[Cyrusah145]

Is there any market for hops from such an old plant?

[a10t2]

I'd be interested, but if it's just one plant you probably wouldn't get enough cones off of it for a batch of any reasonable size.

[denny]

I'd be interested, but if it's just one plant you probably wouldn't get enough cones off of it for a batch of any reasonable size.

Remember that Cascade plant you saw ne trying to kill off in my back yard?  The last year of full production I got 23 lb. of wet hops from it.

To the original question, 80 years old is great, but what kind of hops?  Are they good for brewing?

[a10t2]

Oops, probably should have expanded on that but going by the time stamp I was still on my first cup of coffee.

Anyway, what I was trying to say is that in order to sell these (assuming, like Denny says, that they're decent hops in the first place) the novelty factor has to outweigh the convenience and savings of just buying an established company's hops. I could see a nano or brewpub (i.e me) being interested for the novelty factor, call it Roaring 20's IPA or whatever... if they can get enough, which even on a 3 bbl batch means maybe 30 lb of wet hops to brew something relatively hop-forward. Denny, am I right on assuming ~80% moisture?

[denny]

Oops, probably should have expanded on that but going by the time stamp I was still on my first cup of coffee.

Anyway, what I was trying to say is that in order to sell these (assuming, like Denny says, that they're decent hops in the first place) the novelty factor has to outweigh the convenience and savings of just buying an established company's hops. I could see a nano or brewpub (i.e me) being interested for the novelty factor, call it Roaring 20's IPA or whatever... if they can get enough, which even on a 3 bbl batch means maybe 30 lb of wet hops to brew something relatively hop-forward. Denny, am I right on assuming ~80% moisture?

Yeah, that sounds about right, Sean.

[hopfenundmalz]

I think it was in Stan Hieronymus’s book For the Love of Hops, he stated that hop fields in the Tettnanger region of Germany last for 100 years. If the hops are good, the can have a market. One plant won’t produce much, though.

[BrewBama]

I recall volksmarches along the hop yards and the locals described the longevity as a huge source of pride.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Cyrusah145]

Are there ways to test or discern what kind it is?

[hopfenundmalz]

Are there ways to test or discern what kind it is?

The easy way is to brew with it and see what it reminds you of. Intermediate is to have a hop expert look it over and see if they can make an educated guess (or send some leaves and cones to your state Ag. School). The expensive way is DNA testing.

I’m not sure where you are. It could be a native plant variety. More likely it is a type of Cluster, which was the most grown hop until the 70’s IIRC.

[BrewBama]

If it is Cluster that would perfect for Sean’s Roaring 20’s IPA.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk