Feral Hops...

[Tim Bulin]

Going to go pick some hops this afternoon, Dad was helping my Uncles out picking on my Grandfather's farm and spotted some wild hops by the back 40, could be these are descended from the feral hops he picked with his great grandfather when he was a young kid(story was that my great great grandfather would "supplement" his retirement income by brewing beer, entirely possible as he worked at the family brewery until his dad, my great great great Grandfather, closed the doors in 1903).

Anyway, that was 65 years ago, I'll go and pick some(maybe take a few cuttings to propagate just in case), brew a batch of my 1886 Pale with them and see what I'm working with.

 

[Josh Hughes]

That’s pretty cool

 

[Donoroto]

No, that's really cool.

 

[Tim Bulin]

Picked about 6 gallons by volume of hops today, have a nice, slightly minty aroma.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Wow!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Very Cool Tim that sure looks like one happy hop plant!

What a beautiful drive Into the farm.

Mint hey sounds like a pilsner style beet or Brown ale would be fit for purpose on that hop.

Looking forward to hearing more about these hops.

Just had another look gee them cones are massive eh?

 

[Tim Bulin]

Very Cool Tim that sure looks like one happy hop plant!

What a beautiful drive Into the farm.

Mint hey sounds like a pilsner style beet or Brown ale would be fit for purpose on that hop.

Looking forward to hearing more about these hops.

Just had another look gee them cones are massive eh?

Yeah, if I didn't know better I'd swear they were domesticated hops, the cones look as good as anything I grow.

 

[Box of Rocks]

A great story to pass down, to be sure. You were left a wonderful legacy with the brewing history, experience and actual hops!

 

[Donoroto]

Yeah, if I didn't know better I'd swear they were domesticated hops, the cones look as good as anything I grow.

They could be domesticated hops, just a century old.

 

[Tim Bulin]

Well I have them in the dryer now, just finished bottling the last brew and washing/delabeling 5 cases of bottles.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Well I have them in the dryer now, just finished bottling the last brew and washing/delabeling 5 cases of bottles.

Wow you deserve a beer

 

[GFHomebrew]

Hey could it be a sorta Northern Brewer Hop @Bulin's Milker Bucket Brews
That's the only hop I've herd described as minty...

 

[Tim Bulin]

Picked 7oz of feral hops from another location today, near my house, have heard that a hillside used to be LOADED with wild hops(may years ago), At some point someone planted black walnut on the hillside and ALMOST all of the hops died off. Found ONE bine isolated from the walnut, probably a week or two late picking these. Going to brew a blonde ale with them tomorrow. The other feral hops will wait a week as they are dried now.

 

[Tim Bulin]

Hey could it be a sorta Northern Brewer Hop @Bulin's Milker Bucket Brews
That's the only hop I've herd described as minty...

Far as I can tell the aroma is somewhere between Norther Brewer and Cluster, the second feral hops have more of a piney scent. Have a cream(ish) ale brewed with the second feral hops I picked(fresh) today, will be transfering to the fermenter and pitching in just a couple minutes.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1419087/light-pole-ale/474928

Listed the hops as "Heathen" has to do with the top secret location I found them...

 

[Tim Bulin]

The 2nd batch of wild hops seem to have a fair amount of bitterness, the blonde/cream ale turned out resinous with a fair amount of dank. Very drinkable, definatly going to try to propogate that one and get lab analysis done after I get it picked next year. The pale I brewed with the hops from my Grandpa's place will get bottled by the end of the week and I'll post the results here in a couple weeks when it's carbed up.

 

[GFHomebrew]

The 2nd batch of wild hops seem to have a fair amount of bitterness, the blonde/cream ale turned out resinous with a fair amount of dank. Very drinkable, definatly going to try to propogate that one and get lab analysis done after I get it picked next year. The pale I brewed with the hops from my Grandpa's place will get bottled by the end of the week and I'll post the results here in a couple weeks when it's carbed up.

Maybe Columbus/Chinook....

 

[Tim Bulin]

Hard to say, this area was one of the biggest hops growing regions during a short lived "hops boom" that lasted only a few years in the late 1860's, could be survivors from then or their decendents. Fairly likely since this area was pretty much the center of where they were grown. Most of the hops grown during the boom were early varieties of Cluster, probably where the bigger majority of the feral hops in this area decended from.

Maybe Columbus/Chinook....

 

[The Brew Mentor]

I believe most of the early hops were grown for the AA content as they were mostly used as bittering additions. I'd be thinking CTZ.
My 2 cents.

 

[Tim Bulin]

View attachment 26696 View attachment 26697 View attachment 26698 View attachment 26699 Picked about 6 gallons by volume of hops today, have a nice, slightly minty aroma.

Just tasting the pale I made to try these out. Not really like anything I've used before, I'd describe the flavor as bitter fruit(maybe black currant) with a touch of mint and just a hint of citrus on the back end. Aroma is a tends to be slightly minty. All in all, I gotta say, I REALLY like these hops!!