Shop Bought Vs Home Grown Hops.

[Dave70]

First let me say, I know nothing about growing hops.
So for the guys who grow their own, why? Are you just keen gardeners, is it just a natural extension the brewing experience, or do you think there's an edge over anything from the shop?
I've got plenty of space to erect a trellis or two and I only need a few variates like cascade, saaz and NB to keep me happy.
I enjoy the satisfaction putting my home grown veg on the plate, but if I only got one harvest a year, I couldn't see the point. Is that with hops or do they have a long harvest window?
To be honest, I'm lucky to go through a keg a month. Maby two in summer. Would growing my own really be worth it for a brewer with such a low turnover?
Do I need to purchase one of those vacuum sealers they use to flog on Bert Newtons good morning program to store them in or are they best used fresh?

 

[Muscovy_333]

First let me say, I know nothing about growing hops.
So for the guys who grow their own, why? Are you just keen gardeners, is it just a natural extension the brewing experience, or do you think there's an edge over anything from the shop?
I've got plenty of space to erect a trellis or two and I only need a few variates like cascade, saaz and NB to keep me happy.
I enjoy the satisfaction putting my home grown veg on the plate, but if I only got one harvest a year, I couldn't see the point. Is that with hops or do they have a long harvest window?
To be honest, I'm lucky to go through a keg a month. Maby two in summer. Would growing my own really be worth it for a brewer with such a low turnover?
Do I need to purchase one of those vacuum sealers they use to flog on Bert Newtons good morning program to store them in or are they best used fresh?

It's a personal thing for me.

I try to grow a lot of my own food and i enjoy the green thumb aspect thorougly. I use my hop bines to block the sun on a big Westerly wall of my house that cops the sun and over heats my house.

dry hopping with fresh hop flowers..can not be compared with...

So i say why the hell not...a holistic approach to brewing

 

[MarkBastard]

I personally think it's a waste of time yet I still do it. Dunno why.

 

[adryargument]

So i can officially name one of my beers as 'Hop Harvest Ale' and throw in all the homegrown once a year.
Well that's the plan at least.

 

[big78sam]

I personally think it's a waste of time yet I still do it. Dunno why.

Me too. I brewed a batch with homegrown Chinook last year and didn't like it so have 75% of the harvest sitting in bags in the freezer. Yet I'm growing them again this year. I'll end up ditching last year's when this years harvest comes. I don't get the time to brew enough to be wasting 23 litres of beer on a batch that might not turn out.

Maybe I'm just optimistic this year will be better. Or maybe I'm just stupid...

 

[stux]

My wife loves growing things, and i get a kick out of it,

AND lots of my friends are like "so the beer is made out of malt and hops?..... what's a hop?"

So, rather than saying "they come in pellets and look like rabbit food", I'm enjoying pointing out the hop bines

And I assume I'll enjoy pointing out the hop cones to educate a few people later in the season

 

[petesbrew]

Doing it for shits n giggles.

Any plant I don't kill is a win for me, and last year I got a whopping 20 or 30 grams off my Perle vine. (yes that's right, grams)

Store bought stuff is less hassle though.

 

[MaltyHops]

Me too. I brewed a batch with homegrown Chinook last year and didn't like it so
have 75% of the harvest sitting in bags in the freezer. ...

Maybe use them as bittering hop additions (+ other hops for flav/arom)
to at least get something from them?

Unless you have plenty of favourable land, growing them has to be mostly
for fun and satisfaction of using something you've grown. Considering the
cost of plants, pots & soil (in my case), fertiliser, trelising gear, time, it
would take a long time/many crops to make it comparable to buying from
shop or over the net. Plus you'd be uncertain of the alpha acid % in home
grown hops.

T.

 

[Newbee(r)]

Keen gardener, and hate paying for stuff I can grow myself. I haven't had any problems with the beers I have made with my own hops - I get more than I can use for the next season and its nice to be able to pass a fellow brewer a bag of homegrown. The plants are crazy buggers, I love getting home from work at the end of the day, pouring a beer and going for a wander in the garden, and folding the day's growth on the hops back onto the lines.

At their very best fresh, I dry mine on flyscreens and put them in the fridge - freezer is fine too, but some people have criticised this as it does something to them apparently - haven't noticed a significant difference myself. I have a vacuum sealer now as we bulk buy meat, but I was just using ziplock bags and pressing the air out and they have kept just fine. I have EK Goldings, pride of ringwood, chinook and cascade in a suburban backyard. I gave my dad a halletau and a saaz, so I have my lagers covered too!

It's just the same as the veggie patch - nothing better than cutting a fresh cos for a caesar salad, or using your homemade pasta sauce in winter from the tomatoes you grew last summer. First hop and I was hooked. I guess it's like the satisfaction blokes on here who like building stuff get from making it themselves rather than just buying it.

 

[Newbee(r)]

Oh - and I use them at all stages of the boil and haven't noticed any difference in flavour - no grassiness or such thing. I say go for it - but you might be a bit late for this season, plan and prepare the beds for next season.

 

[waggastew]

I currently have five varieties growing in the backyard. Got the original rhizomes for a case of beer off a mate. I have plenty of space in my backyard so they sit at the back of the veg patch doing their thing without much intervention. As mentioned above they are mostly there to make a homegrown Harvest Ale. Had enough last year (1st year) to give some to another brewer.

