Wild Hops Question

What is the difference between wild hops and the varieties that we use to brew? The reason I am asking is that there is a fence near where I live full of hops. Also is there any way to find out what kind of hops they are?

tbone said:

What is the difference between wild hops and the varieties that we use to brew? The reason I am asking is that there is a fence near where I live full of hops. Also is there any way to find out what kind of hops they are?

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Lucky Bastard . I'd bring it to a LHBS and ask someone who knows what they're talking about (if your LHBS has one of those...). I'm not sure how far you can get comparing pictures online, and unless your palette and olfactory nerves are super acute, I'm not sure how easy (or expensive) it'd be to compare one to another with store-bought samples. Maybe, if your brew store is cool, they'll let you smell the different kinds of hops they have to compare it to what you've got.

I had a thought while away from the computer. I live close enough to Penn State that I may email their ag department and see if I could send them a sample of some part of the plant or the actual hop cone when they develop. Maybe they could help.

There are some wild (native) hops in North American, but it's probably feral, not wild, and most likely Fuggle or Brewer's Gold. Identification is done by DNA analysis these days, but you can narrow it down looking at the leaves, cones and side-arms.

I may be talking out my drunk butt here, but I think they all have slightly different leaf configurations so you may be able to tell from them.

I'll have to walk over and get a picture. I have no idea what stage they are in at this time of year. The fence is about 50 yards long and most of it is covered with them.

I've spent a lot of time looking, but can't find a good set of images on the web. Some really great references and descriptions are available, but very few images.

Might be a good wiki project for late summer.

david_42 said:

I've spent a lot of time looking, but can't find a good set of images on the web. Some really great references and descriptions are available, but very few images.

Might be a good wiki project for late summer.

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Not that I'm volunteering....D) but next Spring if I remember, I'll take pictures of emerging Liberty, Brewer's Gold, Zeus, and Magnum. I can probably get the Cascade and Tettnang this season. It would be really nice to have them in different stages of development for identification purposes. Emergence, full leaf, side arms and cones. Somebody bump this thread come Spring '09 :fro:.

I remember seeing a chart online somewhere with photos of hop cones and leaves for identification, Ill try and see if I can find it again. Maybe that will help.

tbone said:

I had a thought while away from the computer. I live close enough to Penn State that I may email their ag department and see if I could send them a sample of some part of the plant or the actual hop cone when they develop. Maybe they could help.

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Good idea. If that doesn't work, you might try a state agency, like the Pennsylvania Dept of Agriculture. I'd definitely try Penn State first though. I know that here in Michigan, Michigan State University will test stuff for residents...

In '94 I went to the American Hop Museum in Toppenish, WA.

Here's what I found on their site:

http://www.americanhopmuseum.org/varieties.htm

I just sent an email off to Penn State AG. I'll let you all know what they say.