Friend has backyard hops invasion !! Help ID?

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UncleLankyFrank

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A friend recently sent me a message on FB with a photo of a lovely green plant and asked "What is growing all over my deck?" Apparently the previous tenant was a grower and left her with this legacy:

What a lucky problem to have! :D This was taken today,
08/28/13. Can anybody guess at what variety it may be or how soon to harvest based on the tightness of this cone?

Thanks guys and gals!

hop.jpg
 
Pretty sure it's almost impossible to tell the variety from just looking at it in photo's. You could look at varietal pics online and try to figure it out from there. Also looking up what varietals grow well in your location. You could try making a little hop tea outta them and look for the flavor profile of what you are tasting too.
 
I have seen a lot of these found some hops growing wild or at a friends house post lately..Some guys/gals have all the luck.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
Its definitely a hop.

That's about all you can or ever will know about it.
Click to expand...

There are several strains of hops I can recognize by smell. If it's cascade, I'd know for sure. Best thing I can do is make some beer that stands up to it's aroma and keep planting rhizomes.
 
I agree, the best way to tell would be to make some Hop Tea and just try to pin point the flavour profile and then you can sort of thumb your way through the lists based on your region and climate etc. beyond that, it's a hop :D I have Centennial and Galena growing in my garden, It's the first year for my little guys :D :cheers:
 
What hop does it smell like? Take it in to your LHBS or about a handful or so and do some side by side comparisons, I am sure they wont mind.
As far as harvest time. It looks like it has a bit to go. Do they feel papery? or is it still a real tight bud?

What a killer problem to have!

Cheers
Jay
 
Facebook stalk the previous owner and ask if they remember which variety.
Where in MLPS are you, Frank?
 
I've never seen bracts that pointy. Perhaps it's an ornamental variety. I'd still brew it. I imagine that if it has lupulin it would be ok for bittering, regardless of whether it has good flavor or aroma since you loose those characteristics in an hour of boiling
 
Call the Ag school at the U. May get lucky and find some helpful professor, grad student, etc who can take a crack at it.

EDIT: Better yet, call the Extension.

University of Minnesota Extension
Office of the Dean
240 Coffey Hall
1420 Eckles Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108-6068
612-624-1222
 
If you want to run a few of them out west on Highway 7, I can pick some Chinook, Centennial, Cascades or Magnums and we can side-by-side sniff-test them. :D
 

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