of which are male plants that don't get cones or it may be a variety that hasn't any good qualities for brewing. It may be a fantastic hop unknown to the brewing world.
There is someone at the Uni in Hobart who could identify it if it is a named variety. If you PM me I'll find out the contact details. You would need to supply flowers, leaves and stems.
I have six different varieties growing at the moment and could supply you with some in late winter if your interested. I'm in the Huon.
Hope this is of some help.