Is this the right plant?

[new_to_brew]

I bought a hops plant for my brother-in-law off of Amazon. The tagline said "Humulus 'Summer Shandy' - Grow your own Beer" but when the plant came the tag on it said "While this plant may produce the buds used in making beer it was bred for its ornamental value."

Will this plant produce good hops or should I send it back? And if I have to send it back, where can I buy a good plant?

 

[B-Hoppy]

When breeders are involved with a project to breed a particular type of hop, they have to sort through thousands of seedlings to (hopefully) find what they're looking for. Sometimes, plants are produced that aren't quite what they're looking for but tend to possess desirable traits that may have value in applications other than brewing (ornamental, medicinal etc). I'm pretty sure the varieties Sunbeam and Bianca came out of a program that's goal was to breed a replacement for Tettnang that would grow well here in the US.

I don't know where Summer Shandy came from, but wouldn't hesitate to use it in brewing if it produces a decent crop for you.

 

[day_trippr]

Not seeing any Google hits suggesting using "Summer Shandy" hops in actual brewing (not one recipe or "I did it" testimonial anywhere) but I consistently see the "these were bred for ornamental use".

If the idea was to gift someone with an ornamental plant, you're good to go.
But for a legitimate brewing hop I'd seek an alternative...

Cheers!

 

[GVH_Dan]

Does it look like this?

Then it is Humulus japonicus, which is often used as an ornamental hop. If that is the case, burn it and then demand your money back. Its considered an invasive species, won't produce any decent cones and will screw up any real hops you plant. http://mipn.org/midwest%20invasives%20fact%20sheets/pdf/jhops.pdf

Actually, PM me their contact information. If it is close by, I'll go punch them in the nose for selling crap.

By the way, according to the great Wikipedia, "A shandy, or shandygaff, is beer mixed with a soft drink, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, or apple juice." in other words, there is no such thing as a single "Shandy Hop" as any hop that goes into a beer that is mixed with lemonade is a shandy hop.

 

[Robar]

http://www.greatlakeshops.com/

Here is a very good place to go that many people here on HBT have bought from.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Settle down there Big Boy:

http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/humulus/summer-shandy-hops-humulus

That nasty winter weather musta settled in early this year up in the Cheese State!

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Settle down there Big Boy:

http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/humulus/summer-shandy-hops-humulus

That nasty winter weather musta settled in early this year up in the Cheese State!

I think he means that they are selling it as a Brewing hop because technically you could brew beer with it and put it in some Shandy or whatever the hell it is...technically true but not really.

 

[day_trippr]

Short of having "NOT A BREWING HOP" splattered on the page, I think they made it fairly clear that they aren't touting that as a brewing hop...

Cheers!

 

[new_to_brew]

I think I will be sending the plant back. I bout it because it was advertised as "Grow your own Beer!" then I get the plant and it says right on the label "bred for ornamental value." It was deceptive marketing and I intend to inform them of that.

 

[GVH_Dan]

Settle down there Big Boy:

http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/humulus/summer-shandy-hops-humulus

That nasty winter weather musta settled in early this year up in the Cheese State!

It did. That post was a culmination of spending several hours out shoveling in 10F weather followed by sufficient "winter warmer" to get me in a drunken and surly mood. That and I missed the 2nd half of the Packer game where they actually came back and won.

That said, I would still burn it. What's the point of an ornamental hop bred to be smaller? Most people that put them up in their yards are looking for something that's big and can act as a nosy-neighbor barrier.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Haha, that's what Canadian Redvine was created for!

 

[new_to_brew]

Settle down there Big Boy:

http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/humulus/summer-shandy-hops-humulus

That nasty winter weather musta settled in early this year up in the Cheese State!

I went here and bought the Willamette variety for my BIL. Thanks for the tip!

 

[new_to_brew]

http://www.greatlakeshops.com/

Here is a very good place to go that many people here on HBT have bought from.

Thanks Robar! I ordered the Willamette variety and not only did I get what I wanted but they threw in a bonus plant for no reason at all! Now I get to have one too.

 

[thaymond]

This looks like Sunbeam. I just brewed a blonde with it. It was beer. It says it is a saaz type. It had a little bitter, but lacked flavor and aroma. It was earthy and floral. I had 4oz.of dried from earlier last year and wanted to get rid of it. It is an ornamental and it can be used for brewing, but the result isn't as profound as something you'd get from GLH that is bred for brewing. You're better off with what you bought from them.

It has beautiful leaves though!