Amarillo Rhizomes

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mbtech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
140
Reaction score
4
Location
Fernandina Beach
So I've been searching for Amarillo rhizomes and no luck. I hear that it is somehow patented and there is no way to get rhizomes. Am I correct on this? If so, is the Amarillo hop a cross made in a lab or something?
 
Yakima/Moxee area
[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&num=50&q=Moxee+Hop+Ranches&ie=UTF8&ll=46.288322,-119.722459&spn=0.013138,0.039182&t=h&z=15"]Moxee Hop Ranches - Google Maps[/ame]


Look at all of those hops
 
Amarillo and Simcoe are both private strains grown in that area. There is no legal way to get a rhizome of either strain.
 
Does anyone know if any of the other available rhizomes were once proprietary like Simcoe, Amarillo, Warrior, etc. are. Just wondering if these varieties will be available at some point or if we just need to wait for something better to be developed that replaces them on a farm that doesn't need to lock them up. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about capitalism, but I needs me some legal amarillo and simcoe rhizomes!

I'm sure it's already been talked about here, but hopsdirect has lbs. of amarillo for $13.50!!
 
[ame]http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&num=50&q=Moxee+Hop+Ranches&ie=UTF8&ll=46.288322,-119.722459&spn=0.013138,0.039182&t=h&z=15[/ame]

Wow, so that is the exact place where the Amarillo hop is grown?
 
Black clothing, night vision goggles and crawl inside the farm - pull up a root and run for it.

Or just send hopsdirect a few bucks - that's the way I went!
 
Black clothing, night vision goggles and crawl inside the farm - pull up a root and run for it.

Or just send hopsdirect a few bucks - that's the way I went!

Man, the covert op sounds like fun....but I'll prob just buy the hops instead (or did you mean they sell the rhizome?). On a different note, do you know what grows best in the Dallas, TX area? My mother-in-law has Golding, Willamette, Cascade, and Centennial growing in Kansas. I've got a Chinook started this year in a planter and will go into the ground next spring.
 
Funny you mention "legal". I wonder if there is a black market for hop rhizomes, lol.

I know a guy who lives in that area, he has alluded to the whole nighttime commando mission armed with trowel, pocket knife and plastic bag....I just can't justify the possibility of explaining my story to a judge;)
 
I know a guy who lives in that area, he has alluded to the whole nighttime commando mission armed with trowel, pocket knife and plastic bag....I just can't justify the possibility of explaining my story to a judge;)

That's messed up. I'm friends with the family (Gamache) that have the rights to that hop. I figure if you can produce a unique product then go ahead and make money off of it. I'm guessing the whole commando thing is BS since I've been flying for this family for a few years and I can't even see what fields the Amarillo grows in:mad: :) but I'm not not calling you a liar:cross:
 
Yeh, If I went through the trouble of cross pollenating some new hops strain, and then got it patented, I wouldnt want some dude jumping my fence and stealing from my hop yard.
 
Much respect to the guy who created it - CentralWA, if you really know them, let them know that Amarillo is my single favorite of all hops. I have made only a one batch without it* since I first tasted it a couple of years ago.

*The one going into the bottle this weekend, made with only my own home grown hops.
 
Why not tissue culture the leafs? It's easily done and don't have to worry about some guy chasing you across a field with a shot gun just for a little rhizome. Even if the leaf is dried out. It's still possible to kick start it in a heavy nutrition media to grow it.
 
That's messed up. I'm friends with the family (Gamache) that have the rights to that hop. I figure if you can produce a unique product then go ahead and make money off of it. I'm guessing the whole commando thing is BS since I've been flying for this family for a few years and I can't even see what fields the Amarillo grows in:mad: :) but I'm not not calling you a liar:cross:

I think my buddy is full of BS too;) I would never steal rhizomes, that is just bad beer karma. Just one of those drunken rambling conversations.....
 
That's messed up. I'm friends with the family (Gamache) that have the rights to that hop. I figure if you can produce a unique product then go ahead and make money off of it. I'm guessing the whole commando thing is BS since I've been flying for this family for a few years and I can't even see what fields the Amarillo grows in:mad: :) but I'm not not calling you a liar:cross:

What kind of rights are you talking about?
 
The variety is patented. No one else is allowed to grow it.
 
Alright, I found the Plant Variety Protection Office which is the starting point if you have a plant that you want rights over. From the reading it states that you'll be issued a certificate and after a year and one else has describe the same plant for a certificate then the person can apply for a patent. However this don't mean you can make other people stop growing it. It's only for legal right over the market. So anyone can grow it, just once money has exchanged hands for the crop then legal actions can be taken.

But thanks for posting the patents, I couldn't find any at the time.
 
Wow! This discussion is getting serious. I just looked at fresh Amarillo cones for sale for $13.50/lb. I'd love to grow this variety on my home scale, but I guess I'll have to wait until something better comes along (Citra?) and this family starts loosening their grip on it. Seems that's bad beer karma to me as well. If I can continue to buy Amarillo at this price I don't even need to grow it, and that seems to be a win/win for everyone.
 
yeah bump it was for me i was reading on this thread about the plant cell culturing thing and wanted to do some research while at work
 
Kinda startling.
Could've just subscribed to it if all he wanted was a bookmark...

Cheers!

Startling? this is the internet! two girls one cup was startling, bumping a long dead thread? nope, everyday occurance.

I agree subscribing would have worked, but then we wouldn't be having this interesting e-conversation now would we?

cheers!! :mug:
 
Startling? this is the internet! two girls one cup was startling, bumping a long dead thread? nope, everyday occurance.

I agree subscribing would have worked, but then we wouldn't be having this interesting e-conversation now would we?

cheers!! :mug:

This gave me a chuckle. :)

+1 for Amarillo. I did a single hop IPA with it before the price skyrocketed. Even a year later I have a few bottles left. It has mellowed very nicely into a strong pale ale of sorts.
 
Interesting....
I found this little number in the details of applying for a plant patent: "The invention would not have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of invention by applicant. "
I mean...I don't know anything about crossbreeding plants, or how they created Amarillo, but isn't it essentially the same, just crossing specific hops?
I could see the patent falling under that rule making it invalid.
IDK much about the business world, or politics, but in my heart I know homebrewers should be allowed to grow Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus, whatever plant they want!!

It's a sticky situation, to be sure. I mean who really owns the rhizomes? Trespassing is trespassing, and if someone chooses to not sell something from their property, by gum it's their right!
It's not like rhizomes are flying away in the wind, the only way to get your hands on them would be to:
1. Crossbreed a similar strain yourself
2. Trespassing
Crossbreeding a strain would be legal, though you couldn't use a trademarked name for it. And it's probably pretty damn difficult AFAIK.

So, in researching, I've come to the conclusion while it sucks, it's their right to not sell a way to reproduce something they created, and it would be illegal to trespass and steal it.
But for aspiring hop growers, feel free to do your best to emulate the properties.

And I'd like to say thank you to all the hop growers who do offer their rhizomes for sale!
 
Can't help but wonder, since this thread has been necro-posted, if it's patented, or proprietary. There are big differences and in many ways, the legal protections for proprietary stuff is stronger than for patented stuff.
 
It's wonderful to have these patented strains and blends. Do the patents ever expire like they do on medicines?
 
Back
Top