Grow Your Own Fresh Hops for Brewing!
‘Centennial’ Hops are a great choice, especially for northern gardeners, since this plant is hardy to zone 3. This is a dual-purpose hop used for bittering and aroma, as well as, an excellent choice for dry-hopping. ‘Centennial’ is often referred to as a ‘Super Cascade’, since it has a strong citrus aroma. ‘Centennial’ is a classic American hop with flavor and aroma properties said to be similar to ‘Cascade’, but more intense and more of a floral citrus quality with pineapple tones, that makes it unique and very pleasant with a higher alpha acid (Alpha rating: 9.5-11.5%). It also has an abundant amount of lupulin that is dark yellow in color. ‘Centennial’ Hops are a perennial and mature mid-season. Train to a fence or trellis. Typical Brewing Style: American Ales, IPA’s, Pale Ale, Red Ale, Extra Special Bitter (ESB), Weizenbock, Scottish Ale, Barley Wine, India Pale Ale, Double India Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Amber Ale, American Wheat, Witbier and Wheat.
Hops have light golden-green, cone-shaped flowers used for making beer and give home brews authentic Old World flavor. The greenish yellow flowers even smell like beer. They can scramble along the ground or grow up fences, screens, and trellises. Provide full sun to partial shade and humusy soil. Ornamental Hops have attractive green foliage throughout the season. The fuzzy lobed leaves are ornamentally significant and look pretty against a fence or trellis but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The flowers are not ornamentally significant. Climbing bine grows 20-25 ft. in a season and is winter hardy in much of the North. Special considerations: Water regularly to keep the soil moist, not wet. Will not thrive in dry locations. Water deep once a week; more in hot, dry windy conditions. Collect mature cones in the Fall and hang to dry. Cut vines down to the ground in late Fall.
