Questions on a few hop varieties

Ingredients
1

Hey guys I have been doing a little research on some variety of hops that I want to potentially grow this summer and I have a few questions on some that I have found. First off a little back ground about me, I grew my first hop plants this last summer with some success. I started with two nugget rhizomes and one Willamette from Midwest supplies. One nugget plant did not survive do to those damn Japanese beetles but the other grew quiet well. I want to pick up one of two more variety and looking on Greatlakehops.com I found some interesting ones.

So first question does anyone have any knowledge of Wye Viking hops? I couldn’t find much online other than they are called a ‘super-aroma hop’ high AA% and good aroma but no specifics on flavor, particular aroma etc. Sounds like an interesting hop to have and grow but I would like more information.

Second question if you were to recommend a hop to grow what would it be and why?

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I’d recommend talking to other hop growers in your area and finding out which work best.

3

The Wye series of hops are British, and in most places in the US they don’t do so well. Hot summers and the days are not long enough. Give them a try if you want, they might work.

Cascade and Chinook do the best for me in SE MI.

4

Cascade and Chinook grow the best almost everywhere in the United States.  :slight_smile:

5

In Vermont, Cascade and Chinook do very well for me as well.  I also grow a variety called Saxon, which I believe is among the Wye series, which does equally as well.  In fact, these are my top three producers out of the dozen varieties I’ve tried.  Saxon has decent homegrown %AA (~7% at my location I estimate), moderate “english” aroma (a lot like the goldings I grow) and similar flavor to goldings too.  Works well as bittering addition in most any style; that’s mainly what I use it for in my recipe formulation.

6

Glad you found a British hop that works. Will consider it.

7

I pulled poor performing hop cultivars in the fall of 2014 and replaced them with different cultivars.  I pared my hop yard down to three cultivars (six hills) this fall.  One of the cultivars that I chose to keep was Wye Yeoman.  That hop grew surprisingly well considering that the hills were small field grade plants that were exposed to a harsh winter and a ridiculous Japanese beetle invasion.  Wye Yeoman is supposed to be low producer.

8

Thanks for all the input everybody much appreciated. I live in the western NY area and don’t really know many homebrewers. Next time I head to my LHBS I will ask him what he recommends if he grows hops. I am debating between getting Northern Brewer, Cascade, or Viking at the moment.

9

I would add a Cluster hill or two.  Cluster was bred in the Hudson Valley by Dutch settlers; therefore, you are at the perfect latitude for the hop.  It is a very good hop that has an unjustified bad reputation in the home brewing community.