Hops, off to a flying start!

[Bum]

I think you've just started the most obvious trolling attempt ever.

Anyway, back to the hops...

[Tipsy]

I'd still use a neutral bittering hop though and save the wet hops for flavour and aroma.

Of the home hop growers, who uses theirs for bittering?
How do you guess AA% or do you just say PoR should be in the range of X% to Y% etc.

I want to do a single malt lager with only my own grown hops. I will use the average AA in palmers book and if it's no good I'll slash my wrists. (Or drown my sorrows)

[matr]

Righto you're on..

Ok so I'll conceed defeat right now. We'll work something out Chris.

It's not my biggest loss today. I also owe a chick @ my work a bottle of Jager..

Sorry mods for this being totally OT..

[SuperBroo]

No worries Matt,
I'll meet you at James shop for the big official handover

Make it on a saturday demo day

Cheers,
Chris

[drsmurto]

I have used my homegrown hops for bittering as have others.

Estimate first and after tasting decide if you think the IBU is higher or lower than what you predicted. There will be slight changes year to year depending on the weather, how much water they get etc.

I still tend to use a known bittering hop mainly due to a more predictable, consistent outcome but also because i use homegrown hops for their fresh flavour and aroma.

There are a lot of urban myths about how to estimate the AA of a hop. The easiest way is to brew with it and work back from that. It's not entirely accurate but it will get you close enough, particularly if you use a known hop for bittering.

[SuperBroo]

Thanks Doc,
When the time comes, I'll do 2 brews the same day, use the same type bittering hops and then try packet and home grown for flavouring and aroma in each brew.
Looking forward to it...


Do you think I would taste the difference between say POR and Amarillo if I used them for bittering hops only ?
If I couldnt really taste the difference, I would rather not waste Amarillo on bittering, just use a cheaper high AA hop.

cheers...

[drsmurto]

I don't use amarillo for bittering the golden ale anymore, i use magnum.

So if you want to use up the POR then bittering additions are a good way.

[bullfrog]

I've got a Golden Ale that I bitter with Super Alpha for just that reason, Grog. No need to use up your flavourful and aromatic hops for bitterness.

[SuperBroo]

Thanks fella's, just what i wanted to hear...

[bullfrog]

So just planting some hop rhizomes and SWMBO and I are a little confused. Do we bury the whole lot under the soil, or leave the woody bit that the bines are sprouting out of above the soil level?

[SuperBroo]

whole thing about 4cm below the surface according to most things I've googled Bullfrog.

[bullfrog]

Cheers, Grog. Had a quick browse on Google myself, but not too many of the hits I found actually dealt with planting the rhizomes, more caring for the bines as they sprout.

[drsmurto]

You could plant the rhizome upside down, sideways under a metre of soil and it would still grow. I doubt concrete would stop it.

They have the growing habit of weeds.

But since you asked a serious question...... plant the whole thing under the soil. The depth doesnt matter so 4cm will be fine. Think of it as a potato, you plant the tuber under the soil and a shoot pops out. In the case of hops there will be several shoots.

[SuperBroo]

Heres my new trellis, finished it last nite, finally worked out how to post a pic...

Will post a pic later of the soil, the number of worms here will blow you away (a bit like parliament house - full of worms) haaaa haaaaa - love my humour i do

[drsmurto]

1 hop variety per tub?

Very nice and solid looking trellis Grog, if you are ever in SA and have some spare time up your sleeve feel free to drop in and build one for me.

My hops (well, some of them) are now in their 4th season and i am still to build a trellis

The simple reason for this is the last time i used a hammer i hit myself with it. Twice. Seriously, the definition of a tool tard should have a picture of me.

[earle]

Looks like a very neat setup.

[Tipsy]

Nice Grog,
I was going to post a picture of mine but now I don't want to

[SuperBroo]

Heck, its only 6 poles lads, the rest is scrap metal ...
it hurt a bit buying the 6 poles (120 bucks), but i only want to do this once.

the 3 tanks are from an old water tank i used to use for pressure testing fuel tankers in a previous life. I cut it up with a jigsaw and they are full of topsoil from where our house sits.

yep, only 1 variety per trellis, otherwise i imagine after a few seasons when they grow stronger they would get tangled together.

am only planning on having 3 varieties at this stage, but if amarillo ever escaped from its home ground, i would have that variety in a flash. I have Cascade and Hallertauer in allready, and a couple of Chinook rhizomes should be here late this week.

I am serious about the earthworms here, bloody amazing - now that I know how to post a pic, I'll take pic of the worms tonight and post it here tomorrow.

cheers,
Chris

[SuperBroo]

Worms ...

Sorry if its off topic, but most here seem to like gardening (for brewing anyway)

It had just stopped raining yesterday arvo when I took this so the ground is a bit wet...
This was one turn with a fork, and then immediately took the pic...

[billybushcook]

Nice Beds there Grog, Nice look'n yard Too!

Which direction is Nth in that pic?

Mick.