Hop Plants 2014

[badwhale]

Last year, I planted 4 hop rhizomes. Two Cascade and two Nugget. This year, I just ordered two Chinook.

I'll use this thread to post progress as the growing season progresses. Last year, I had an impressive yield for first yearling. Looking for repeat success with the Chinook, and a banner year for the other two. Fingers crossed!

Will

[Sailor71]

This had peaked my interest

[TheGreekTitan]

I'm excited to watch the progress. I have to say though, unless I'm missing something...I don't remember the results from last year. The progress pics were cool, did you make beer? How was it?

[badwhale]

I'm excited to watch the progress. I have to say though, unless I'm missing something...I don't remember the results from last year. The progress pics were cool, did you make beer? How was it?

Well, the results were bittersweet. Pun intended.

I harvested about 4 pounds of hops. Each plant is supposed to yeild 2 pounds, so while it was low, it was expected for 1st year as most of the energy goes to the root system. Here's a couple pictures near the end, and the harvest.





Here's the bitter part: I gave them to a coworker to give to his neighbor who is a seasoned brewer. Well, dipshit just let them sit around, and didn't brew with them, and just threw them away. Coworker was embarassed / pissed to tell me.

This year, I'm thinking about starting to brew.

[badwhale]

I planted the two Chinook plants today. I took pix, but my phone isn't cooperating. I'll post them up later. They're not that dramatic, just a couple of piles of dirt.

[S.A.W.B.]

I look forward to seeing the results. Is there going to be some brewing going on?

[badwhale]

I look forward to seeing the results. Is there going to be some brewing going on?

I hope so! I'm working on some brewing equipment as we speak.

[ashauler]

Nice!

[badwhale]

This post will be the placeholder for me to put some pix in this thread.

Last year's are coming up, rather vigorously, however something was eating the Nugget plants, so I made some chickenwire exclusionary fences for them. Still nothing from the Chinook plants, however it was into May last year when they came up.

Will



The basic setup. I have the lines pulled for this year, but I didn't stake them in the ground yet.



Chinook, that didn't come up yet.



Cascade, with exclusionary fence.



Nugget with exclusionary fence.

[badwhale]

I look forward to seeing the results. Is there going to be some brewing going on?

To further you inquiry, there is definitely going to be brewing this year. I just got all the equip this week, and I'll b practicing on some extract brews leading up to hopefully a wethop IPA this late summer.

[S.A.W.B.]

Well congrats on the first step to what will most likely be your new addiction. I started home brewing about 7 years ago and love it. I don't get to spend as much time doing it any more but I do take one or two days a month to do a little refining so to Speak.

[badwhale]

Today the nugget and cascade are 6-7 feet tall. One Chinook is making a go of it. The other, I don't have high hopes for.

[badwhale]

My best plant (nugget) took a beating with some high wind today. Broke 2 of the 3 bines off. Alas.

[kingbeefy]

My best plant (nugget) took a beating with some high wind today. Broke 2 of the 3 bines off. Alas.

Well that sucks. People don't think the wind be like it is. But it do.

[badwhale]

I salvaged as much as I could. I needed the 8' ladder to get up there and cut the killed ones. Now, both my nuggets look like first year. Cascade still be like it is.

[badwhale]

Those buggers. The Nugget is growing more bines, and more radials to make up for the lost bines.

The cascade is up and into the gutter.

The chinook is making moderate progress. I still water the dead one in hopes of a miracle.

[badwhale]

[badwhale]

Where am I at...HOLYBALLS way farther than this. I have to post pix. I'll do that very soon.

The second Chinook never came up, but the other did a formidable job for a 1st year. Cascade rocked, and Nugget was also a monster. I think I'll dry hop an upcoming Porter, and give away / vacuum pack the rest.

Came downstairs this morning, and the D/S was cold as hell. It was 67, and cold air blowing around. It felt like Fall (aka Spring for Death)

Harvest is coming!!!

[badwhale]

Just to wrap this up, and to totally change the tone, my hops were HUGE, but a huge failure. I ended up picking them all, and the mostly looked good, but a lot of the tops had a big aphid / ladybug battle going on. What happened, I think, is I took to long to harvest, and they just got infested. We had a really cool (temp) summer here. I don't know if that contributed? Anyway, with the new addition, I had no time to brew any wet hop ales, so I was going to give them to someone, and they never collected, so they all got trashed.

My wife did, however make some cool hop vine wreathes, so it wasn't a total loss.

Will