Simcoe hops

[likwidbliss]

I understand that Simcoe is the only patented hops. I really like this hops. I like to grow hops. Is this variety available to the home grower? If so please point me in the proper direction.

Thanks

 

[samc]

Bravo
Super Galena
Summit

are some hops that have patents, don't know for sure that Simcoe does. It is most likely trademarked. Don't think you will find rhizomes for Simcoe.

 

[david_42]

Most new hops are proprietary and even though Simcoe has been around for 10 years, you aren't going to find rhizomes.

 

[hopvine]

Pardon my ignorance, but do hops produce seeds? I've noticed what look like seeds floating in beers that I've dry hopped, but intuition tells me that they probably aren't. If hops are anything like their, eh em, close cousin, then only the male plants produce seeds (and not flowers). Is that the case?

 

[david_42]

The female plants produce seeds, but hops do not breed true. The male plants produce flowers, but no cones.

 

[ThickHead]

The female plants produce seeds, but hops do not breed true. The male plants produce flowers, but no cones.

Eheh...similar to that other variety in the family.

 

[Silenti]

and the way it works is the male produces pollen which fertilizes the female, who produces seeds. Anyone who's bought cheap weed knows the females definitely get seeds So since you're only buying female hops... its fine grade-A sensimilla.

 

[humann_brewing]

Man I wish there was a way to harvest a rhizome from hop flowers, just like we re-use yeast and such but man that would be cool especially for simcoe

 

[Silenti]

Humann you're basically describing tissue culture. Unfortunately doesn't work on dried plant tissue. I know a couple of orchid enthusiasts who routinely do tissue culture of rare orchids or specialty cultivars at home. I've done some in a lab setting at school as part of my biotechnology training.

 

[Budger]

Simcoe and Citra are owned by the same people. I happen to know where a field is planted, and know which vines are which. Can't see myself sneaking a rhizome though. The owners are good people, and are letting me sample some fresh hops from the vines. They're also the first certified organic Simcoe and Citra. Hippy hops. Mmmmm mmmm.

 

[rniles]

Amarillo is owned by Virgil Gamache ...so that one isn't available to the home grower either.

 

[Montanaandy]

Simcoe and Citra are owned by the same people. I happen to know where a field is planted, and know which vines are which. Can't see myself sneaking a rhizome though. The owners are good people, and are letting me sample some fresh hops from the vines. They're also the first certified organic Simcoe and Citra. Hippy hops. Mmmmm mmmm.

If they are "good people" then why don't they make the rhizomes available? I am willing to pay a fair price for them but they are proprietary at this point and tHus unavailable. [/U][/B]. Montanaandy

 

[samc]

If they are "good people" then why don't they make the rhizomes available? I am willing to pay a fair price for them but they are proprietary at this point and tHus unavailable. [/U][/B]. Montanaandy

Because they are probably in the business of making a living off of their efforts, knowledge and hop growing business. Why doesn't The Colonel give out the secret spices or Coke divulge the ingredients in their soda?

 

[cuinrearview]

What is the norm for the timeframe from when a new variety is introduced to brewers and rhizomes are made available? There has to be a point where growers are looking at lost income when they root prune and torch all of the cuttings that they take. Maybe I just don't have a good enough understanding of the commercial side of hop growing.

In the meantime when I construct my new trellis next season I am going to make it with extra room for an Amarillo and Simcoe plant when they become available or the wait drives me crazy and I put in more "C" hop goodness

 

[Montanaandy]

Because they are probably in the business of making a living off of their efforts, knowledge and hop growing business. Why doesn't The Colonel give out the secret spices or Coke divulge the ingredients in their soda?

While I recognize your "Coke" or "KFC" analogy, I think that a better one in this instance would be that of Monsanto which sells Round-Up Ready Seed (corn, soybean, etc.). They make quite a bit of money selling their genetically altered seed and police it carefully. The owners of the Simcoe patent could price their product accordingly and sell the rhizomes to those interested (which is a small number anyways).

At some point some enterprising company/individual will be able to breed/cross breed a Simcoe clone or will come up with something superior and the point will be moot. Montanaandy

 

[GVH_Dan]

Sorry, still not possible. They hold the patent to that particular breeding. So even if you took the time to cross breed up a variety that had the exact same lineage and it happened to taste the same, they could still sue you if you tried to sell the cones.

I personally would love to grow Simeco but coming up with a new variety is no easy task. They frankly deserve the protection of their investment. At this point, such a hot product should be protected. At a later date they may see it as more profitable to spread the rhizome around. I believe the patent is several years out yet, so you may not want to leave those spots open.

 

[Montanaandy]

Dan - I agree that if someone cloned the Simcoe lineage per se that there would be a patent violation. I am not up on plant genetics or cross breeding so I will defer to you on that since you appear to be involved in the hop industry (either that or you really love hops).

I wholeheartedly agree that the owners of the Simcoe patent deserve to reap the rewards from their investment and I believe that those who would be interested in the rhizomes would be willing to pay. I guess that the problem is that rhizomes and easily be divided and propagated and there really would be no control once the horse was out of the barn. Montanaandy

 

[samc]

While I recognize your "Coke" or "KFC" analogy, I think that a better one in this instance would be that of Monsanto which sells Round-Up Ready Seed (corn, soybean, etc.). They make quite a bit of money selling their genetically altered seed and police it carefully. The owners of the Simcoe patent could price their product accordingly and sell the rhizomes to those interested (which is a small number anyways).

At some point some enterprising company/individual will be able to breed/cross breed a Simcoe clone or will come up with something superior and the point will be moot. Montanaandy

Monsanto is a giant who can afford to police their product. How much could the Simcoe owners actually reap in revenue from selling a couple of thousand rhizomes to home brewers? The problem would be the few that they sold to commercial growers who started to sell the hops as "Cat Piss Hops" or Miscoes, etc .

btw - obviously I am a strong supporter of small business owners, as that is how I made my living.

 

[GVH_Dan]

I guess that the problem is that rhizomes and easily be divided and propagated and there really would be no control once the horse was out of the barn. Montanaandy

Bingo...

 

[B-Hoppy]

one of the big advantages of owning the rights to a desirable variety is that you have the ability to ensure a steady, predictable stream of income by increasing or decreasing production in relation to the demand. the folks spent a lot of time and effort to develop this hop and have the right to do with it what they will. good for them.