[Cliffs]

^I am a proponent of this ideology, the "wrong" hop in good condition usually gets me better results than the true to style hop that isnt in as good of shape. For this reason, I have quit using Saaz altogether, I just had too many instances of saaz being in poor condition.
I've used US goldings in lagers as a single addition for bittering . I boil very lightly, and I found that some earth and floral character still came through. It was a very pleasant beer and did not taste out of place.

Saaz is funny because it's already a mild and low-alpha hop, generally.  There were some people (here? another board?) where someone was placing a direct order with a hop farm in the Czech Republic.  You had to place an order in advance and I believe they were whole hops.  I'm sure they were excellent.  For the rest of us... getting good Saaz is tricky.  I think I would go to Yakima Valley as a plan B only because I always seem to get excellent hops from them.

I know I mentioned this but there was a Kolsch brewed by a craft brewery in Chicago and I had some of it on draft at a place where you can play bocce indoors.  The beer was good enough for me to contact the brewery and ask for the recipe.  The brewer answered and told me that the hops were Nugget to bitter and then Santiam later in the boil.  Unusual and untraditional?  Yes.  Great beer?  You bet.

Russian River Brewing is another brewery making world class beers with mostly domestic hops.

[Village Taphouse]

In related news I have eight 1-ounce bags of Tettnanger from Yakima Chief.  I am making a marzen this coming weekend with them and I really wanted to see what shape they were in.  I cut those bags open and vac-sealed them in another bag all together and they look and smell great.  Very green, vibrant and aromatic.  If they were duds, I wanted to have enough time to pivot to something else like Hallertau, Hersbrucker, Edelweiss, etc. 

[tommymorris]

^I am a proponent of this ideology, the "wrong" hop in good condition usually gets me better results than the true to style hop that isnt in as good of shape. For this reason, I have quit using Saaz altogether, I just had too many instances of saaz being in poor condition.
I've used US goldings in lagers as a single addition for bittering . I boil very lightly, and I found that some earth and floral character still came through. It was a very pleasant beer and did not taste out of place.

Saaz is funny because it's already a mild and low-alpha hop, generally.  There were some people (here? another board?) where someone was placing a direct order with a hop farm in the Czech Republic.  You had to place an order in advance and I believe they were whole hops.  I'm sure they were excellent.  For the rest of us... getting good Saaz is tricky.  I think I would go to Yakima Valley as a plan B only because I always seem to get excellent hops from them.

I know I mentioned this but there was a Kolsch brewed by a craft brewery in Chicago and I had some of it on draft at a place where you can play bocce indoors.  The beer was good enough for me to contact the brewery and ask for the recipe.  The brewer answered and told me that the hops were Nugget to bitter and then Santiam later in the boil.  Unusual and untraditional?  Yes.  Great beer?  You bet.

I have been going through a pound of US Saaz from Hop Heaven this year. They have been great. I have been using them in CAP and it the best beer I make. Those hops are the secret ingredient.

[Iliff Ave]

Just brewed a basic lager to build some yeast for an imperial Pilsner. I used a total of 1 oz of ekuanot to keep it from being too boring. It should still be a very mild hop character but hopefully tasty. Use what hops you like.

[Village Taphouse]

^I am a proponent of this ideology, the "wrong" hop in good condition usually gets me better results than the true to style hop that isnt in as good of shape. For this reason, I have quit using Saaz altogether, I just had too many instances of saaz being in poor condition.
I've used US goldings in lagers as a single addition for bittering . I boil very lightly, and I found that some earth and floral character still came through. It was a very pleasant beer and did not taste out of place.

Saaz is funny because it's already a mild and low-alpha hop, generally.  There were some people (here? another board?) where someone was placing a direct order with a hop farm in the Czech Republic.  You had to place an order in advance and I believe they were whole hops.  I'm sure they were excellent.  For the rest of us... getting good Saaz is tricky.  I think I would go to Yakima Valley as a plan B only because I always seem to get excellent hops from them.

