I'm a big fan in case you didn't know and the good news is that the hop harvest estimates this year show that shortages are unlikely. The UK shows an estimated 4.2% drop and the overall world crop will reduce by about 4.6%; not enough to cause problems overall it seems.
Looking over the figures and drooling over the various types is a joy to me, but there are a few surprises. Hands up those that know which hop is most grown in the USA? Or what hop is the rising star? Or the German hop that is their number one? It won't be what you think. Can you name the 13 main varieties grown in the UK? " Why would you want to?"I hear you say.
Now if I was Ron P, I'd offer a prize for this, but as I'm not, I won't. I might just tell you though.
I should add, unlike Ron's competitions, you can look all this up on t' interweb. Ron could be making all his stuff up you know.
"Hop harvest estimates this year show that shortages are unlikely." Good ~ that's one excuse they can't use to increase beer prices.
ReplyDelete13 Main varieties of hops grown in the UK:
ReplyDelete1. Fuggle
2. Golding
3. Boadicea
4. Challenger
5. Brewers Gold
6. Bullion
7. Target
8. Progress
9. Northern Brewer
10. Bramling Cross
11. WGV
12. Phoenix
13. Cascade??
Bloody good attempt Sausage, but four wrong. Not Brewer'sG old, Bullion, Northern Brewer or Cascade.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Mount Hood? Are any of 'em high alpha US varieties? How about some clues!
ReplyDeleteMmm... hops! I don't know which is number one but Centennial should be!
ReplyDeleteTell us the answers... I read that Galena was one of the top US hops but that surprised me, I would've guessed something like the ubiquitous Cascade.
Well Galena and Cascade are up there but way behind the (unheard of) leader.
ReplyDeleteCentennial isn't in the top 10.
Sausage: First Gold, Herald, Northdown and Admiral.
ReplyDeleteFirst Gold and Northdown should've been on my list. Herald and Admiral I'm not terribly familiar with. I basically use all the high alpha stuff. I like pale, hoppy, beer!!
ReplyDeleteTop Yank one then?
ReplyDeleteThe unheard of leader? Interesting... Do Bud/Miller/Coors have some kind of secret hop they use that no one else knows about?!
ReplyDeleteIndeed they are the biggest buyers of this hop, but of course they don't use enough of it in each beer to make us sit up and take notice. I'll give you a clue. It is one of the new generation of super high alpha acid hops.
ReplyDeleteCOLUMBUS (TOMAHAWK)Charles Faram
ReplyDeleteis that cheeting
No it isn't cheating, but still not right though the answer is in the article that you cite. I'll tell you. It is Zeus which is expected to yield 8.050 metric tons. C/T is expected to yield 5.735 metric tons. It seems the trend is toward super high alpha hops.
ReplyDeleteZeus is in those beers?! Crazy. Super high alphas and dual-purpose like Nelson Sauvins are going to be big for a while, I think. At least while the US stays on its massive hop wave.
ReplyDeleteZeus is the same as Columbus and Tomahawk, it's often known as CTZ for this reason.
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE 'EM!! Really skunky, hop-oil and powerful aroma and taste!
Gazza I agree they are very similar but they are listed as separate hops in the expected yield returns.
ReplyDeleteI think they are super alpha CT.
I'm sure Whorst can confirm, but I read somewhere (can't remember where now...) that gas chromatograph tests proved that all 3 were the same hop, much the same as Zinfandel was proven by the same method to be the same grape as Primitivo and, in Slavic countries, Crljenak Kaštelanski.
ReplyDeleteYes, in the arts they are also referred to as CZT, Columbus, Zeus, Tomahawk. Originally bred by HopUnion. There was a lawsuit and I believe Columbus is patented and owned jointly. One guy sells 'em as Colubmus, one guy sells 'em as Tomahawk. I don't know anything about the Zeus hop variety.
ReplyDeleteColumbus is a bad arse hop. I'm currently drinking my IPA(Proper Real Keg version) with toast and strawberry jam! Talk about a beer and food pairing!
Gazza - Maybe so, but I refer to my earlier answer.
ReplyDelete