Hoppy Thursday : Week 5

The hops are still growing very quickly! Do you remember last week's Hoppy Thursday post?  Our tallest sprout was 43".  Check out the photos below, we're now at 61"!  That's an average of over a foot a week!  We're getting closer to transplanting them outside which I'm excited for because A) I hope they thrive and I can't wait until they get really big! and B) the photos will be a million times better!

The big goal of growing your own hops is of course eventually using them in a home brewed beer.  We haven't thought about a beer recipe using our homegrown hops.  An IPA style beer (indian pale ale) would be a good contender since they are known for being very hoppy and it would showcase all of our hard work.  For today's beer review I chose a brewery known for their IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  However, the beer I'm reviewing is much more special.

Beer Review: Sierra Nevada Estate

{Image from www.sierranevada.com}

I'm sure you've heard of an estate wine before.  They tend to be more expensive and that's because all of the grapes come from the vineyard where it's made.  It's special to be an estate wine because not all grapes grow in the same climate and most vineyards needs to use grapes from another region combined with their grapes to produce wine.
Sierra Nevada has brought this traditional wine practice to the beer world with Estate - a homegrown Ale.  Beer is made from four ingredients, barley, hops, yeast, and water.  In Estate, the water is from Sierra Nevada Brewery's land, the barley and hops is grown in their rich California soil, and the yeast is proprietary.
Buy it if: You can find it! They don't make much of the Estate Beer each year so grab it if you see it. \
Buy it for: a gift.  Do you know someone who might be really into wine and dabbles in beer? This would be the perfect gift.  It would also make a great host gift for a foodie.
Don't buy it if: you're not into the cost
Cost: $10 for a bomber (22oz bottle)

Hoppy Thursday : Week 3

Week 3 : Getting Taller
The hops are doing really well.  We have one strong shoot from each rhizome now and three of them are climbing up the strings.  The tallest is now just over 29".  We planted these only 18 days ago!  The color of the leaves is an amazing bright green, and I love having bright green plants in the house.

Beer Recommendation:

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

This local Bostonian brewer is the largest craft brewery in the United States by volume.  Boston Lager is a well balanced beer that features both a malty smooth texture and a floral hops aroma. Sam Adams has even developed a glass - just for tasting their beers.  You can read about it here.

 Buy it if: You are looking to get your toes wet in the craft beer world - this doesn't taste a thing like Bud or other similar mass produced beers.

Don’t buy it if: There is really no reason not to buy and try this classic craft beer.

Buy it for: The game - whether that be basketball playoffs, hockey playoffs, or the baseball game.

Average Cost: $7-8/6pack

Hoppy Thursday: Week 2

Week 2 : Growth
(Matt Shares this week!)

The hops are growing just as we expected. All four rhizomes have sprouted and begun to grow. We even needed to add a string Wednesday night for one of the Mt. Hoods. One problem we found as we transplanted last year was that the plants we very fragile. This year, since the hops grow so fast, we are considering trimming them back periodically so the stronger bases of the stems will flourish. This week we trimmed one down to the base on Tuesday and we will watch its progress to make sure this won’t kill the plants. It’s actually not looking too good so far.

Beer Recommendation:

George Killian’s Irish Red

This is one of my favorite beers, a definite go to that’s fairly easy to find, especially at a bar that may not carry craft beers. It’s a nice red beer with great flavor.

Buy it if: You want great flavor at a reasonable price.

Don’t buy it if: You’re looking for a craft beer not made by one of those “big corporate companies.” It’s made by Coors.

Buy it for: The guys that just helped you move into your new apartment. It’s great after work and shows that you care more than handing them a cheap beer but it is inexpensive.
Average Cost: $12/12pack

Hoppy Thursday : Week One

In general, both my husband and I like to make things.  I love to craft and cook, and Matt loves to build and brew beer.  I also love to garden and try to grow things.  Key word being “try.”  Last year we tried to grow hops - one of the four main ingredients in a beer recipe.  It really isn’t hard, but we transplanted them too early and the frost killed all four plants.  I blame it on the unpredictable New England weather.  Hops are really fun to grow because you can literally watch it happen.  On average, hops grow about two inches a day.

We just planted our rhizomes this past weekend and we’ll share weekly photos during Hoppy Thursday of their progress.  And, to keep things fun, Matt will also being recommending a new beer each week within this post. 

Week One: Planting



Rhizome



To grow hops you start with a rhizome, a root cutting from a mature plant.  Rhizomes are only available for a short time each year, usually March and April so if the frost gets them you need to wait until the following year to try again.  It’s recommended to start them indoors where you can control light, temperature, and watering.  We’ve started ours in well-draining planter boxes with just two rhizomes in each.  We’ll keep light on them from 5am to 8pm each day and maintain damp soil.  Our goal is to keep them indoors until June 1^st if they don’t get too big first.

We've planted two varieties this year. We’re growing Cascade hops because it’s used in many beer recipes, and we’re growing Mt. Hood because it’s just fun. Matt did all the planting this past Saturday and we already have lots of sprouts – check out this one that’s an inch tall already!

And our first Beer Recommendation:

A craft beer everyone can get their hands on: J.W.Dundee’s Honey Brown

Buy it if:  You’ve never tried a craft beer because you think their “heavy”

Don’t buy it if:  You won’t drink anything except Bud Light

Buy it for:  Your Memorial Day cook-out.  It’s easy to drink, flavorful, and your friends will be impressed if you’ve never ventured away from the thirty rack brands.

Average cost: is cheap! You should be able to find Honey Brown cases for under $12.00

We really hope you enjoyed our first Hoppy Thursday post – and that you’re already curious as to how big the hops will be next week!

And don't forget about the Giveaway! You have until 6PM EST today to enter!