I know I mentioned this but there was a Kolsch brewed by a craft brewery in Chicago and I had some of it on draft at a place where you can play bocce indoors.  The beer was good enough for me to contact the brewery and ask for the recipe.  The brewer answered and told me that the hops were Nugget to bitter and then Santiam later in the boil.  Unusual and untraditional?  Yes.  Great beer?  You bet.

I have been going through a pound of US Saaz from Hop Heaven this year. They have been great. I have been using them in CAP and it the best beer I make. Those hops are the secret ingredient.

Really?  US Saaz?  Huh.  I have tried some US Hallertau and Tettnanger and was not impressed.  Also, Hop Heaven is a bit of a mystery... does he GROW hops?  Does he buy hops in bulk and mix varieties to make new varieties?  If you tell me that his US Saaz are that good then I need to get some.  I actually need more Edelweiss so I would be ordering that as well. 

[Village Taphouse]

Just brewed a basic lager to build some yeast for an imperial Pilsner. I used a total of 1 oz of ekuanot to keep it from being too boring. It should still be a very mild hop character but hopefully tasty. Use what hops you like.

Right.  I often think about how much I like brewing but every so often I realize how much I depend on my own beer.  So many beers at the bottle shop turn me off and it's hard to find commercial examples of the beer styles I like without having to search through aisles of IPAs and stouts.  But the concept that we can do WHATEVER we want is pretty empowering.  Now what are you waiting for... can I have a glass of that Ekuanot lager?    Cheers.

[tommymorris]

^I am a proponent of this ideology, the "wrong" hop in good condition usually gets me better results than the true to style hop that isnt in as good of shape. For this reason, I have quit using Saaz altogether, I just had too many instances of saaz being in poor condition.
I've used US goldings in lagers as a single addition for bittering . I boil very lightly, and I found that some earth and floral character still came through. It was a very pleasant beer and did not taste out of place.

Saaz is funny because it's already a mild and low-alpha hop, generally.  There were some people (here? another board?) where someone was placing a direct order with a hop farm in the Czech Republic.  You had to place an order in advance and I believe they were whole hops.  I'm sure they were excellent.  For the rest of us... getting good Saaz is tricky.  I think I would go to Yakima Valley as a plan B only because I always seem to get excellent hops from them.

I know I mentioned this but there was a Kolsch brewed by a craft brewery in Chicago and I had some of it on draft at a place where you can play bocce indoors.  The beer was good enough for me to contact the brewery and ask for the recipe.  The brewer answered and told me that the hops were Nugget to bitter and then Santiam later in the boil.  Unusual and untraditional?  Yes.  Great beer?  You bet.

I have been going through a pound of US Saaz from Hop Heaven this year. They have been great. I have been using them in CAP and it the best beer I make. Those hops are the secret ingredient.

Really?  US Saaz?  Huh.  I have tried some US Hallertau and Tettnanger and was not impressed.  Also, Hop Heaven is a bit of a mystery... does he GROW hops?  Does he buy hops in bulk and mix varieties to make new varieties?  If you tell me that his US Saaz are that good then I need to get some.  I actually need more Edelweiss so I would be ordering that as well.

The hard thing about the Internet is what tastes good to me may not taste good to you. Maybe I don’t know what I am talking about.

I like the flavor I am getting from the Saaz Hop Heaven sells. It certainly reminds me of the flavor I get from some nice commercial beers.

Here is the description from the Ebay site:

“Saaz hops are the classic lager hop.  One of the original "Nobel Hops".  These are grown in Oregon's Willamette valley and are beautiful.  They give the German beer flavor to your beer with herbal and spicy notes.  They can give very light lemon when used in larger amounts.  They are used in Pilsners, Bocks, Dunkels, Octoberfests, Wheats, Blonds, US Lagers, in fact they work in all lager styles. They are a signature hop for Bohemian Pilsners.”

