I was just wondering if anyone knew when this year’s crop would be coming in for purchase? I usually order certain varieties from Hops Direct and some from Northern, I haven’t found any Simcoe. Even think I’ll get any Simcoe this year?
Already in at Hops direct for whole hops. Amarillo was out when I ordered. Don’t remember Simcoe.
Dave
freshops has 2012 simcoe, fyi
Thanks for the tip. They also have Amarillo and Centennial for anyone who is looking.
When are the pellets going to be out for sale?
Freshops only carries leaf IIRC. I’ve seen a few varieties of pellets start to trickle in at other suppliers. I’d say between now and early December is when the bulk of the pellet hops will become available.
yeah - Hopsdirect usually starts pelletizing around the beginning of November and releasing as they become available through the remainder of the year, then the imports start showing up at the end of December/beginning of Jan, at least that’s how its been in years past.
FWIW, I have bought Columbus from HopsDirect the last 3 years and they have always been terrific. This year they are 17.1%!!! I hope they smell as great as they did last year.
Hops Direct posted on their Facebook page a couple weeks ago that 2012 pellets will start becoming available towards the end of this month.
Will they have Citra pellets? I missed out on the leaf from Hops Direct.
Amen to that! The Columbus I got from HopsDirect last year smelled like opening a bag of the stickiest kind, um, “stuff” I’ve ever experienced. It smells so good I almost hate to waste it on bittering.
Ron - I imagine that they will - the same thing happened to me last year, but I was able to pick up pellets later on in the year.
My local has had all of the hot hops for sale all year. Since I still have left over Amarillo, Simcoe and Citra the new crop came and went on me without much angst.
The European hops are a dfferent story. Went through a bunch last year. Will buy a few pounds around the New Year.
WOW, Freshops is expensive compared to Hops Direct. I think I’ll wait for the pellets and pick up some Simcoe, Citra, and Amarillo.
Dave
just a heads up, but, you aren’t going to be able to get Simcoe pellets from hopsdirect. $1.85 p/o of simcoe is pretty much going rate.
Which freakin’ sucks…why don’t they just release it already and make more of it! It’s a hop variety I want to put in all of my hoppy beers.
I hear ya, but its similar to drug patenting - if the original breeder/developer had no prospect of excess profits either via exclusivity or franchising, then there would be little incentive to develop new varietals.
Simcoe was only grown on 3 farms in 2011. Peterbaugh (hopsdirect) was not one of those 3.
The acres have gone up in 2012. Don’t know if it is still the same 3 farms or more.
From the USDA, simcoe acres.
2011=495
2012=922
Those would be first year plants in the increased acreage, but they can get a good yield the first year in the Yakima Valley, 50 to 80% of the mature plant depending on the variety and year (so they say).
some good, related info on this thread: http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=5251.0
don’t touch that dial, back to your regularly scheduled programming…
Good to know, thanks.