What's up with the hops?

[batesjer]

Just got back from Things Beer at Michigan Brewing company and while they have had a good selection of pellet hops throughout the shortage I was surprised to find that they once agains have whole hops in a few varieties. Is this a good sign or completely meaningless?

 

[BierMuncher]

It seems some varieties are still available, mostly because they are relatively unknown and brewers aren't sure what to expect if they use them in their favorite recipe.

I'm able to find:
Willamette
Sterling
Vanguard
Hallertau
Summit

and a few others with little problem.

 

[FSR402]

My LHBS is starting to get more now. not sure what to make of it.

 

[batesjer]

Just curious, but which kinds? I got home and felt kind of foolish for not paying closer attention to which varieties were available in whole hops but I was just really geeked because they had northern brewer which I wanted to use for the Anchor Steam clone I'm making, but which they don't normally carry. So like I said, I'm not sure what to make of this, if anything at all.

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

I've noticed some varieties popping in and out of the online brewshops. Maybe new, small resources appearing and then running dry?

 

[DeathBrewer]

my LHBS recently went through their freezer and found some hops that were "leftovers." they probably would have used them up themselves in normal circumstances, but since they have a shortage, they provided them to their customers. so i scored some EKG and Tettnanger.

i love Oak Barrel

 

[david_42]

Some hops are coming up from South American. We should also be seeing Australian and New Zealand hops shortly.

I also suspect some hoarders are selling.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Speaking of South American hops... I just used some Argentinian Cascades for a bittering hop addition. No results yet but they smelled earthy and organic, more similar to an English variety. They are nothing like the cascades we think of from the US. None the less, I think they may turn out to be a nice hop. I will post once I get some results.

 

[JohnA111]

Some hops are coming up from South American. We should also be seeing Australian and New Zealand hops shortly.

I also suspect some hoarders are selling.

Pacific Gems from freshops.com have been available for some time and I've been using them. I have no definitive results as of yet, but so far they seem to be a good new variety for all around use.

 

[Beerthoven]

I think the rate of panic buying has slowed down considerably. With demand back down to normal levels, suppliers may be willing to increase the amount of hops they make available to LHBSs, and LHBS inventories are not appearing as depleted as they were before.

The March-April issue of BYO has a(nother) cover story about the hop shortage. In it they say that the 4 main wholesalers to LHBSs are refusing hop sales to commercial brewers in order to keep homebrew shops supplied with hops.

2008 may not turn out to be as bad as was feared. The hop harvest starts in only 5 months.

 

[The Pol]

I agree... the PANIC is subsiding and vendors are becoming a little more realistic with the ammount of hops they will sell and the prices. Like anything "unknown", the first reaction is generally wayyyy too severe, but once you get time to step back and evaluate the situation (supply and demand)... the reaction becomes more appropriate. Just ask the TSA! Remember when NO ONE could travel with ANY fluids of gels in thier suitcases? How long did that last? This is the same thing... there is a shortage, but I think they are releasing more to us because they are getting a better handle on thier supplies.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

I can still get a pound of Fuggles/cent/cascade/ and a few others at my LHBS for $17. Not bad!

 

[chemicalcraig]

For anyone interested here's the page for WSU's hop program with info about the recent hop viroid infection. According to the article found on the page it looks like glacier, cascade, centennial, and sterling are in trouble while galena and tetnanger are less afflicted. A lot of others fall somewhere in the middle with about 3/4 of the tested plants showing signs of infection.

 

[slimer]

I just picked up 2 ounces of cascade last night for $1.79/oz.

 

[MikeInCtown]

The problem that I have found is that my LBH has nothing in stock and the stores that I have ordered from on line always only have one of the two or three I need. I'm trying to put together the ingredients for a few clone brews and need 4 different hops.

I have foun the Fuggle at one place, but can't find the Saaz, Hallertau, Hersbrucker, or any of the substitutes at the same place. Heck, even the substitutes are hard to find for those. (Libery, Mt Hood, US Sterling, Willamette) If anyone knows where I could get a few ounces of each I would appreciate it. I don't brew a lot, but it's hard to brew anything when you have no hops.

 

[Chaos_Being]

My LHBS still, somewhat surprisingly, has a decent selection of hops available. I still stocked up a bit the last time I was there "just in case" (9 oz of hops- I have a few beers all planned out already.) So, I'm good for a while at least.