Canadian Roll Call!!

[Damoxemus]

Nelson BC, we have the beginnings of a brew club going on 4 meetings. My name's Luke. Art of Brewing is our LHBS. Selection gets better every week.

I used to live in the area and a buddy of mine (brand new brewer) just moved to Trail, but goes to Nelson a lot. Do you have a contact (email) I could give to him so he can maybe check out a meeting? Pm it to me if you prefer.

 

[pmpbrewer]

I'm in Fruitvale. Don't go to Nelson much but we should car pool to a meeting one night. There are a bunch of us who meet occasionally in Rossland.

 

[Mustard]

Anyone in eastern Ontario growing any hops? Know What varieties grow better? I have 5 options but only planting 2 maybe 3. (Cascade centennial Columbus Chinook and willamette)

 

[brewer_in_the_cap]

Anyone in eastern Ontario growing any hops? Know What varieties grow better? I have 5 options but only planting 2 maybe 3. (Cascade centennial Columbus Chinook and willamette)

Beer Grains sells all of those varieties so I assume they'd all do ok in eastern ON. I was going to grow Cascade and Willamette but am not going to have time with a busy 2 year old, next year though!

 

[actionjackson905]

Anyone in eastern Ontario growing any hops? Know What varieties grow better? I have 5 options but only planting 2 maybe 3. (Cascade centennial Columbus Chinook and willamette)

Pretty much all plants and Rhizomes you can get in Ont are good growing here. Richters sells most varieties online, as well as Dornoch Hops who are pretty much done selling for the season I believe.

 

[crajax]

Anyone in eastern Ontario growing any hops? Know What varieties grow better? I have 5 options but only planting 2 maybe 3. (Cascade centennial Columbus Chinook and willamette)

I planted Cascade here in Ajax late last June. I got a few hops from them last year, enough for one batch, but not much, as its the first year.

They just came back up about 10 days ago...and man are they growing ! over a foot already, and they're really thick and hardy shoots, not at all like the spindly little shoots I planted last year.

I'll be cutting a few of the shoots off, like I did last year, so the the plant can put all its energy into one or two vines - this is how I've read it should be done, and it seemed to work OK last year. -- why am I telling you this ?

Well, on a whim, I planted one of the shoots I trimmed off last year - when I say planted, I mean I just stuck it in the ground a couple feet away, and walked away, not expecting much to happen. boy was I wrong, a nice strong healthy plant is growing from that now.

So, if anyone wants a shoot or two that I'll be trimming off to try the same thing I did, then I'll be happy to put them in a zip lock bag or something, and put it in the mail to you instead of tossing them in my compost. just PM me if interested. I'll only have a few.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

I'd be interested. Definitely worth a try!

 

[Rhetorik]

Checking in from Ottawa.

 

[AppalachianMountainBrew]

Up on a hill in southern Quebec, 2 batches (Coopers) under my belt and 4 plants taking off in the garden (Cascade,Willamette, Golding and Mount Hood) from four horses farm.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

How's your hops doing? I planted a cascade, golding and Willamette rhizome about a week ago.

 

[AppalachianMountainBrew]

Planted these 8 days ago but the weather has been really crappy the last 2 weeks, freezing at night and gray all day


Cascade

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Mount Hood

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Golding

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and last but not least Willamette

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[Ole_Smoky]

Oh man that's sweet they look great!! What soil did you use? there was a little garden at the place I bought last winter so I just stuck mine in there, our soil sucks up here though so I think this weekend I'm going to dig them up and fill the hole with proper soil and manure then replant them. I listed to a great podcast today about growing hops and that's what they suggested..

 

[Venari]

Hello from Igloolik, Nunavut!
There's only one other homebrewer I know of in Igloolik, but I don't get much occasion to interact with him, on account that I don't like his wife.

At most, another year before I return to Ottawa. Hopefully I can swing it sooner.

 

[AppalachianMountainBrew]

I just used some .77c bags of earth from the local hardware store.
I'll dump some manure on them in the fall but they'll be getting regular feedings during the summer.