I am currently a couple of batches into extract so I will get more use out of the POR (Coopers Pale Ale or Aussie Megaswill Lager) and Super Alpha (IPA's). Chinook will go in an all-Chinook IPA, Goldings will go into an Amber. Saaz cones will probably be given away as I don't have much time for it. May try to swap for a Hallertau next winter.

Now I have said that no doubt some disease will wipe out the lot two weeks from harvest.

 

[Lillywhite]

"if I only got one harvest a year, I couldn't see the point". You have done no homework have you........that's ok, thats what we have the forum for.

You do only get one harvest a year and it can be a small window of a week or two (depending on conditions) to pick at the optimum time for the hop.

I grow them as an extention of the hobby, I am only into my third season. The first season I went on holidays for two weeks and came home to find my hops mostly dried up on the bine so missed that season, last season my bines didn't grow to well and only managed about 100gms of dried hops all up but I tell you what, the beer I used them in was the best tasting beer I have made and it is great to have mates come over and say 'what's a hop' and you take them out the back and show them growing on the bine.

To store them I use a zip lock bag, squeeze out the air and chuck them in the fridge or freezer depending on when you plan to use them, it is not something you would do to save money and you should only use them for aroma additions as you will not know the Alpha Acid levels of your homegrown hops.

Do it, its fun and it is a pretty good feeling when tasting a beer with hops from your own garden.

 

[Midnight Brew]

I have no idea why I grow them but for me I do enjoying having a home brew and having a look at the days progress and picking out the weeds. I do love gardening too but sadly to say havnt used the whole 80grams I picked last year either. I think its just an obession that comes with the hobby and may get a little may get alot. Keeps me out of trouble :icon_cheers:

 

[Anofre]

Green hops are awesome.
More breweries would do it but the logistics of storage & transport make it almost impossible.
If you are into IPAs & APAs, try a green hop harvest beer.
It truly is a class of it's own.
Worth every second weeding & tending.

 

[dr K]

Cost Benefit Analysis..waste of time
Supplying your years hops..waste of time
Pure enjoyment from seeing live, growing beer bits..at least ten times what you will pay for shop bought hops, even if you still buy all your hops from the shop !!!

K

 

[Superoo]

An extension of the hobby as previously mentioned.

My Cascade are nowhere near the aroma and flavour of bought fresh flowers but I am hoping this years (2nd year) crop will taste better (not grassy).

But for some reason its a desireable thing to do.
Blows people away when you can Say hou home brew to that level.

Malting your own grain is probably easier and less demanding.

 

[drsmurto]

I am surprised by the cost comparison.

That argument is from people who spend far too much time fertilising them etc.

They are weeds and need only water and sun and the latter isn't all that important (mine dont get sun until early afternoon, one not until after 3pm). I have rainwater so water costs nothing but the electricity to pump it to the garden.

I get well in excess of 1kg per year dry now from 5 plants, more than i use. The only thing they get is water and an annual dose of horse poo (free from inlaws neighbours, i do have to shovel it myself)

Pelletised hops aren't a patch on fresh hop flowers. I pack mine into 100g lots (vac packed so yes, you'll need one of those but i use ot for all sorts of foods as well) and when i use a bag the empty bag spends weeks in my brewery so that i can sniff it every time i walk by. It reaks of gorgeous hop aroma for weeks. Pelletised hops don't do this, they turn dusty in days.

It requires patience though. It took me until the 3rd season to get a sufficient crop but i an now technically self sufficient and to the OP, i only drink as much as you.

I am biased though. I don't brew all that often so when i do i go for a tried and true recipe - my golden ale using which homegrown hop i feel like.

When you can buy the best hop (Victoria) I may give up hop growing but until then my Victoria rye golden ale can't be made by any commercial brewer. Only me

And that is why i brew :chug:

 

[cpsmusic]

I don't grow my own hops however last year I was down at Red Hill brewery and was lucky enough to sample their Hop Harvest Ale which apparently uses the hops they grow on the property. I don't usually like hoppy beers however this was unlike any hoppy ale I've tasted - certainly not like an IPA. It definitely didn't taste like anything I've been able to produce using pellets. So I'd have to concur with Anofre's comments.

 

[going down a hill]

Doing it for shits n giggles.

+1 for shits and giggles

 

[Muscovy_333]

I don't grow my own hops however last year I was down at Red Hill brewery and was lucky enough to sample their Hop Harvest Ale which apparently uses the hops they grow on the property. I don't usually like hoppy beers however this was unlike any hoppy ale I've tasted - certainly not like an IPA. It definitely didn't taste like anything I've been able to produce using pellets. So I'd have to concur with Anofre's comments.

If you have not had the chance to dump a couple of fresh hop flowers straight from the bine into your freshly poured glass you really need to give it a go.
I think that is enough to bring out the hidden beer nerd/green thumb in anyone.

Most of the microbreweries have a few hop bines drapped over their beer garden fence these days.

If you pop into Red Hill Brewery Or another in March, they encourage you to throw a few flowers in your beer just for curiosity's sake

....mmm.... hops!