Regarding who he (Hop Heaven) is: I believe he is a hop broker. He buys hops in bulk and resells. I have had great luck with Hop Heaven’s hops across many varieties.

[Village Taphouse]

The hard thing about the Internet is what tastes good to me may not taste good to you. Maybe I don’t know what I am talking about.

I like the flavor I am getting from the Saaz Hop Heaven sells. It certainly reminds me of the flavor I get from some nice commercial beers.

Here is the description from the Ebay site:

“Saaz hops are the classic lager hop.  One of the original "Nobel Hops".  These are grown in Oregon's Willamette valley and are beautiful.  They give the German beer flavor to your beer with herbal and spicy notes.  They can give very light lemon when used in larger amounts.  They are used in Pilsners, Bocks, Dunkels, Octoberfests, Wheats, Blonds, US Lagers, in fact they work in all lager styles. They are a signature hop for Bohemian Pilsners.”

Regarding who he (Hop Heaven) is: I believe he is a hop broker. He buys hops in bulk and resells. I have had great luck with Hop Heaven’s hops across many varieties.

Hey, hey, hey... no need to beat me over the head with your suggestion... 8 ounces of Hop Heaven Saaz (not the "GR" version... apparently the domestic version) and a pound of Edelweiss have just been purchased!    Cheers Tommymorris!

[tommymorris]

The hard thing about the Internet is what tastes good to me may not taste good to you. Maybe I don’t know what I am talking about.

I like the flavor I am getting from the Saaz Hop Heaven sells. It certainly reminds me of the flavor I get from some nice commercial beers.

Here is the description from the Ebay site:

“Saaz hops are the classic lager hop.  One of the original "Nobel Hops".  These are grown in Oregon's Willamette valley and are beautiful.  They give the German beer flavor to your beer with herbal and spicy notes.  They can give very light lemon when used in larger amounts.  They are used in Pilsners, Bocks, Dunkels, Octoberfests, Wheats, Blonds, US Lagers, in fact they work in all lager styles. They are a signature hop for Bohemian Pilsners.”

Regarding who he (Hop Heaven) is: I believe he is a hop broker. He buys hops in bulk and resells. I have had great luck with Hop Heaven’s hops across many varieties.

Hey, hey, hey... no need to beat me over the head with your suggestion... 8 ounces of Hop Heaven Saaz (not the "GR" version... apparently the domestic version) and a pound of Edelweiss have just been purchased!    Cheers Tommymorris!

I didn’t mean to beat you over the head. Sorry. Prost!

[pete b]

^I am a proponent of this ideology, the "wrong" hop in good condition usually gets me better results than the true to style hop that isnt in as good of shape. For this reason, I have quit using Saaz altogether, I just had too many instances of saaz being in poor condition.
I've used US goldings in lagers as a single addition for bittering . I boil very lightly, and I found that some earth and floral character still came through. It was a very pleasant beer and did not taste out of place.

Saaz is funny because it's already a mild and low-alpha hop, generally.  There were some people (here? another board?) where someone was placing a direct order with a hop farm in the Czech Republic.  You had to place an order in advance and I believe they were whole hops.  I'm sure they were excellent.  For the rest of us... getting good Saaz is tricky.  I think I would go to Yakima Valley as a plan B only because I always seem to get excellent hops from them.

I know I mentioned this but there was a Kolsch brewed by a craft brewery in Chicago and I had some of it on draft at a place where you can play bocce indoors.  The beer was good enough for me to contact the brewery and ask for the recipe.  The brewer answered and told me that the hops were Nugget to bitter and then Santiam later in the boil.  Unusual and untraditional?  Yes.  Great beer?  You bet.

You wo me at “ at a place where you can play bocce indoors.”  I like that detail.

[Village Taphouse]

I didn’t mean to beat you over the head. Sorry. Prost!

OW!  My head!    Interested to see how the Saaz hops are.  I am always open-minded when it comes to hops.  Cheers.

