My father-in-law discovered a 2 hop vines growing out in his back yard of a new home he just purchased. Is there any way to identify these? I’ve never dealt with whole hops. Can you get a rough idea from their aroma? Or do different hop vines have distinguishing features like leaves or something?
There are some differences in appearance, but in my opinion the best thing to do is brew a simple pale ale using nothing but those hops and try to establish in your mind the particular qualities of your hops, rather than trying to pidgeonhole them into a specific breed. Unless, of course, they’re clearly identifiable and indistinguishable from a commercially procured example.
I have one in my back yard I planted and can’t remember the variety. It is now known to me as “Raritan Valley.”
On the banks of the old raritan!!! 