Growing hops

[Martin Bridges]

Hi folks,

I'm making space in my garden to grow some hops this year. If anyone has any rhizomes going spare, let me know. Likewise, if anyone spots any hops for sale in garden centres, post here.

I understand that the next month or two are the optimum planting window, yes?

[Craig]

I have a heap of smoothcone rhizome I am happy to share!

Question: When is someone going to get their hands on some Riwaka rhizome? If the NZHop Marketing Board had any clues, they wouldn't be so protective in the local market with respect to personal homebrewers like ourselves. I accept it is appropriate to licence the strategic varieties to licensed commercial growers, however I reckon they may be better to encourage the personal growing of NZ hops with NZ homebrewers. (i.e. Let us grow it, appreciate it, and help sell the kiwi hop flavour profile to friends and family. They will get addicted!)

Otherwise the American hops will continue to grow their share of the craft brew market...

[Matthew]

Yeah, I didn't realise how difficult it was to get named varieties of hops to grow. It's almost like NZHops is trying to lock the industry down for the homegrower. I can understand they want to protect the industry but I'm not sure how a handful of home brewers growing a couple of plants is going to jeopardise that. I assume the majority of hop growing brewers just want a couple of plants in the hope they get a few decent hops to put in their beer?

Craig, what sort of volume of hops do you get from your plants? Enough for a couple of brews?

[Chris Banks]

" It's almost like NZHops is trying to lock the industry down for the homegrower." This has been discussed before here-
http://realbeernz.ning.com/forum/topics/1500433:Topic:11669?x=1&...
Actually that whole disscusion makes interesting reading!

[James P]

Amen to that Craig... Riwaka would be one my cards for sure!

In saying that though, until the government changes the status for the protection of the Hops industry you are only going to get varieties that are "found" such as danscade was.

[Matthew]

Interesting discussion in that other thread. Definitely sheds a lot more light on where the NZ Hop Board are coming from.

I guess if we can continue to grow and share our varieties then at least that's a start to help out the average home brewer wanting to grow some hops. Bit like having a yearly case swap of your hops :P

[Matthew]

For those that haven't seen it in the other thread, this is a really informative read about hops and cultivating.
http://www.crannogales.com/HopsManual.pdf