Northwest Hops™ Variety and Selection Chart

Hop Varieties and Selection Chart.

A helpful guide to selecting hardy Northwest Hops™ for growing in your backyard.  Any questions can be sent to Jodie@NorthwestHops.com.

Varieties	Climate It Grows Best In	Growth Habit	Aroma	Alpha Acids	Storage	Yield (lbs/acre)	Disease	Substitutions	Maturity	Beer Styles
Cascade	All Climates	Good to Excellent	Aroma Delightful spicy, flowery, citrus	4.5 - 7.0% w/w	48-52%	1400-2000	Partially tolerant to verticillium wilt, good resistance to powdery mildew	Centennial	Mid-season	Pale Ale, IPA, Porter, Barley wines
Centennial	All Climates	Good and Neat	Dual Purpose Bittering Hop with some floral and citrus flavors	9.5 - 11.5% w/w	Good 60-65%	1500-1750	Some what resistant to powdery mildew and verticillium wilt	Cascade	Mid-season	Ale, also used with wheat beer
Chinook	All Climates	Good	Bittering Spicy, piney, distinctive grapefruit	12-14% w/w	Good 68%	1700 - 2100	Tolerant to infection with Prunus necrotic ring-spot virus, moderately resistant to downy mildew	Nugget, Columbus	Mid - Late	Pale Ales, IPA’s, Stouts, Porters, and in Lagers for bittering
Fuggle	Great in damp climates, suffers a little in hot climates	Neat and Manageable	Dual Purpose Traditional mild flavor with some bitterness	4.0 - 5.5% w/w	Good 60-65%	1000-1600	Vulnerable to powdery mildew,  resistant to downy mildew	Willamette	Early	English Style or American Ales
Galena	All Climates	Very good, vigorous	Dual Purpose Citra aroma	12.0 - 14.0% w/w	Excellent 78-80%	2500 - 2800	Resistant to powdery mildew	Brewer's gold, Columbus, Nugget	Mid - Late	English and American style ales
Golding	Mild, moist climates, does ok in hot climates	Average	Aroma Delicate, gentle, fragrant	4.0-5.5% w/w	Excellent 65-80%	1350-1600	Vulnerable to powdery and downy mildew, sensitive to wilt	Kent Golding	Early - Late	Kettle hopping, English  Ales
Liberty	Mild climates, but can grow in hot climates.	Columnar and quite vigorous	Aroma Mild and pleasant, some spicy character	3.0-5.0% w/w	Fair 35-55%	1000-1700	Susceptibility Moderately resistant to downy mildew.	US or German Hallertau, German Tradition, Mt Hood	Early - Mid-season	Lager, Pilsner, Bock, US Wheat, Kolsch
Magnum	Grows well in all climates	Very Good, vigorous	High Alpha clean bittering hop with some spice and citrus aroma	12 – 17% w/w	Excellent 80% +	1340 – 1700	Good resistance to wilt and downy mildew, susceptible to powdery mildew	German Magnum, Horizon, Northern Brewer, Galena, Nugget	Mid-season - Late	All Ales and Lagers
Mount Hood	All Climates	Fairly vigorous but manageable	Aroma Mild, pleasant and clean, a little pungent	5.0-8.0% w/w	Good 50-60%	1520-1960	Moderately resistant to downy mildew	Crystal, French Strisselspalt, Hersbrucker	Early - Mid-season	Lager, Pilsner, Bock, US Wheat, Alt, Munich Helles
Newport	All Climates	Good	High Alpha Mild, fairly pungent	13.5-17% w/w	Good 60%	1990-2550	Resistant to powdery and downy mildew	Galena, Nugget, Fuggle, Magnum, Brewer's Gold	Moderately Late	Ales, Stout, Barley Wine
Nugget	All Climates	Good	High Alpha Heavy, high alpha acid hop	12.0 - 14.0% w/w	Excellent 70-80%	1700-2200	Some what resistant to powdery mildew and downy mildew	Columbus, Chinook	Mid-season	Any Ale or Stout
Perle	Does not like hot weather	Good	Dual Purpose Pleasant and slightly spicy	7-9.5% w/w	Excellent 80-85%	1160-1600	Tolerant to prunus necrotic ring-spot virus infection.  Fairly resistant to downy and powdery mildew.	German Perle, German and US Northern Brewer	Early	Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, Lager, Weizen, Alt, Barley Wine, Kolsch
Santiam	All Climates	Very Good	Aroma Excellent herbal, noble hop notes	5.5-7% w/w	Fair 40-50%	1425-1780	Moderately resistant to downy mildew	German Tattnang, German Spalt, German Spalter select	Early to Mid-Season	Lager, US Ales, Pilsner, Belgian-Styles, Kolsch, Bock
Willamette	All Climates	Good, vigorous but manageable	Aroma Mild and pleasant with some spice	4.5 - 7.0% w/w	Good 60-65%	1300-1700	Fair resistance to powdery and downy mildew but can be vulnerable to verticillium wilt	Fuggle	Early to Mid-season	Pale Ale, ESB, Bitter, English style Ales, Porter, Stouts

Grow your own beer hops.

Northwest Hops™ Guide to Growing Hops

So your ready to plant your hop rhizomes?

Here's five simple steps to success!

Hop Growing is rewarding, but requires some attention.
Follow these simple steps and you should have fantastic first year growth.

1. For best results start your rhizome in a 1 gallon container. Use a good quality, well draining potting soil. In particular a soil higher in perlite will drain better and offer less chance of rot. Keeping in mind that better drainage means less water retention. In other words, when the plant does start growing rapidly it will have less "reserve" of something to drink. A Good Watering Rule of thumb is: ( Water with 1/3 or 33% of container size). 1 gallon size container = 1 quart or 32 oz of Water

2. Wait. Once you water you will probably not need to water for a week or so. Maybe more. Take note of how heavy the soil container is when watered it. Be careful not to over water initially.

