extra_medium
Well-Known Member
found wild hops, but i think they have seeds in the cones. are they still usable?
They are either:
a) A commercial cultivar accidentally or intentionally planted a century or more ago. Anything from clusters to saaz and anything in between. If they are commercial they are most likely cluster. Clusters were the most popular hop grown pre-prohibition due to their moderate AA content and fantastic storage capability before good refrigeration.
b) A truly wild strain, and there are several hundred of them listed by the USDA. I just dug some wild rhizomes and planted them last night. I picked some from the source plants last year and they were seeded. They had a great minty/basil aroma when wet, and turned more earthy as they dried.
Dig some rhizomes and transplant them. Pick the cones and make beer with them. Somehow hops have been used for several hundred years grown before scientific method was ever applied to their cultivation or use. Assume they are clusters for the sake of AA content and brew up a SMaSH with a neutral base grain to get a feel for how they work.
Enter your email address to join: