Bulk Hop Choices

[Couevas]

If you had to choose 4 different varieties that you could brew with for the year, what would they be?

(I am setting up a mini farm in Northern California that will consist of 2 60-foot long rows at about 18-20 feet tall apiece)
:rockin:

 

[Jaybird]

Where at in Nor*Cal?

 

[beesy]

Cascade
Centennial
Liberty
Chinook
(in no order)

 

[mkling]

Cascade
Willamette
Mt. Hood or Liberty (I'd pick Mt. Hood)
Galena or Nugget (I'd pick Galena)

That gives you 1 classic American variety (Cascade), 1 US decendent of a UK variety (Willamette as a decendent of Fuggles), 1 US decendent of a German noble hop (Mt. Hood or Liberty both Halertau decendents), and 1 strong clean bittering hop (Galena or Nugget). This gives the abilty to brew a huge variety of types of beer. If you're interested in 1 particular style (like APAs or IPAs) then you could load up on US citrusy varieties as beesy suggests above.

 

[enderwig]

Cascade
Willamette
Amarillo
Summit

 

[RCCOLA]

Cascade,magnum,goldings,hallertauer

 

[merculite]

Cascade, Perle, Magnum, N. Brewer

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Centennial, Magnum, Amarillo, (Cascade or Simcoe)

 

[Bobby_M]

I wouldn't waste space growing both Cascade and Centennial because they are pretty interchangeable.

Willamette, Fuggle, Centennial and Amarillo

Isn't Simcoe proprietary?

 

[Yooper]

I wouldn't waste space growing both Cascade and Centennial because they are pretty interchangeable.

Willamette, Fuggle, Centennial and Amarillo

Isn't Simcoe proprietary?

I think amarillo is also proprietary, but I'm not sure.

I'd do:
cascade/centennial
williamette
galena/warriot or nugget
Tettnanger/hallertauer

 

[harley03]

Cascade, Wlliamete, East Kent Goldings, Centennial....

 

[Beerrific]

East Kent Goldings

Hard to do unless East Kent has moved to northern California.

For me:

Cascade
Centennial
Chinook
Magnum

 

[mkling]

Other thing to keep in mind when making your selection is disease resistance and adaptation to your environment. My recommendations above capitalize on the increased mildew & disease resistance of some of the US varieties over Fuggles & Hallertau varieties by choosing Willamette & Mt. Hood. Also, these are varieties that are well adapted to Northern California/Oregon climate.

Planting Cascade & Centennial do seem much too close to each other to plant both if you can only plant 4 varieties.

 

[SumnerH]

If you had to choose 4 different varieties that you could brew with for the year, what would they be?

(I am setting up a mini farm in Northern California that will consist of 2 60-foot long rows at about 18-20 feet tall apiece)
:rockin:

Saaz, Hallertauer, Styrian Goldings, Northern Brewer.

 

[Aspera]

Perle
Goldings
Willamette
Cascade

The Goldings may not be as thrifty or productive as the others but either it of Perle can be used to bitter 90% of all beers. Willamette and Cascade from your neck of the woods are fantastic aroma hops for all American ales.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I think amarillo is also proprietary, but I'm not sure.

My bad, I did some googling and I found that they both are, indeed, proprietary....

Shame, I wonder when the patents run out.

 

[ericd]

Cascade
Hallertaur
Challenger/EKG/Progress etc
Styrian Goldings

 

[mmb]

Are you getting these tested for AA%? If not, I'd go with the following for aroma/flavor

Cascade or Centennial
Willamette
Saaz
Goldings

And get a pound or two of clean bittering from Hops Direct.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

Are you getting these tested for AA%? If not, I'd go with the following for aroma/flavor...And get a pound or two of clean bittering from Hops Direct.

+1, but my 4 would be:

Cascade/Centenial
Sterling
Willamette
Mt. Hood

 

[Couevas]

Are you getting these tested for AA%? If not, I'd go with the following for aroma/flavor

Cascade or Centennial
Willamette
Saaz
Goldings

And get a pound or two of clean bittering from Hops Direct.

That's a good point, MMB.
I didn't think about the fact that, without testing, I wouldn't know what the AA% was and thus the true IBU content of my recipes. If I am not going to test, it would be smart to skip the bittering hops.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

1. Cascade
2. Chinook
3. Willamette
4. Magnum


Oh, and do you plan on having a work-for-hops program??? JK, but I'd love to come help with the harvest if you need an extra set of hands.

 

[BierMuncher]

Clean high bittering:
Magnum

American Bittering/Aroma:
Centennial

Noble:
Hallertau

English Ales:
Fuggles