3. Keep moist, but not drenched.. I know we keep bringing it up, but more people kill their rhizome by rotting than anything. In other words it gets "drowned" by too much water. Too much water displaces the Oxygen in the soil, preventing the plant/rhizome from breathing)

4. Fertilize and Cultivate your hops. Hop Cultivation involves maintaining the soil above the plant as well. Scratch the soil with your fingers, a small rake or hoe. Don't go too deep. 1/4" to 1/2" is plenty. Just get the weeds away from the crown (plant), and help keep the soil open to water and air. Cultivation is important for all plants.

Fertilizer Information:

Hop Fertilizer Recommendations
One of the most frequently asked question regarding hop production is: What fertilizer to use? In general, hops are strong plants and a successful harvest is much more dependent on genetics and growing conditions rather than what type of fertilizer is used.
We have found the following fertilizers to be the best combination of efficacy and cost: 13-2-13, 15-5-15, and 20-10-20. Try to avoid fertilizers that are high in Phosphorous (middle number) relative to the other elements. This prevents stretchy, soft growth.
Culturally, the best way to apply liquid fertilizer is at a low rate (such as 100ppm Nitrogen) with every irrigation. However, this is not practical for most people who will often feed with a higher rate (200-300ppm Nitrogen) followed by two or three clear water irrigations.
For those wanting to top-dress a granular or slow-release fertilizer: follow the directions on the bag for tomato growing and that is generally a ball-park rate that works well for hops too.

5. It is best to put something the hop bine will climb. The plant does not do well if there is nothing to climb. Train by coiling the bines clockwise. Counter clockwise will not work. Contrary to popular belief the coiling is a product of growth and NOT the movement of the sun.
When the potted plant starts to wilt or if the soil container feels "light" it may be time to up pot or go to the ground. When you are watering your plant every 2 days to maintain moisture you should transplant into the ground.

Some other things to consider.

• Gently handle your rhizomes taking care to not break any of the eyes. If you do, don't worry, it happens. A new one will grow back.

  Plant in Spring time (March to mid-June depending on local climate).

• When deciding a location to plant your hop rhizome, keep in mind they are a vigorous plant. Hops will climb 20+ feet high.

• The soil should be examined. A deep sandy loam is most desirable. Poorly draining, soils low in ph or saline soils should be avoided.

• Remember:

1. Absorption of water and nutrients through the roots. Vital for plant growth.
2. Transpiration (process of water is evaporated through leaves) helps plant take in minerals from soil and sustain other life functions. Water is essential.
3. Photosynthesis (make sure the plant has plenty of light!)

• If you've decided you need mulch, find a good quality. Don't to your local superstore and buy the cheapest stuff they have, it's not worth it. Buy something made in your state or a reputable brand.

• If using mulch or sand you'll want a big enough hole to allow back fill. In the end, the rhizome should be planted vertically 1" - 1.5" inches below the surface.

• Be sure when planting, the eyes of the rhizome are pointing UP. Very important! This will ensure they will break the soil.

Need help with fertilizing your hops?

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Having Disease Problems?
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For more information on growing, harvesting and brewing your hops please visit our Links page.

Harvesting and drying your homegrown hops

Harvesting Your Hops

    Hops will mature and be ready for harvest in mid-August to September.  If these are first_year hops, expect a small harvest.  They use most of their energy developing their root system which makes it difficult for the cones to reach their peak yield.  Expect a full harvest in second year hop gardens.  Do not pick cones too early because they will be deprived of the full potential for brewing.  A ripe, mature cone will be springy,  dry and sticky to the touch, have a strong hop odor and a visible thick yellow substance known as lupulin.  A cone that has not quite reached maturity will feel moist and stay compressed when squeezed.  There will also be no visible yellow powder.   When a cone has passed this test, cut it vertically and inspect the inside.  It should be full of a yellow sticky substance.  Now is the time to harvest.

    Harvest can be done two different ways;   picking by hand or cutting down the vines.  Be sure to wear protective clothing and gloves during harvest.  Hops have hooked hairs that may cause a skin rash.

    When harvesting  by cutting down the vines,  wait until most of the cones are ripe and cut the vines two to three feet from the ground.  This prevents injury to the roots and crown.  Then the cones are hand picked off the vines.  Dispose of the vine by burning or using for a craft project.  After brewing, do not mulch the cones or leave around dogs.  There have been reported cases of dogs having a toxic reaction after from ingesting hops.  Death may result.  Cones can be picked by hand from the vine as they mature.  Since cones mature at different rates, this will require multiple harvests. 

   Drying Your Hops

   After harvest, hops must be dried.  Use a food dehydrator, oven, window screen or home-made dryer.  Remember, good airflow is very important and the temperature of the dryer must not exceed 140 degrees F.  If using a window screen, spread hops out evenly and place screen off the ground in an enclosed area free of wind, light and bugs.  The hop cones must be turned daily.  This process should take two to three days.  When the hops are dried completely and properly, they will be springy to the touch and the yellow lupulin will fall off easily.  Check the central stem.  It should break not bend.  It is very important that the hops are thoroughly dry before storage because they can become moldy, wilted, or even rancid and cannot be used for brewing.

   Storage and Keeping Your Hops Fresh

    To store hops, place them into a plastic freezer bag or a food saver bag.  Once sealed and labeled store in the freezer.  Never thaw then refreeze hops as it can compromise their quality and freshness.

Hoppy Harvesting!!!

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