benefit to growing own hops

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ElevenBrewCo

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Exactly what is the benefit of growing your own hops. Just from looking around ive gathered that on average you will get 1 lb of hops per rhizome. I feel like its a lot of work and time to grow and only get 1 lb. I could understand if you save a bunch of money but 5? dollar avg per rhizome, 1.50 dollar? avg per oz of hops. Im not trying to burst anybodies bubble, just want more info and possible grow some myself. I understand the satisfaction of growing them and sense of accomplishment just dont see a giant benefit in this process.

Thanks fellas
 
Well, the first year you might only get a few ounces, and the second year only a pound or so. But by the third year, high yield varieties will give you a LOT of hops. I have more than I can use, and didn't even harvest my hallertauers last year.

So, the rhizome costs $5, or is free if you do a rhizome exchange. The plant is beautiful, and I have three just in ornamental places. One is on an arbor, one starts up the back of the green house and shades it in the hot summer, and one is on a pole in front of the garden.

Aside from watering them in very dry climates (not where I live), they require no work. And then, you can pick hops and dry them and vacuum seal and freeze them- and have them whenever you want.

It's not like a huge savings of money- but neither is brewing when you think about it. Hobbies aren't about saving money, although that can be one of the advantages. I would have to save $5000 on beer to break even on my brewing hobby!
 
Well having fresh hops at your disposal once you harvest them is a big plus. You could make a fresh hop version of your favorite pale ale or IPA. They're great for aroma additions.
 
Yooper said:
Well, the first year you might only get a few ounces, and the second year only a pound or so. But by the third year, high yield varieties will give you a LOT of hops. I have more than I can use, and didn't even harvest my hallertauers last year.

So, the rhizome costs $5, or is free if you do a rhizome exchange. The plant is beautiful, and I have three just in ornamental places. One is on an arbor, one starts up the back of the green house and shades it in the hot summer, and one is on a pole in front of the garden.

Aside from watering them in very dry climates (not where I live), they require no work. And then, you can pick hops and dry them and vacuum seal and freeze them- and have them whenever you want.

It's not like a huge savings of money- but neither is brewing when you think about it. Hobbies aren't about saving money, although that can be one of the advantages. I would have to save $5000 on beer to break even on my brewing hobby!

Aweome thats all i needed to know! Very convincing

Sent from my DROIDX using Home Brew Talk
 
Friends and I were able to brew a Barley Wine where we used 20 oz. of hops total. They all came from one of the guys dad's place where he has let his 3 varieties go nuts.

And I have a freeze full of those hops we weren't able to use.
 
There are a lot of advantages to growing some of your own hops.

1. Don't you wish you had a few bines going when hops where 3 dollars an oz.

2. You can do stupid big IPA's. I like to do all Willamette ipa's.

3. You can do beers with fresh wet hops, it's something different.

4. Home grown hand picked hops are worth the effort just because of the quality of the hops.

5. It's a lot of fun and you don't have to pick them if you don't want to.
 
In my case it provides an extra bit of frustration in my life and I get to see thousand/millions of tiny Aphids that I normally wouldn't get to see.
 
you could always put them on a fience row between you and the idiot next door. the piece of mind not looking at that tool or the thought of not giving him the beetting he so richly deserves is worth every penny plus you get hops also
 
Aside from watering them in very dry climates (not where I live), they require no work.

You don't trim your shoots or anything? I read that for best yields you should train only the first 3-4 shoots and cut the rest. which is the way I've done it for the last 2 years.
 
Exactly what is the benefit of growing your own hops. Just from looking around ive gathered that on average you will get 1 lb of hops per rhizome. I feel like its a lot of work and time to grow and only get 1 lb. I could understand if you save a bunch of money but 5? dollar avg per rhizome, 1.50 dollar? avg per oz of hops. Im not trying to burst anybodies bubble, just want more info and possible grow some myself. I understand the satisfaction of growing them and sense of accomplishment just dont see a giant benefit in this process.

Thanks fellas

Come to think of it, why brew at all when they sell beer at the store?
 
