Grow your own hops

[BarleyFever]

Hi all,
I have a friend who has an allotment and has offered to grow some hops for me. Neither of us know anything about growing hops and I have never used whole hops so it would be a bit of an experiment for both of us. First question is where do you get hop plants from and what variety to grow? We are in Kent so hopefully we should have a chance of some success. Cheers!

 

[terrym]

Long thread on hop growing here
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/hop-plants-rhizomes-growing-report.69518/
There are others so use the forum search engine.
In short you buy a certified rhizome (rootstock) and plant it about now. It must be one that carries female not male flowers. Growing from seed is not advised. First shoots should appear in March April time dependant upon where you are in the UK
There are mainly two sorts of hops, regular hops that can ultimately grow to 7/8 metres, and a small group of dwarf hops including Prima Donna (or First Gold) which grow to about 3 metres. In both cases you select about three strong shoots and then allow them to grow up strong cord or over something since they are strong climbers . You can grow them in large pots but in the ground is better.
A rhizome will take 3 years to come to full capacity. In the first year dont expect much
And when you have harvested the hop cones (flowers) at just the right time, in August/September time in a window of about one week, you will then have to thoroughly dry them for storage although some people use them in green hop beers.
To buy try these people, there are others I'm sure
https://www.essentiallyhops.co.uk/

 

[BarleyFever]

Wow, clearly a lot to take in here. Many thanks for your input. Shall pass this on to my allotment holding friend and see what he thinks!

 

[GerritT]

Hi all,
I have a friend who has an allotment and has offered to grow some hops for me. Neither of us know anything about growing hops and I have never used whole hops so it would be a bit of an experiment for both of us. First question is where do you get hop plants from and what variety to grow? We are in Kent so hopefully we should have a chance of some success. Cheers!

Kent. KENT. As in East Kent Golding? I wouldn't try to grow what's already the county's most famous crop

But seriously now: I got mine here, https://www.eickelmann.de/Hopfen-Shop/en/ .

ONLY go for aromatic or dual hops: bitter hops are not really useful if you don't know the bitterness. Good luck!

 

[Sandimas]

Willingham Nurseries is a good source of plants, I got mine from there: Styrian Goldings and Cascade.
http://www.willingham-nurseries.co.uk/hop.html

Despite not knowing the bitterness, I just brewed a SMASH with the Cascade and it turned out fine, one of my best beers in fact. It's great having your own home-grown hops.

 

[GerritT]

Beware: hops will spread like nothing you've seen before.

 

[terrym]

Beware: hops will spread like nothing you've seen before.

Not if they are in pots!!!
Anyway I have two Prima Donna plants in pots (this will be the third year) and guessed the %AA to be be about 2/3 of the ones I buy, 5% vs. 7.5%, and have used them in a single hop beers in both the first and second years and seem to have got it about right. Perhaps I was lucky, but if you grow your own its certainly worth a try with at least one small brew single hop beer, using your own for bittering as well as everything else

 

[chrisb8]

Hi all,
I have a friend who has an allotment and has offered to grow some hops for me. Neither of us know anything about growing hops and I have never used whole hops so it would be a bit of an experiment for both of us. First question is where do you get hop plants from and what variety to grow? We are in Kent so hopefully we should have a chance of some success. Cheers!

Essentially Hops are based just outside Canterbury and they sell hops direct from their shop