Hops?

[googoomuck]

out for a stroll this evening and I came across these growing on vines in a ditch. Are they fresh hops?


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[irish_goat]

Looks like them. Taste?

[googoomuck]

They taste kinda bitter, but fresh at the same time without being too strong. They are really oily when I crush them between my fingers. I'm in Wexford.


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[irish_goat]

Sounds like hops! Is there much there?

[googoomuck]

Yeah a good few, can post ya on some for ID if ya like?


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[irish_goat]

I'd be useless at identifying them but at a guess they're probably goldings or fuggles.

[brenmurph]

could be a nice find.. note where u found them and if they turn out to be really nice ones dig up a root for next year

[DEMPSEY]

Smush up a cone in your hand and smell the yellow stuff in the middle.

and 
so he does that,what next.

[brenmurph]

and if they do turn out to be a brewing quality one theyll prob be a hardy variety seems as their survivin the wild

[googoomuck]

Thanks for the info lads. So the next thing is to make a brew with them?! I was planning on doing a small scale extract brew next, these could be perfect for it.


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[Metattron]

Make sure they are ready though.  They should feel papery, maybe some turning brown at the tips.  Plenty of yellow pollen inside and feel sticky when rubbed between your hands.  Pick them too early and they just smell and taste grassy.

[googoomuck]

Do a SMaSH, using malt from MCI.

could ya explain please?


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[googoomuck]

Make sure they are ready though.  They should feel papery, maybe some turning brown at the tips.  Plenty of yellow pollen inside and feel sticky when rubbed between your hands.  Pick them too early and they just smell and taste grassy.

They feel oily at the moment, but yeah they do taste kinda grassy though (just ate another one)


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[Garry]

Do a SMaSH, using malt from MCI.

could ya explain please?

SMaSH = a beer brewed with a single malt and a single hop varitety

MCI malt is malt from the Malting Co of Ireland. If you did a SMaSH beer with MCI grain and these hops you would have a fully Irish beer 

[Will_D]

You do realise he's standing on a railway line