Found Wild Hops

[extra_medium]

I found some hops gowing near a bike path near my house last year. They appear to be wild and unkept (growing among trees and cascading down over a bush) who would do such a thing? How can i tell the variety?
are there any that are native to ohio? being a bike path i have to think that someone planted them and they either moved or abandoned them.

cheers

 

[david_42]

Hops are weeds and once they get started in an area, they are difficult to get rid of.

There's no way to identify them without lab testing.

 

[likwidbliss]

I have come across "wild" or escaped varieties. No way to tell what variety they are. Maybe you could use them to make a "WILD ALE", or "BIKE PATH BEER".

I have not collected wild hops, never really thought of it. I have my own growing.

spence

 

[extra_medium]

i put some in an IIPA with Columbus and Centennial...it tastes pretty good. i wanted to try some to see if it was worth trying to transplant.

 

[extra_medium]

gonna do a SmaSH this year with it and prep for rhizomes since i am not sure where the base of the bine actually is located so i will have to mark that off and prep for spring 2011.

 

[B-Hoppy]

just follow the growth backwards to the place it came out of the ground. most of the 'wild' hops i've found when i lived in upstate ny and also here in ne ohio have all been very similar in appearance(growth habit) and aroma/flavor characteristics. the one and only 'smash' brew i did came out with a lot of garlic/onion aroma and flavor. the hops have an aroma that reminds me of really bad body odor. pungent, dank whatever you want to call it, but they are very vigorous and if you are just looking for cover, they are the ticket.

 

[frazier]

the one and only 'smash' brew i did came out with a lot of garlic/onion aroma and flavor. the hops have an aroma that reminds me of really bad body odor. pungent, dank whatever you want to call it

Dude ... I just lost my appetite for beer .

Hmmm Bike Path Beer - maybe Flat Tire?

In general, plants that are bred by humans for a specific purpose - hops, roses, tomatos, whatever - will, in the wild, lose many of the characteristics we consider desirable. It would be fun to find wild hops, but I'd be very surprised if the beer turned out the way we like.

 

[B-Hoppy]

... that is unless you're havin' a big ole pasta-style dinner. the epitome of pairing beer and food!

 

[extra_medium]

didn't amarillo have a galic-onion flavor one year? maybe when i transplant it i can get something close

 

[B-Hoppy]

hops have hundreds of compounds that make up their total oil composition. some are present in much greater quantities than others and are what give that particular hop it's characteristic qualities. differences in growing regions and the weather conditions will probably influence the percentage of these oils present at harvest. so the chance of some of the normally 'un-noticed' compounds being present in a more noticeable quantity from year to year is a possibility. that may have given the amarillo an oniony character. i'm sure these aren't the only variables at play for any given years harvest.

 

[extra_medium]

forgot to post a pic of the hops. I am not expecting anyone to be able to identify, but you never know.:fro:

 

[cjb]

There's a fresh hop ale festival here every fall, and a couple years back a brewery (I think it was Barley Brown's) did a beer with a bunch of hops they had found by the side of the road. So not just unknown, but fresh off the vine - I remember the aroma being really grassy and, well, wild. Try them in a fresh hop beer this fall!

 

[rollinred]

I have a ton of unidentified hops all round my rental. In fact there are 4 different areas with them. The most interesting thing is that no one knew they were there until they cut down the wooded area and put in a parking lot and new building. Then the hops started to grow up the building and fence around the lot.

No idea what they are but they will not be in any of my beers.

The damn aphids are so bad right here that those hops don't get bigger than a thumbnail. Not even sure they are made of plant material after a couple months as it looks like all aphids.

 

[passedpawn]

very cool. I'd brew with them right away.

 

[cuinrearview]

Have located four different wild plants within a half-hour from my house and brewed a SMaSH with one of them. It was a let down. Not bad, just not hoppy. Mash eight lbs. of 2-row at 148, throw in four ounces throughout the boil and another in secondary and you'll quickly know whether you want them. As far as transplanting, why? It looks like you can get as many as you want every year. From my experience they won't be anything worth using but you never know.....

Good luck and have fun experimenting.

 

[cuinrearview]

I have a ton of unidentified hops all round my rental. In fact there are 4 different areas with them. The most interesting thing is that no one knew they were there until they cut down the wooded area and put in a parking lot and new building. Then the hops started to grow up the building and fence around the lot.

No idea what they are but they will not be in any of my beers.

The damn aphids are so bad right here that those hops don't get bigger than a thumbnail. Not even sure they are made of plant material after a couple months as it looks like all aphids.

I had aphids starting on my Zues in it's first year. Transplanted a couple ladybugs from a nearby tree and, I kid you not, the NEXT DAY they were erased scorched earth style. May wanna give it a try.