2015 US Hops crop

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Mer-man

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Hey folks, how is hop season treating you?

I have been watching as the crops become available (US 2015) and have noticed some price inflation.
Last year I bought Apollo at about $10/pound. It's a bit more so far this year!

And Centennial is surprisingly expensive for being a public domain hop too!

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on hops they are enjoying. I know some of these new branded ones are letdowns (e.g. Jarrylo).

Cheers!
 
Disappointing for me to not be able to get big supplies of amarillo and simcoe- those are the two hops I buy the most of and in the largest quantity.

I haven't loved any of the newer hops, and have quite a bit of galaxy and el dorado left that were given to me, as well as smaller amounts of equinox, jarrylo, etc.

I'm trying to love mosaic, since I have a couple of pounds of those from last year but it's just not the same as my old standards!
 
Maybe you could do a swap with someone? I just finished up my Galaxy and really enjoyed the passionfruit in an APA. Sounds weird, but tasted great.

I noticed the Amarillo unavailability . . . Simcoe as well? Daaaaaang son!
 
I wasnt impressed by jaryllo either, but try out some experimentals and newer stuff that hasnt caught on as much yet

belma is my current favorite. very unique strawberry/blueberry/melon flavor

azzaca is pretty cool, tropical and mild

hallertau blanc is amazing, more floral nelson sauvin

mandarina bavaria is more orangey than amarillo, less assertive though

mouteka is pretty unique, its like a lime saaz

pacific gem is really handy for double duty. high bittering potential, cheap and great tangy blackberry flavor

EXP7270 is amazing for IPAs. Very tropical with a bit of resin

exp527 is great for stuff like saisons IME
 
I'd be interested in hearing about people's experience with the 2015 crop as well. I've gotta order 4-5lbs next week.
 
Jarrylo is ok as a bittering hop but it made an ipa i made with it taste and smell like cloves. It wasn't very good.
I always use a lot of chinook so hopefully there's plenty if it to go around!
 
I was at a microbrewer on the West coast last week, and he said they are using a lot of New Zealand hops because they had exceeded sales and out-brewed their allotment from the Pacific northwest hops farms.
 
Yeah it seems like Amarillo is going to be tough to get this year. I know many places are not even getting any pellets. I haven't heard the same on Simcoe yet, but it wouldn't shock me if it is the same story. This year I'm going to have to start using some hops I haven't used much or at all.

My columbus that I ordered this year seems more intense than the past couple years.
 
Drought, heat, fires, and demand basically. Amarillo is seemingly THE hop right now, so it will be very hard to get. You can find some leaf now, but I wouldn't count on that lasting. Biggest surprise for me is the Centennial uptick. Maybe people are turning to it to help replace Amarillo?

I'm excited to try some hops I haven't had the chance yet like Kazbek.
 
Bummer to hear that about Amarillo, since I unknowingly grabbed my bag of Amarillo instead of my 7Cs for a brew last week...
9 oz left....
 
Just curious, what caused the hop shortage?



^^^^^^ I've seen a couple of this guys recipes ......... I think he is part of the problem!!!!

Wet weather and high temp didn't help the normal crop harvest. Craft brewing is booming, Homebrew is becoming more popular, and large hopstands seem to be becoming a lot more common (they are for me).

I'm surprised there is not more of a problem. I guess there has been a glut for several years and demand has just caught up. If they are not planting more acreage, we should get ready for a few years of shortages and high prices as I don't see any of the above factors changing anytime soon.
 
If that's the case, I see less ipa in my future...
But it still seems a bit early to call, no? Many vendors are just starting to get 2015 inventory in it seems.
 
All these hop-stands with the massive amounts of hops going in them.

:mad: :D ;)

Kidding of course...

Honestly, I don't think you're far from the truth. With the huge growth in craft beer in general, specifically highly hopped beers, and all the new micro brewers, I imagine that demand is starting to outpace supplies. Hopefully the hop farmers will start expanding their plantings.
 
Disappointing for me to not be able to get big supplies of amarillo and simcoe- those are the two hops I buy the most of and in the largest quantity.

I haven't loved any of the newer hops, and have quite a bit of galaxy and el dorado left that were given to me, as well as smaller amounts of equinox, jarrylo, etc.

I'm trying to love mosaic, since I have a couple of pounds of those from last year but it's just not the same as my old standards!

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Hops_Simcoe_Pellet_1_Pound_Pack.html

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Hops_Amarillo_Pellet_1_Pound.html

Shameless plug..:D:D:D

Cheers
Jay
 
Honestly, I don't think you're far from the truth. With the huge growth in craft beer in general, specifically highly hopped beers, and all the new micro brewers, I imagine that demand is starting to outpace supplies. Hopefully the hop farmers will start expanding their plantings.

