Widmer Alchemy hops

AleHole · 04-03-2007, 11:05 PM

I was looking at the Widmer website and noticed that they use "Alchemy hops". I emailed them about that hop variety and here is what they said. Just thought I would share the knowledge.

"Alchemy hops are not a single variety, but rather several different varieties custom blended and packaged specifically for Widmer.* Currently the blend is combination of Warrior and Millennium, though in past years it's also included a small percentage of Horizon hops as well (the acreage for Horizon has been declining the last several years, and with it the quality of selection)* **All three varieties are high alpha, low cohumulone cultivars. **Unfortunately, I can’t give you more details about the current mix because the actual percentages of Alchemy is proprietary.* To ensure against crop failure situations there is a good chance we will look to add another hop to the blend if the Horizon crop doesn't rebound, but at this point it’s hard to say what that variety it will be or at what inclusion percentage.*"

"We call it Alchemy because on an annual basis we look at the quality of the crop and try to mix those elements together to make the golden hop.** In addition, we hand select our hops each year at harvest time to ensure we get the very best that's available.* Alchemy is used as the bittering hop in all Widmer products and it’s been a very successful hop (s) for us."

*

**david_42** · 04-04-2007, 12:41 AM

Cool! I know a wine-o who disses beer, because "it's consistent". He has no clue as to how tough it can be.

The Widmer brothers are good people, very supportive of the homebrewing community. The brewery is amazing!

**HenryHill** · 04-04-2007, 12:52 PM

I'm calling 'Marketing'.

I like the Hef; it is VERY popular in the West Michigan, most good bars have it on tap.

But like all the cool sounding beer names that micros use to market their own versions of the standard classics, I suspect marketing has more to do with the 'Alchemy' name, than any proprietary secret, by the simple fact that they TELL you what the base bittering hops ARE, although not the amounts of each. And apparently WHAT each is, is not all that important that they can't switch to whatever is ...more available...read CHEAPER.

http://www.widmer.com/beer_hefeweizen.aspx

Sorta like when the Church held the monopoly on gruit before the People found out they could just use hops, and not hafta pay the Church for bittering agents, to make their own beer. It is all marketing...

**Dude** · 04-20-2007, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AleHole

I was looking at the Widmer website and noticed that they use "Alchemy hops". I emailed them about that hop variety and here is what they said. Just thought I would share the knowledge.

"Alchemy hops are not a single variety, but rather several different varieties custom blended and packaged specifically for Widmer.* Currently the blend is combination of Warrior and Millennium, though in past years it's also included a small percentage of Horizon hops as well (the acreage for Horizon has been declining the last several years, and with it the quality of selection)* **All three varieties are high alpha, low cohumulone cultivars. **Unfortunately, I can’t give you more details about the current mix because the actual percentages of Alchemy is proprietary.* To ensure against crop failure situations there is a good chance we will look to add another hop to the blend if the Horizon crop doesn't rebound, but at this point it’s hard to say what that variety it will be or at what inclusion percentage.*"

"We call it Alchemy because on an annual basis we look at the quality of the crop and try to mix those elements together to make the golden hop.** In addition, we hand select our hops each year at harvest time to ensure we get the very best that's available.* Alchemy is used as the bittering hop in all Widmer products and it’s been a very successful hop (s) for us."

*

That's great! Thanks for the info!!

tricky · 02-22-2010, 10:52 PM

I realize this is a thread bump for two year old thread. I was at Redhook in Woodinville on Saturday to try their Imperial IPA. I suspect their "Alchemy blend" to be have quite a bit of Summit hops now. Their IIPA had really heavy ripe orange oil flavor and aroma that I associate with Summit.

**humann_brewing** · 02-22-2010, 11:21 PM

Take a look at the American Wheat in my dropdown, it is modeled after the Widmer Hefe and goes through the Alchemy hops.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/widmer-hefeweizen-american-wheat-129051/

**humann_brewing** · 02-22-2010, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tricky

I realize this is a thread bump for two year old thread. I was at Redhook in Woodinville on Saturday to try their Imperial IPA. I suspect their "Alchemy blend" to be have quite a bit of Summit hops now. Their IIPA had really heavy ripe orange oil flavor and aroma that I associate with Summit.

Just an FYI, the "Alchemy blend" is the coined phrase hop blend from Widmer not Redhook.

**ShortSnoutBrewing** · 02-23-2010, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humann_brewing

Just an FYI, the "Alchemy blend" is the coined phrase hop blend from Widmer not Redhook.

I would venture to guess there's some sharing since Widmer and Redhook are both under the Craft Brewers Alliance, INC. umbrella. Even more backed up by the fact that Redhook lists Alchemy hops on their site.

**humann_brewing** · 02-23-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilted Brewer

I would venture to guess there's some sharing since Widmer and Redhook are both under the Craft Brewers Alliance, INC. umbrella. Even more backed up by the fact that Redhook lists Alchemy hops on their site.

< takes foot out of mouth