Hops Rhizomes are in

After enjoying my friend Dan’s homebrews these last few years and realizing that one thing that makes them special is the fact that he grows most of the hops he uses, I’ve decided to try growing some myself in the backyard in Alexandria.  If I’m successful, I might put in some rhizomes out at Hawksbill Cabin over the next few years.

You have to buy the rhizomes early – I placed my orders at the end of February for two each of the Willamette, Golding, and Centennial cultivars.  I planted them in pots out in the backyard, because I haven’t decided their final location, or even the proper trellising for them.  In any case, hopefully I will see something come up in about two weeks.

Dan has offered me Cascade rhizomes in the past. They are the ones that do well in his hopyard at Beaver Run Brewery, but I did something wrong and lost the plants.  So this project is a do-over and hopefully I will get enough to share some with him, maybe not this year but next (although the Willamettes have been known to produce in quantity their first year).

In addition to the periodic gift of home grown Cascade hops, Dan gave me some Fuggle hops another friend in the Valley grew.  I used these in my recent honey porter to great success, so much so, that I want to make this into a signature beer.  The only problem is that those where sold out, so I substituted the Golding.

Now I remember that Golding is the variety in some of the dubbel kits I’ve been brewing, so I guess I am lucky.  I just like saying “Fuggle.”

I plan to post on my progress with these from time to time – say twice a month.  So until then…