[santoch]

FWIW, "He" is Ted Hausotter.  Hop Heaven is a side business for him. It grew out of his love for homebrewing and beer in general.
His location in Baker City OR puts him in reasonable proximity of all of the great hop farms of WA and OR (and now ID, too, I guess).

BTW, Ted has lectured at NHC several times on hops, and he's a BJCP Grand Master 5 Beer & Mead Judge.
Ted was the Mtn. Northwest BJCP Regional rep for many years.  He knows his stuff on both sides of the hop spectrum.

Ted's a great guy and a good friend of mine.  You won't go wrong buying hops from him.

[Village Taphouse]

FWIW, "He" is Ted Hausotter.  Hop Heaven is a side business for him. It grew out of his love for homebrewing and beer in general.
His location in Baker City OR puts him in reasonable proximity of all of the great hop farms of WA and OR (and now ID, too, I guess).

BTW, Ted has lectured at NHC several times on hops, and he's a BJCP Grand Master 5 Beer & Mead Judge.
Ted was the Mtn. Northwest BJCP Regional rep for many years.  He knows his stuff on both sides of the hop spectrum.

Ted's a great guy and a good friend of mine.  You won't go wrong buying hops from him.

I have now placed two orders with Ted.  On the first one he gifted me 8 ounces of C148 which were quite good.  The Edelweiss is good too.  But there seems to be mystery around his hops.  If he's a broker and not a grower, that's interesting and I have no issue with it.  The Edelweiss is interesting because it sounds like he's taking 4 or 5 existing hop varieties and blending them and calling them a new name.  Do I have that right?  Do we know what hops are in Edelweiss?  Does it stay the same or is it constantly changing?  I had sent Ted an email asking about the C148 because I couldn't find much online about it and he got back to me with an answer by email.  He seems like a good guy and everyone on every brewing board seems to agree.  Cheers.

[Village Taphouse]

You wo me at “ at a place where you can play bocce indoors.”  I like that detail.

Really cool place, actually.  There is a bar and restaurant, a bowling alley with maybe 12 to 16 lanes and then indoor and outdoor bocce courts.  A great place to go with a group of 8 or 10 people and play, eat, drink, etc.  Well, before Rona that is.  :|

[denny]

^I am a proponent of this ideology, the "wrong" hop in good condition usually gets me better results than the true to style hop that isnt in as good of shape. For this reason, I have quit using Saaz altogether, I just had too many instances of saaz being in poor condition.
I've used US goldings in lagers as a single addition for bittering . I boil very lightly, and I found that some earth and floral character still came through. It was a very pleasant beer and did not taste out of place.

Saaz is funny because it's already a mild and low-alpha hop, generally.  There were some people (here? another board?) where someone was placing a direct order with a hop farm in the Czech Republic.  You had to place an order in advance and I believe they were whole hops.  I'm sure they were excellent.  For the rest of us... getting good Saaz is tricky.  I think I would go to Yakima Valley as a plan B only because I always seem to get excellent hops from them.

I know I mentioned this but there was a Kolsch brewed by a craft brewery in Chicago and I had some of it on draft at a place where you can play bocce indoors.  The beer was good enough for me to contact the brewery and ask for the recipe.  The brewer answered and told me that the hops were Nugget to bitter and then Santiam later in the boil.  Unusual and untraditional?  Yes.  Great beer?  You bet.

I have been going through a pound of US Saaz from Hop Heaven this year. They have been great. I have been using them in CAP and it the best beer I make. Those hops are the secret ingredient.

Really?  US Saaz?  Huh.  I have tried some US Hallertau and Tettnanger and was not impressed.  Also, Hop Heaven is a bit of a mystery... does he GROW hops?  Does he buy hops in bulk and mix varieties to make new varieties?  If you tell me that his US Saaz are that good then I need to get some.  I actually need more Edelweiss so I would be ordering that as well.

No, Ted does not grow hops.  He has contacts he buys from.