I thought this might be an interesting poll to toss out there. Choose up to three.
I find “boiling” a funny term to use in the poll. Yes I boil my home grown hops that I use for flavoring at various stages, including first wort. But I do not use them exclusively as “bittering” hops as I generally use something with known AA values
Thanks for pointing that out - should’ve said bittering. Just wish I could care enough to get the jargon right.
I dug up my hops this year. I was always getting hammered by aphids and for the amount of hops I was getting and money spend on watering, time for picking,etc, just wasn’t worth it anymore. I’m putting straw bales in place of the hops to grow more vegetables.
I’ve been growing Hallertau and Cascade hops for many years. I have of course tried them for finishing but also for bittering. I find that I get better use out of them for bittering. The alpha acid is always a swag, but in a very hoppy beer where you want a lot of IBUs anyway, go ahead and take a guess at the alpha and use them for bittering anyway. I think you’ll be more pleased with the results for bittering than using them for finishing, where they tend to be more grassy and herbal and just don’t give all the exciting flavors that you’ve probably come to expect from pelletized hops.
My Hallertau plant grows just fine. And in the shade for half the day. Those bines are friggin thick as my fingers every year.
Each spring i keep ripping out feet after feet of hallertau runners. Those things grow so viciously it makes me panic :!:
My hop plant is an ornamental, but gives a flavor close enough to goldens that it works OK in a bitter. Lately I’ve been using them mostly when I need aged hops. Work perfect for that.
My first try at growing hops. Planted 4 Cascade rhizomes around 2 months ago and one is about 13’ high with cones everywhere, Really surprised at the growth rate especially in North Central Florida. Hope they have flavor and aroma.
