best hops to grow in the SF Bay Area?

hi all,

I apologize if this question has been raised in this forum already, but i'm having trouble figuring out how to search this site.

anyway, i was wondering if folks knew what are good hop varieties to grow in the SF bay area. Specifically, I live in Oakland and will be a first time grower. I'd most likely be growing in a larger container (or half-wine barrel as I have seen recommended on this site.)

from what i've read, it also seems like most recommend that first-time growers focus on growing aromatic hops or hops for dry-hopping.

thanks.

Hops rhizomes are pretty cheap. Just plant the varieties you like, most are pretty vigorous and with grow almost anywhere. If they don't try other varieties.

Nathan Smith, a pretty well known homebrewer in Oakland is growing Chinook, Centennial, Nugget, Cascade and Columbus.

http://www.destroy.net/brewing/hops-2009/

Judging from the pictures, they seem to be doing pretty well. Those might be ones to start with. I live near Sacramento, and my Centennial, Cascade and Columbus are doing quite well.

I live north of you in a very similar climate and chinooks, galen, cluster grow well for me. Cascades and Willamette and golding do ok but nuggets failed miserably.

Most anything will do ok in your area with proper soil prep.

Just doing a general search trying to find out if anyone has grown saaz with any level of success and stumbled on this. I live in SF and im growing cascade (1st year) and northern brewer (3rd year). The northern brewer is doing extremely well for its 3rd year in a pot. Last year I got about a pound of hops off of it and brewed some steam with them.

I grew cascade at our local community farm last year and it also did extremely well. So many hops i couldn't pick all of them!!

If anyone in SF or bay area has grown saaz i'd be interested to find out if you hand any success. Thanks,

Leadingzero

Checking in on the success' the posters on this post have had, I just moved to the "area" (Fairfield) and figure I'll be stationed here for enough time for me to grow my first "garden" full of awesomeness. Also, I'm assuming from limited research that I should be planting in February? if not, when is ideal, I dont know the typical year-to-year weather yet...
Thanks in advance for any assistance!