You don't trim your shoots or anything? I read that for best yields you should train only the first 3-4 shoots and cut the rest. which is the way I've done it for the last 2 years.

I always start out doing that, and then say "screw it" and let them go nuts.

The halleratuer is out of control completely- up over the telephone pole, over the edge of my garden fence and taking over the world. It's spreading rhizomes all over the place, and new shoots are popping up between the telephone pole and the garden.

I train the cascade up the trellis, but don't do anything else. I start clipping them, but there are so many I can't keep up. It's coming up under my deck, from the side of the deck, etc. I pretty much got overwhelmed by them, and mostly leave them alone.

The chinook are newer, and they go up a fence beside the green house and up and over the green house which is what I planned, to help shade the greenhouse in August.

Hops grow like weeds, invasive weeds, at least around here.
 
I always start out doing that, and then say "screw it" and let them go nuts.

The halleratuer is out of control completely- up over the telephone pole, over the edge of my garden fence and taking over the world. It's spreading rhizomes all over the place, and new shoots are popping up between the telephone pole and the garden.

I train the cascade up the trellis, but don't do anything else. I start clipping them, but there are so many I can't keep up. It's coming up under my deck, from the side of the deck, etc. I pretty much got overwhelmed by them, and mostly leave them alone.

The chinook are newer, and they go up a fence beside the green house and up and over the green house which is what I planned, to help shade the greenhouse in August.

Hops grow like weeds, invasive weeds, at least around here.

This is why it's good to dig them up every few years and trim them.... though I guess I'd rather have a mass of hop bines instead of my crappy yard...
 
Come to think of it, why brew at all when they sell beer at the store?

That really sums it up.
Growing hops may save some money if you don't take into account your time, and the same it true of most industrious hobbies, like brewing.
Most people just except this and don't think about it. But I do, I'm a cheap skate but I value my time very low, after all; look at what I'm doing right now... if I didn't grow hops I'd spend more time on the computer posting BS, so there isn't really any loss there. So if my time is worth say $0.75/hr (for tasks I enjoy) then I think it's worth wile.
Things work out better if you have a larger hop yard, but then you need to hire some migrant workers to harvest.
 
I like to garden.
It's something to ***** about.
I've lowered my cost of brewing.

Best response evah!

I never considered the amount of joy I get from bitching about problems associated with my hops... Japanese beetles for instance!

Also, there's nothing better than walking a friend back to the garden and picking one fresh cone and explaining all the ins and outs, then crushing it and letting them smell the scent of heaven!
 
It's fun if you like growing things. Plus they can be impressive when you show them to people and say, "Last week this thing was only 5 foot tall!" and they are growing up onto the roof!

It's a bit of a pain to harvest, but it can also give a sense of accomplishment. Last year we harvested 3 plants and it took a couple of hours. But we had fun (just don't ask the rest of the family if they enjoyed it...)

I don't know. I guess I can be saving money since I could finish off a bunch of IPAs with the cascade I grew. But I really only did it for the fun of it. I cannot wait for the sprouts to start. And here we are going to have a snow storm with 6 or more inches.
 
I always start out doing that, and then say "screw it" and let them go nuts.

The halleratuer is out of control completely- up over the telephone pole, over the edge of my garden fence and taking over the world. It's spreading rhizomes all over the place, and new shoots are popping up between the telephone pole and the garden.

I train the cascade up the trellis, but don't do anything else. I start clipping them, but there are so many I can't keep up. It's coming up under my deck, from the side of the deck, etc. I pretty much got overwhelmed by them, and mostly leave them alone.

The chinook are newer, and they go up a fence beside the green house and up and over the green house which is what I planned, to help shade the greenhouse in August.

Hops grow like weeds, invasive weeds, at least around here.

Yeah I kinda do the same. I say just let em go wild. Mine are on the 3rd year so this should be a good harvest year for me and if you're getting a good harvest leaving them be, I'll do the same.
 
I'm dilligent concerning the hops on my property but I plan to put more on my mothers and let them go wild. Whatever they produce is bonus. I've learned I like gardening more than brewing. That my garden can support my brewing. Even better.
 

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