2011 Hop Crop - and the Homebrewer?

We all know that some varieties are in short supply now.  Will 2011’s crop produce enough for the commercial market and leave enough on the spot market for the homebrewers?

It looks like the growers have responded with new acreage for 2011 in the varieties of hops that are used by the craft brewers and the homebrew community.  Citra, Simcoe, Centennial, etc. - all the usual suspects.  According to Matt Brynildson during his talk at the NHC, hops in the Yakima valley can produce 80% of the mature yield in the first year due to the climate and soil conditions.  This looks to be good for the prospects of making more hop forward beers.

Overall acres are down, and hops like Galena, CTZ, and Willamette have taken that hit.

Amarillo is never in these reports, as they are grown on one farm.  Matt said that there are about 700 acres of Amarillo (did not say if that was for 2010 or 2011).  He did say more of that is going overseas, as those are now becoming popular in Belgian beers.

You can read here to see the numbers.  Hope for a good harvest.

http://www.usahops.org/userfiles/file/Statistics/NASS%202011%20June%20Hop%20Acreage.pdf

They really should start selling rhizomes for all these hops on shortage so homebrewers can grow their own and the breweries still get their supply.  When!!!

Some will may become available when the patents run out.  That is years from now.  These varieties were bred by private firms and those firms want to recoupe the investment .  There is not the funding for University programs these days, which in the past made the new strains public.

Amarillo may never be available, as that is under the control of one farm and they own it.

I was at my LBS today and the brewmaster there essentially told me that Amarillo was “extinct” in his eyes and that any time it pops up in a recipe he subs another automatically for it. Damn shame.

Sounds like a time for black camo and after dark shovel visitation.  ::slight_smile:

So do they have electric fencing at these Amarillo farms, or maybe some guard dogs?  If only I was younger, and more daring!

By now you would have seen the internet stuff about how “I know a guy that knows a guy in WA that has Amarillo rhyzomes for sale.
Right from the farm!”

I gotta get some insider connections like that.

Think if we hire a private eye he’ll be able to figure it out?

Hell it’s only a few hours drive to Yakima. Who’s in for an Amarillo raid?  :wink:

I would totally be down for that. Mission: ImHOPsible.

Yakima Chief, the people with the patent to Amarillo, are in actually in Sunnyside. You can smell them from the freeway when they are processing them.

Seeing as you bear an uncanny resemblance to Bruce Campbell, I vote you as the most able to pull of the caper.

It was not my intention to start a “FREE  DA AMARILLO HOP” insurgency… :-X

That’s quite the drive for you.  :wink:

Well, close enough.

Lol. Go all Ash on them with your chainsaw hand.

Too late.  ;D

I though Virgil Gamache farms has the trademark and patent on them, and are the only grower, and the hop is also registered as VGXP01.  Yakima Chief does appear to be the hop broker that they deal with when you look online.

Simcoe is a Yakima Chief/Select Botanicals hop, and it is grown at 3 farms.

They’re trying to throw us off the scent with all this farm confusion. Those bastards.  ;D

Remind me later and I’ll check the hops I have at home.  They are labeled with the farms, I have simcoe and amarillo.

Being Yakima Chief handles the marketing, I assumed they held the trademark. I know, assumptions can be dangerous. I believe you are correct in Virgil Gamache being the only grower.

It is Bruce Campbell’s picture. He seems to enjoy good beers (along with a good Mojito). Besides, you wouldn’t want my mug shot on here, it’d scare people.

I know one farm is Loftus Ranches. I toured it during Hop Union’s Hop and Brew School in 2009.

Nothing like walking through a field of Simcoe… anyone going to that this year?