Oranmental hops?

A buddy of mine is a horticulturalist and he is looking for something new to grow this year. He found some hops at the local garden nursery and he would like to grow those. However, they are humulus lupulus aureus, or ornamental hops. They don't have a name like centennial or fuggles or anything.

Would these hops be viable for brewing?

I already did. Couldn't find a straight answer. Most people said that they are used in brewing but they don't make any reference or comparison to named hops.

IrregularPulse said:

Here ya go

Click to expand...

I actually think this is a bad lmgtfy.

The top link goes to HBT with a similar topic where the OP states "Cant find much info with my Google-fu." and no one gives him a straight answer.

Got a 2-liter glass bottle or something along those lines? Why don't you brew up a test batch and find out how they turn out. It would be an interesting experiment.

I've been told 99% of ornimental unidentified "hops" you find in North America are Cluster.

Can you brew with them? Yes. Should you brew with them? Well.

Look up what Ray Daniels has to say about them in Designing Great Beer.

Could make an authentic CAP with them. Still Old-timey doesn't necessarily mean good times.

Rudeboy

I would make a test batch but the hop plants haven't even been bought yet.

Yeah, I would make a test batch. Problem is, how in the world are you going to dial-in the right degree of bitterness, flavor and aroma ? I mean, depending on HOW you intend to use them. It would probably mean a LOT of experimentation (then again, thats not a bad thing).
Hmm. If you like dry-hopped beers, you COULD go ahead and dry a batch and put them in a strainer (I made a hop-infusion strainer out of an old bean can (well washed and sanitized) and put a screen on the bottom, filled 'er up with hops and ran beer through is. It worked quite well -and you could get immediate feedback that way. I mean, if the initial attempt gave a really bad taste, you would have an answer right there.

Don't bother, go to the classifieds on here and there are plenty of offers of hop plants being sold. Choose a hop variety that works for you and that you know and trust.

well I like the idea of experimenting -who knows? It may turn out to be a bonus! At least with dry-hopping or infusion hopping at the point of drinking you will know immediately if it was a good idea or something that should never be repeated, and never spoken of again -and best forgotten! (grin).