AA of garden Hops?

[canarytim]

I have a 2 year hop bine, nearing harvesting I think. Nice big green cones.

I dont know the variety. Assuming Fuggles as I'm in Kent, but will check with my father-in-law who was a hop farmer.

My question is: is there a way of working out what the AA of hops is? On a previous thread I notice someone had commented that the rougher the bine, the higher the AA.

[alix101]

I'm no expert on hops but from reading threads etc the only way is in a lab !!

[Wolfy]

If you knew the variety of hops, you could make a guess at the AA% as an 'average' for that variety, but without even knowing that (and assuming you're not going to get them lab-tested) it's just going to be more guess work.

[Blackaddler]

I dont know the variety. Assuming Fuggles as I'm in Kent, but will check with my father-in-law who was a hop farmer.

If they're a wild variety, then they'll most likely be a Fuggle derivative. It's fairly safe to assume an AA of 4 - 5%, as Fuggles can vary anyway.

When I use them, I always assume on the low side at 4%, which works for me.

[gregorach]

Make two identical batches of hop tea - one with a known batch of hops and the other with your own hops - and compare. I suppose you could dilute one or the other until they seem to have the same bitterness, and then you could calculate an approximate AA% from that.

[haz66]

Make two identical batches of hop tea - one with a known batch of hops and the other with your own hops - and compare. I suppose you could dilute one or the other until they seem to have the same bitterness, and then you could calculate an approximate AA% from that.

This almost is what i mentioned years ago, but what i added was that lets say for example you make a hop tea with hops AA7%
you keep adding sugar one gram at a time until the bitterness is neutralized so lets say it takes 10.5g to achieve this you could be
almost certain that it takes 1.5g of sugar per 1% AA, do the same again using our own hops and see how much sugar is needed to
neutralize them, its crude but you will be closer than just guessing from its variety.

[canarytim]

Thanks Guys,

I can't be bothered to go to all the hassle of testing them (having gone to all the trouble to havesting them: 95 grammes for a morning's work). Mind you Lidl's vaccuum packer finally came in useful!

So I'm taking a calculated and conservative punt at Fuggles at 4% AA. Dry hopping my Scottish Export as we speak.