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[gbing]

Hello from Thunder Bay, ON my fellow Canadian homebrewers!

Started with and still am a predominantly extract brewer. Do the occasional partial mash. ... would like to step up to all-grain, but I don't have that much time, nor do I have the equipment yet. And going all-grain means mail ordering cuz my LHBS only has extract and PM kits.....

 

[MikeSkril]

Hi from Rivière-du-Loup, Québec

 

[phug]

I have fond memories of riviere-du-loup. I went there to "learn french" on the government dime back in highschool, despite already being schooled in french. That was fantastic, the program was 92 people, 12 guys, 80 girls, and two of the guys left in the first 2 weeks. And as a bonus, it counted as highschool credit.
My other option for "learning French" was manitoba. of course, I could have done the program as a francophone, and gone to english speaking canada to "learn English" but I think that may not have been as much fun.

 

[MikeSkril]

I have fond memories of riviere-du-loup. I went there to "learn french" on the government dime back in highschool, despite already being schooled in french. That was fantastic, the program was 92 people, 12 guys, 80 girls, and two of the guys left in the first 2 weeks. And as a bonus, it counted as highschool credit.
My other option for "learning French" was manitoba. of course, I could have done the program as a francophone, and gone to english speaking canada to "learn English" but I think that may not have been as much fun.

I also learned my French here. I immigrated from Austria 6 years ago.

 

[RRL]

Figure ill post in here!


Goodday from Ottawa Ontario!


havent brewed in a long while but for now got a micro brew keg / kegerator and anxious to get back into brewing my own

 

[crajax]

planted these last year.
its been about 4 or 5 weeks since they broke ground from their winter hibernation.

 

[phug]

I can't wait to see the cuttings you gave me growth with that kind of speed.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

That's cool how you have it going to the house. I might have to borrow that idea! Mine just broke ground about a week ago. I hope I can see some nice growth soon...

 

[Mustard]

My Columbus has broken ground. Not sure if the Cascade will make it

 

[Ole_Smoky]

Yah my cascade is extremely lacking as well. The golding and williamette both seems to have stalled since they broke ground. They are getting kind of withered looking. I'm not a very good gardener at this point so I'm not sure the issue. We have had a couple nights of decent rain so I don't think that's the issue. I'm going to try and give them a good dose of miracle grow tonight and see if that helps...

 

[AndytheBeave]

good day from the West Coast (the Great Wet North). Since hops seem to be the topic du jour, my Magnums are about 12' tall, Willamettes are completely stuck at 7 feet, Goldings are creeping up to 5' and my Mt.Hoods are just over 6 feet. The Golding and Mt.Hood are both first year from Rhizomes while the Magnum and Willamettes are 2nd year from plants. I am a little worried since both second years are totally stuck at their current height. Yesterday I gave them all a handful of Tomato/Vegetable food and some flowering fertilizer (15 30 15). Hopefully this gives them a friendly nudge. I think there may have been a lack of nutrients as I noticed some rust discolouration on some leaves. Anyone else see this?

 

[Mustard]

I was out watering this morning and I think I see one shoot coming up from the Cascade. My Columbus are maybe 2 inches tall and seem to be stuck there for about a week. Like others have had alot of rain fall this last week so not sure what they issue is. First time growing hops so I'm just waiting and seeing. Crossing my fingers for a couple ounces of homegrown hops for a brew this fall.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

Ya I'm like you as this is my first attempt at growing hops. I'm not expecting much exciting this year, I'd be happy with a couple ounces!! I just hope they can survive the -40 winter and flourish next year! I just fed mine some miracle grow now, still no cascade, I'm leaving for a week so I really hope I come back to some exciting growth!!

 

[gbing]

Hello fellow HBT'ers! Looking for advice from Ottawa/Montreal folks.... SWMBO &I will be travelling through the area in 3 weeks and I'm looking for suggestions for good food and good beer. ( of course we've been looking around online, but that **** gets exhausting, and I want real, tangible advice. You know, everything is amazing on the internet!)