This thread got me thinking about the growth in craft beer, and I found craft beer production in the USA has increased by 140% in the past 5 years (2009 - 2014), from 9 million barrels to 22 million barrels (or 279 million gallons to 682 million gallons).

At 100 gallons per year for a home-brewer, that would be the equivalent of 4 million new homebrewers entering the market.

I suspect homebrewing has increased at a similar rate. I could not find any decent data for 2009 thru 2014. I did find the Homebrewers' association estimated a 26% growth in 2012, and a 10% growth in 2013. It wouldn't surprise me to find homebrewing has increased similarly to craft beer production, from less that 1 million brewers in 2009 to 2 million or more in 2014.

With both the craft and homebrew increases, that's a lot more demand for hops. I don't know if hop growth production has kept up, but that is a lot more acareage that is needed to keep up with demand.

And then there is that latest practice of "hop-stands with the massive amounts of hops going in them", of which I am one of the guilty.
 
Being a former Oregonian, it's probably a combination of this last summer, which was murder on any sort of crop grown in the PNW, and the increased demand from craft brewers & home brewers, which will likely cause some pain for all of us. Hopefully there's a bumper crop next year.
 
All these hop-stands with the massive amounts of hops going in them.

:mad: :D ;)

Kidding of course...

I'm so sorry everyone. I'll send you an ipa to try to make up for it

Seriously though. I have a black ipa, a new oj double ipa, and my favorite house ipa about to be ready. Want to get rid of them while they are fresh. Also about eleventeen saisons
 
Hmmmm I wonder why Bravo is so cheap? Sure it`s not a sexy hop but weird it's so much cheaper than everythng else.
 
I'm so sorry everyone. I'll send you an ipa to try to make up for it

Seriously though. I have a black ipa, a new oj double ipa, and my favorite house ipa about to be ready. Want to get rid of them while they are fresh. Also about eleventeen saisons

Based off the last DIPA? That sounds fantastic....What's new in this one?
 
This thread got me thinking about the growth in craft beer, and I found craft beer production in the USA has increased by 140% in the past 5 years (2009 - 2014), from 9 million barrels to 22 million barrels (or 279 million gallons to 682 million gallons).

At 100 gallons per year for a home-brewer, that would be the equivalent of 4 million new homebrewers entering the market.

I suspect homebrewing has increased at a similar rate. I could not find any decent data for 2009 thru 2014. I did find the Homebrewers' association estimated a 26% growth in 2012, and a 10% growth in 2013. It wouldn't surprise me to find homebrewing has increased similarly to craft beer production, from less that 1 million brewers in 2009 to 2 million or more in 2014.

With both the craft and homebrew increases, that's a lot more demand for hops. I don't know if hop growth production has kept up, but that is a lot more acareage that is needed to keep up with demand.

And then there is that latest practice of "hop-stands with the massive amounts of hops going in them", of which I am one of the guilty.

The hop report comes out in December, but the forecast is for a 13% increase in production for 2015.

http://www.usahops.org/userfiles/image/1439411770_USDA AugForecast2015.pdf
 
Based off the last DIPA? That sounds fantastic....What's new in this one?

off topic but...
from the one I sent you, its got about 25% more hops, with the hop selections adjusted to more "orangey" ones. Also added twice as much flour since Ive been led to believe it helps with body as well. Maybe ill have to send you another
 
It looks like I need to plant some other variety. I've got nugget out the ass. If I only I had known what I was doing when I originally ordered the plant to see how it would grow.
 
I ordered 7 lbs yesterday which should get me through summer...sadly no amarillo or simcoe, still on the lookout for those since i just cleared out the last of my 2014 stock.
 
I'm seeing Amarillo nearly impossible to find in anything larger than half a pound. Will there be a massive Amarillo shortage for 2016?!
 
Has anyone got there label peeler pre-order, or heard anything?

I remember getting them early January last year I think
 
I am a cheap a$$ so I don't buy the popular expensive hops in any large quantities. I recently bought 4 pounds of hops from Hops Direct. It was a buy a pound and get a pound of Pilgrim hops n/c. I don't remember off hand what the others were other than a pound of Magnum. All under $7 per pound!! I have enough for the rest of the year with a few special buys to get exactly what a recipe will call for.

If you can't get the exact hop that you want at last years prices, there are a lot of others from?? that are a great buy.... I am getting great beers without paying $$$$ for the latest popular type...
 
Yeah...label peelers was so late with my order last year that i decided to skip them this year.

Yakima Valley Hops has 2015 Amarillo in stock.
 
Yep Yakima just got Amarillo 2015. Crap, I jumped the gun and ordered from ritebrew yesterday. Probably got an older yield.
 
Frickin'... just got back from the LHBS, 1 ounce packet prices are much higher than a few months ago.

Cascade jumped a quarter, Centennial by 50¢, and Amarillo is $3.49 right now, I think it used to be $2.79.

:(
 
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