In case you did not notice the new link in the header, the 2016 NHC Gold Medal Recipes are up! Head on over and check ’em out, all the recipes include the BeerXML download for easy import into your recipe builder of choice!
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Neomexicanus Crowns Now Available!
Part of my series on neomexicanus hops.
Those of you who have been reading the site for a while know that I like to keep tabs on all things Neomexicanus (a newly cultivated hop variety that is native to the South Western United States). A few years ago it was possible to find a handful of hop growers willing to sell Neomexicanus rhizomes/crowns, but a handful of big breweries (namely, Sierra Nevada) recently discovered the variety and many of the growers went underground to focus on commercializing their crops. Thus, for the last handful of years unless you knew someone who managed to snag a plant a few years ago and was willing to share you were out of luck if you wanted to grown your own.
Well, good news everyone: I just got word that Great Lakes Hops has field-grade Neomexicanus crowns available for purchase again! It’s still early enough that if you order and plant ASAP you might get a small harvest and you will come out strong for next year. Here is a quick rundown of the available varieties with descriptions from Great Lakes Hops:
Final Round Bound!
Picked up two silvers at the San Diego round of the National Homebrew Competition this past weekend, one for my Vienna lager and the other for some Straight Lambic I had bulk aging in a keg already (the same base I used for my crowd favorite Kumquat Lambic). Pretty exciting, see y’all down Baltimore way!
Full list of winners available here.
Level Up!
I’m certifiable! 🙂
HBC 438 “Ron Mexico” Out Now!
If you remember my review of the candy orange/passionfruit-forward HBC 438 “Ron Mexico” from a few months ago, I mentioned it should be available for purchase after the fall harvest season. Good news: according to its grower, HBC 438 should now be widely available!
News of the recent home brew exclusive testing of experimental hop variety HBC 438 has been creating a buzz throughout the home brew community since its release announcement at the 2015 National Homebrewers’ Conference. We are happy to report that these highly anticipated hops are now hitting the shelves at home brew stores throughout the United States.
Source: Experimental Hop Released – YCH HOPS
HBC 438 is great in any hop-forward ale and should be strong enough to stand on its own or can be mixed with other citrusy/tropical hops to add some amazing depth. You should be able to find HBC 438 wherever Hop Union/HBC hops are sold, but if you cannot find it locally the hops are available at the following online retailers:
