Anybody ever heard of "Golden Hops" Humulus lupulus Aureus?

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heavysteve

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A local garden/farm center is selling something called Golden hops(not golding). Can these be used to brew? Cant find much info with my Google-fu.

Also is there any way to tell male/female plants other then flowers? These ones havent developed any yet and I want to make sure they are useable.

Otherwise the price is right and I dont have to special order. They also carry a variety just called "Common hops" which, from what I understand, are just a darker variety of the Golden hops.

Any advice would be appreciated
 
I'd bet on it being Sunbeam or Sunshine. They are sold more as ornamentals than as brewing hops. There is also a Blanca, but it's very difficult to grow outside.
 
Its definitely not the humulus japonicus, The species name is humulus lupulus Aureus, a few fellows on Reddit said it is most likely some kind of wild-ish hop, and should taste something like fuggles.

The Sunbeam variety looks pretty close though, would it be any good for brewing anyway? at least for dry hopping?
 
Sunbeam is like Saazer. I haven't gotten enough off of mine to brew with, the bines have always burned in full sun. I'm hoping that moving it into the shade will improve the growth.
 
Recieved confirmation that it is indeed Sunbeam. Gonna buy a couple and try them out. Thanks all :)
 
Did you ever try those out? I picked about a lb from a friend's bine last Summer and have not used them yet. I did pack ,vacuum and freeze them.
 
I picked some (at least I'm told they were "golden" - wasn't aware until now that was a real variety) from a friend's bine last year as well. I dry hopped with them, because I had no idea what to expect for bittering. Didn't get much aroma - maybe because I didn't use enough, or didn't leave the beer on them long enough...not sure. This year, I'll probably pick them again and try them as a flavor addition.
 
i wouldn't bother. they are sold as 'ornamentals' and they look GREAT, wouldn't bother boiling em though.
 
A friend of mine recently got some of these, and I too am wondering if they're useable in beer. From what I've read so far, it doesn't look like it, but you never know until you try'em. I also found a pretty good write up on them here.
 
Not sure on the brewability. However there is no female garuntee on em is there? imo for the $3-5 rhizomes cost on avereage id buy hops of a known variety that you like to use. That way you know they are female and you know you like em.
 
After looking at one of the big hops growing websites, they list the Golden as not being used by brewers and is sold in some ornamental shops. I'd say that they are probably not suited for brewing as much as one of the many other varieties, either for lack of bittering, or aroma or flavor, or simply because they don't produce enough.

But I'm pretty sure they CAN be used if you want to try them. Wont' hurt anything, except wasting time not growing something more suited to brewing.
 
I knew a guy that grew sunbeam and he didn't put them in the brew pot but he did dry hop with them and he loved them. He said they were lemony. I have no room or I would have tried them.
 
so, my wife just came home with two of these Sunbeam hops....

has anyone brewed with 'em, and should we take the plants back?

FYI, since you're local - Portland Nursery always has a decent selection of hops; not just rhizomes, these are in actual pots with growing bines. I picked up my Willamette, Cascade and Zeus from them a few years back. Main St. Brew off hwy 26 in Hillsboro also has a good variety of rhizomes at the front counter.
 
I bought these golden hops a couple years before I stared brewing. I made 3 batches with them. The first was a 5 gallon brew with a fair amount purchsed hops put into the boil. when it came time to keg it my hops were covered in flowers. I stuffed a large hop bag as full as I could of these fresh golden hops and put them in the keg before I filled it. This beer was one of the best brews I have made. The next two batches I used only the golden hops because I had a surplus and wanted to experiment with the flavors. Both of those batches were hard to drink. It is sad to me that they are no good.
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The garden center variety is a sport that was selected for its yellow leaf color. It was intended to be an ornamental that looks pretty on your fence.If you're serious about brewing don't waste your malt on it. Look for varieties that have been selected for their aromas or bittering qualities.
"Just cuz you can doesn't mean you should . . .".
 
FYI, since you're local - Portland Nursery always has a decent selection of hops; not just rhizomes, these are in actual pots with growing bines. I picked up my Willamette, Cascade and Zeus from them a few years back. Main St. Brew off hwy 26 in Hillsboro also has a good variety of rhizomes at the front counter.

Ah, wish I had seen this post earlier! I ended up planting my phony hops. Hopefully a good year of their ornamental-ness will be enough to appease the wife before they mysteriously die.
Have three rhizomes in the ground from Main St. but only one has popped out of the ground so far. Was just there a couple hours ago actually, and for anyone interested they still have rhizomes available.
 
I made a braggott a few years back and I threw about 4oz. in at the last 5 min. of the boil. It turned out great. It worked well as a flavoring hop. I wasn't sure what to expect for bittering. Does anyone know of a way to test the IBU of a hop?
 

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