Most versatile hop

Beyond a ‘favorite’ hop variety it is prudent to consider which hop variety will grow well in your specific area:

“So you’ve picked out a location. Great. Pick out varieties. If you live in Colorado, Colorado State University has done extensive research on growing hops in Colorado. Pick a variety that has a high yield and is relatively disease resistant. Also, keep in mind hops that you like to brew with. Local farms in the front range of Colorado do well growing Cascade, Chinook and Crystal varieties. Some growers have also shown success with Centennial. I chose to grow Cascade and may also pick up a few Chinook rhizomes.”

https://www.porchdrinking.com/artic...rowing Cascade, Chinook and Crystal varieties.

Cheers!

 

To tag on to what Jack said, the most versatile hops for you is/are the one/s that typically do well in your growing zone and in your soil.
Contact your county extension agent. They probably have a process for you to provide a soil sample and get it tested specifically for growing hops. Also ask if Downy Mildew is prevalent in your area, it can make for some disappointment if not controlled.
It was exciting for me to see my first ever shoots, bines and flowers. Planting hops that are doomed from the start won't provide that pleasure.

Choose hops that have at least some of the aromas or flavors that you like, which can be determined by past brews, commercial brews, or by comparing online hops profiles. The online profiles can sometimes seem contradictory, but if enough of them are looked for a given variety you'll find descriptors that are common. For instance, many/most profiles for Cascade indicate citrus and grapefruit. Some suggest flowery/floral while others don't. If I didn't know from personal experience I would bank on Cascade being citrus/grapefruit, and possibly, maybe floral.

https://homebrewacademy.com/growing-hops/ is a fairly decent primer. A link in the article (and below) points to the USDA Hop Cultivar Descriptions, which summarizes info for many varieties.

 

Well, terroir will have an impact here. For example, Cascade hops grown in Michigan are reported to have a notably different aroma/flavor profile from Cascade hops grown in the PNW.

If @KPlen is able to purchase Colorado grown Cascade hops that is likely a better indicator of how his hops would present themselves from a sensory aspect.

Cheers!

 

Fair point. I suppose that could extend to where @KPlen lives in Colorado and where in Colorado the rhizomes/plants are grown.

County extension agent for the area is still recommended for targeted, local info.

 

The individual performance of a hop is very dependent on the individual conditions in which they are grown, as has been stated by others. There are numerous Old World varieties that have been re-labeled in America simply because they do not resemble the Old World stock.

So, for versatility, you should probably go with a well known American hop you like, that has a good track record and fits some of the characteristics you desire. But I would not bet the farm on any one variety just yet. You may be surprised with the results. These are agricultural products after all and there are dozens if not hundreds of variations.

No matter what, it will be your home grown, and like home brewing, unique to you. Enjoy the discovery.

Cheers

edit;
There are some noble varieties that are sub-classified into specific regions (Hallertau and Mittlefrau come to mind, as do Goldings, Kent Goldings and East Kent Goldings. For the serious brewer, these can be classified down to which side of the street the hop was grown. But that is Europe and everyone likes a good story...)

 

I would say start with cascade. Unless you are in the planes and have nothing but fields for miles, then maybe something else. We can argue over versatile all day, but I think if you want something basic, cascade is the one. You can have a lot of different things happen with cascade based on where you are but it is a good starter hop I think. It can be used in anything really. Plus, cascade is successfully grown coast to coast. Otherwise, do a little digging and see what is out there you like. Some hops you will not be able to get as they are proprietary. I would stick to rhizomes over a plant unless you are going to pick the plant up locally.

 

I love my Hallertau and Cascade, both very versatile.

And if I got a third hop, for me it would be Willamette. I do feel I am missing out on some of the awesomeness of Willamette for UK styles (I love bitters, ESB, English pale ale, etc.) but it also works great in German lagers or just about anything. I might need to pick up a rhizome.

 

There are a few varities of hops that can be used as bittering, aroma or flavoring additions. To me that defines versatility, and choosing a hop from that group is the answer to the OP's request.

One such hop is Columbus (aka CTZ) and the list at the bottom of this thread identifies it as a highly popular choice https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/barthhaas-hops-report-2020-2021.664219/.

I've always thought that Columbus is the best smelling hop, although I don't have a wide background with more than a dozen or so varieties that I've ever used for comparison. I once brewed a single-hop IPA using Columbus, and I really enjoyed it.

 

My brother lives and has grown hops in Colorado.
He was in the Denver area and his Columbus, cascade and centennial were the most awsum hops I have ever seen.
They were 25 feet tall and the cones were much bigger and better than what I can grow in Vt. On the other hand, his fuggles and goldings were less than mine.
He had no mold issues of any kind, but the spider mites were incredibly bad.
This was with no chemical or organic sprays used.

for what it’s worth

 

I have grown hops in Colorado, Utah and Vermont. Cascade grows like a weed anywhere. I've seen it doing great at 9500ft in CO, in the hot dry Salt Lake Valley and on a soggy, cloudy hillside here in VT. Flavor varies but is always good. Foolproof if you just want some good hops.

The most versatile hop for many different styles is, IMO, Willamette. Works in English styles, European lagers and even in American pale ales and IPA's (with a little help from other varieties in the dry hop). I have never grown it, but definitely worth a try. When AB was growing a bunch of it, they mostly did so in north Idaho, so that is probably the type location.

 

Or maybe the Willamette Valley. Doh!

 

Speaking of the Willamette Valley, we have great success with a lot of different varietals. Columbus is a big producer and smells amazeballs. Chinook is like that too. Crystal and Centennial failed to produce for me. Cascade did well enough, but I'm not a huge Cascade fan.

To the OP, versatility is going to be based on what you like to brew/drink. After years of growing hops I would rather have 1-2 plants of a decent continental variety. They tend to be more forgiving as far as flavor and aroma. IPA hops can be finicky if you miss the picking date by a few days. Big Pine and Grapefruit can easily become cat piss in a matter of days.

 

How do you personally select the optimum date for harvest?

How do the commercial hop farms guarantee that the seasonal workers are present to harvest on the right day(s)?

Cheers!

 

When I went to Hop & Brew School at YCH the workers were there before picking season started. Those who don't commercially test for dryness, lupulin color, and rub test for aromatics. It is another layer in the terroir discussion. Harvest early and get grass, right time get fruit, resin, floral, etc, too late and get cat pee. My buddy has been growing for decades, he picks his Chinook early and gets mad pineapple, if he waits he gets pine and citrus.

 

But how is this managed across multiple hop farms? How can the seasonal workers be scheduled for optimum hop harvest across all of those farms?

Cheers!

 

From what I heard up there, they harvest each plot in a matter of one to two days, then move on to another cultivar. Over decades of work they know roughly when each cultivar will be at its peak X days after Summer Solstice.

 

I think the important term there is roughly.

How they can rotate seasonal workers and still harvest each farm for the optimum harvest date has got be a very challenging thing.

Cheers!

 

FWIW, I know a couple of PA hop growers. From what they say, "optimum" harvest date and actual harvest date don't always match. And the "optimum" date is a little squishy anyway, in practice. Not every bine in a field (or row) is the same, and guessing whether tomorrow's hops are going to be better on average than today's is not an exact science.

 

For sure. I know on my hops (when I was growing them) I would have sections of cones on the bines that were ready to burst and others on the same bine that weren't ready for another 2 weeks. On a small scale like that, this isn't a huge issue as you can harvest by hand and leave the rest to finish "ripening". On a large scale they take down the entire bine and send it to the machines or the people to pick off the cones.