Mystery hops in wisconsin, any guesses?

[cncquinn]

Got the hook up on some home grown hops. Don't know what kind they are. I was driving down a road I always travel. I glance over and notice hops growing up the telephone pole. Me being curious, I stop in and talk with the guy. I ask what kind they are, and he said. "I have no clue. They've been growing here since my grandfather owned the farm." He then says if I want them, I can have them. Now living in wisconsin. What was a popular hops they grew back when this mans grandfather farmed. This guys in his 60s. I know I can send it in to get tested at the usda. But I don't want to yet.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[aStoutObserver]

Brew up a small batch and give it a taste. Maybe you'll be able to identify them.
Or send me some and I will ha ha

 

[PapaBearJay]

Got the hook up on some home grown hops. Don't know what kind they are. I was driving down a road I always travel. I glance over and notice hops growing up the telephone pole. Me being curious, I stop in and talk with the guy. I ask what kind they are, and he said. "I have no clue. They've been growing here since my grandfather owned the farm." He then says if I want them, I can have them. Now living in wisconsin. What was a popular hops they grew back when this mans grandfather farmed. This guys in his 60s. I know I can send it in to get tested at the usda. But I don't want to yet.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

It is quite possible that it is 'Late Cluster' escape. It could otherwise be an indigenous female hop plant that was deposited by accident, either cones fell off a truck during harvest with seeds which germinated or a bird flew overhead, etc. Is he positive that it was placed there on purpose?

Just some ideas, as they are found in the wild across WI and the Midwest.

 

[Randomnoob]

Where at in Wisconsin? I'm in Iowa and I've been keeping an eye out for hop plants around the farms here.

 

[JonM]

Call the UW Extension. Someone there might be able to help you out or at least point you in the right direction.

 

[cncquinn]

I was thinking of getting ahold of the uw botany dept. I live along the lakeshore in manitowoc county. While talking to the guy he said he'd remember his grandfather making a hop bread. But not using them for much else. I don't think they had a large hop yard. Just that plant. He took rhizomes from that and planted them all over his yard. He also said I could take some to add to my hop yard. Whenever I'm out driving and I see a vine crawling up something, I usually check if it's hops or grapes. Found a couple grape vines but this is my 1st hops find


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[Yooper]

I was thinking of getting ahold of the uw botany dept. I live along the lakeshore in manitowoc county. While talking to the guy he said he'd remember his grandfather making a hop bread. But not using them for much else. I don't think they had a large hop yard. Just that plant. He took rhizomes from that and planted them all over his yard. He also said I could take some to add to my hop yard. Whenever I'm out driving and I see a vine crawling up something, I usually check if it's hops or grapes. Found a couple grape vines but this is my 1st hops find


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Alot of the hops along the barns all over Wisconsin and Upper Michigan are cluster hops.

There should be a ton more hops around, if you look for them.

 

[Gar]

Id check to see if there is a chance of a hop farm that was anywhere near or if that land was ever a hop farm. i cannot imagine what it takes to get rid of hops in a field after there there for years. on a side note does anyone know how big a hop rhizome will get? just wondering some of these rhizomes that have been around 50 plus years i can not imagine there size if they continue growing from what ive saw in 2 years.

 

[cncquinn]

I've see pictures of some the size os softballs


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[GVH_Dan]

If his grandfather was of English decent, they were probably a cluster hop from the 1860 "hop craze" though Manitowoc was not the center of that event.

If his Grandfather was German, Czech, Polish or (most likely in that area) Belgian...who knows what it was. They all brought hops to plant against the bar or in the fenceline to make homebrew during threshing season. There was also a huge resurgence in WI of hop growing during prohibition because you would never get threshing crews out with a little lubrication.

In fact the mention of "hop bread" would indicate a prohibition era planting. Hops were used to purify yeast to help leven bread but that was also code for a brown bag package that companies sold (like Pabst) that could be "accidentally" turned into beer instead of bread.

In any case, whatever they were, they probably aren't anymore. I'm sure they've mutated and interbred by now so it will be a waste of time and funds to identify. Just make a tea and decide if you want to use them.

 

[cncquinn]

He said when ate the bread it reminded him of a sour dough. Guess I'll be trying them and seeing what to brew


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew