Great intro post.
I'm looking forward to seeing what other beers you made or got going. They're way about my current level but I'm gonna get there at some point.
This autumn/winter I'm going to get some hops rhizomes as well and grow some at home. I've got 1 plant now, but it's a decorative variety and it's not doing particularly well. What varieties are you growing?
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Thanks man. Getting good at it is just experience, keep trying stuff even if you think it's beyond your skill level. One of my favorite things is tweaking, you really hone in on the spirit behind a recipe by doing different iterations of it. Sours are pretty easy when it comes down to it, the main thing is just keeping oxygen away while they age for all eternity. I'll def post some recipes here and there, maybe post a bit about what inputs affectssours over time (e.g. I'm convinced that hops matter a LOT more than people think), and certainly will get into some info about blending. I have a lot of notes and pics to work off of, the challenge is in finding the time and energy to translate it into a post.
I'm just growing the one Centennial plant that came from a buddy as a rhizome. It's only in its second year but it's become a monster already, considering that I'm training it around the structure I've made it's got 20-25 feet of growth already. I can't put it in the ground since I'm renting, but I'm impressed with its ability to grow in a pot.
I've heard that buying plants rather than rhizomes can give you a huge head start for only a few bucks more, you may want to consider that. If you're in a southern climate too, check out Neomexicanus hops, they're absolutely delicious. In NY here for me I have to stick to more traditional varieties though.
Thank you for the detailed reply.
My hops was a bought as a plant but it's just not doing anything, it's got a few leaves yes, and it grew up 1 foot, but nothing else. I will get some English varieties I think to start with, they're easy to find around here and should be acclimatised.
I'm just getting into sours and will probably try brewing a batch at some point. They do sound more complicated than regular beer when glancing over brewing forums, but I've heard many people saying they're actually simpler. Will see how it goes when I get there.
I'm excited now, my friend is going to let me use his equipment for my first ever all grain batch so that will be interesting!