In Ottawa, we're staying at the Lord Elgin, and in Montreal we're in a big box chain hotel just right around quarter. Looking for stuff in walking distance, we're driving all the way to Halifax, so we'll have already had a few long days in the car. The rule is no driving once we get to our daily destination.

 

[crajax]

[@ Ole Smoky]

From Alan Moen, Realbeer:
(Hops Need) fertile, well-drained soil (with lots of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphates) and plenty of sunlight - around 120 frost-free days to allow for full flower production.

**

The site of my hops is where the previous owners had composters...which I relocated when I moved in to my house. Still, the site is no doubt rich in compost and I worked some more into the soil when I planted them last year; In addition, I fed some miracle grow to my cascades last year (first year) and..well, it didn't hurt. I have some more hop plants on the other side of my yard, where the soil is more compacted and clayish, and they've not done so well.

Not sure how many frost free days you get up in Fort McMurray, although I would think even with less than 120 days you should still get some yield, perhaps just not as much. I think I got some at around 90 days last year. But I'm not a gardener, so take this as you see fit...only thing I managed to grow before hops was dandelions. (grrr....damn dandelions)

 

[Ole_Smoky]

We are probably right on the cusp of 120 days, not many more then that though. I'm worried about the soil, my garden is a good 12-14" deep of some decent soil, below that is hard pack clay though.

 

[Goofynewfie]

According to Google I get 138, I'm in Edmonton

 

[brewerJase]

Second year North Toronto cascade having a good seasonView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1434415070.127208.jpg
Sorry about the crap pic

 

[Ole_Smoky]

Haha goofynewfie so you must get 18 days more then me!!

That's a really nice setup! I've been thinking of ways I can string my hops from my garden over to my chimney... if they ever grow.

 

[Mustard]

I hope next year mine take off like that. Looking good! Did you get anything of them the first year?

 

[brewerJase]

I hope next year mine take off like that. Looking good! Did you get anything of them the first year?

Barely an ounce. Dryhopped a pale are. Tasted and smelled great. Hoping for quite a bit more this year.

 

[crajax]

"We are probably right on the cusp of 120 days, not many more then that though. I'm worried about the soil, my garden is a good 12-14" deep of some decent soil, below that is hard pack clay though."

14" of good soil ought to be plenty. There are people growing them in rubbermaid bins! google "sub irrigated hops" ...people with small yards, even apartment balconies are growing them. ...I guess if that works, you could bring them in the garage for the winter.

although...we had a cold winter this past February. not Fort Mac cold, but still, it never went above freezing once for the entire month. daytime highs of -10c. lots of -20 days, probably a few -30c nights too. ...and my hops not only survived, but thrived. I believe hops are native to central europe, where it gets cold in the winter...perhaps not as cold as here, but I hear it can still get pretty darn cold. they're a hardy plant.

how did this thread turn into a hop growing thread ?

 

[dapaterson]

Hello from Ottawa. I've been lurking for quite some time. I do fairly simple all-grain one gallon batches. Right now I've got an oatmeal stout just bottled, a brown ale fermenting, and I've got a few bottles of an Irish Red with scotch bonnet peppers waiting to be consumed.

I enjoy variety (hence the small batches); the low cost of equipment (other than a racking cane, a couple carboys & bottles, the rest of my equipment is all from the kitchen); and my wife likes the cleaning frenzy I go into in the kitchen every time I make a batch...

 

[Mustard]

The Irish red with scotch bonnet peppers sounds good

 

[dapaterson]

It's aging quite nicely; either I'm getting used to it, or the edge is coming off and more of the flavour is coming out. Only bad thing is that I'm down to a single 1L bottle left!

 

[nut4wine]

I'm looking for something similar. I see a lot of nice places to drink beer (e.g., BeneLux) but I'm wondering if there's much in the way of brewery tours in Montreal? I'm not seeing any.