Apr. 26, 2009
One really cool thing you can do to truly make a beer your own is to grow your own ingredients. One of the easiest things you can do is grow your own hops.
Check out your local plant nursery and they might have be able to get you started. Otherwise you can order rhizomes online. Basically you are getting a piece of the plant that you can use to start growing a clone of a previous plant.
Once the plant begins to grow, you will want to guide it. You can use a stick or wire frame to support it the plant. As your plant gets bigger you can then switch to a trellis system.
Now is the time to getting started, because it will take some time to get your hops producing enough to brew with.
Keep on brewing!
Ben Phelps