The difference between male and female hops plants

We all know that the difference between ale and lager is the bottom and top fermenting yeast.

However, the other day I had someone tell me that there is another difference - the sex of the hops plant used in the beer. Ie. ale will use only female varieties and lager only male (or vice versa, not sure on which one "allegedly" uses which).

I was quite taken aback by this possible conspiracy theory. But I need to find out for certain. Personally I don’t beleive it is true.

A quick search on the web, and I found this:

"Hop acids have a pronounced bacteriostatic activity and they strongly inhibit the growth of the gram-positive bacteria.
The dried cone like inflorescence of the female hop as it matures, contains lupulin glands, which develop as a golden resinous material, that forms at the bases of the bracts and bracteoles of the hop cone."

"It is the golden coloured lupulin that contains the intensely bitter alpha and beta acids and hop oils, that when introduced in the manufacture of beer, have grown to be accepted as the acquired taste in the beer drink."

"In most hop growing countries the dioecious hops are cultivated without the males, but in New Zealand, the hop female plant, the cone of which is used for brewing, is of a different chromosome count to the male to prevent fertilization. Such female hops are described as triploids, and this style of hop, actually first developed in New Zealand by our Research Scientists nearly half a century ago, is now a quite popular hop form worldwide."

So, how I see it, the female plant has more of the lupulin, and hence is more practical for cultivation. As far as male and female uses in ale/lager - I even more so doubt it now.

Any thoughts on this topic would be appreciated.

My first thought was that the male hop plants would have no value beyond pollenating the female plants. I googled male hop plant and got this:
http://www.freshops.com/garden.html

Male hops don’t even have the cones to brew with.

Jacob

The female hops bitch about fact that the color of the malt does not match their cones. The male hops watch football so they can block out the bitching of the female hops.

Awesome guys.

Had a good read of the hops site, and found it very informative.

This conspiracy theory has been put to rest!

Cheers and Beers
Mullo

Originally posted by aspidites
The female hops bitch about fact that the color of the malt does not match their cones. The male hops watch football so they can block out the bitching of the female hops.

Originally posted by DerWeg

Originally posted by aspidites
The female hops bitch about fact that the color of the malt does not match their cones. The male hops watch football so they can block out the bitching of the female hops.

And the female hops get real tart, bringing up issues remembered since birth, whereas the male hops would just say, "ahh, f-k it... let’s go bowling, dude."

I have understood for a while that it is the female that is used in both ale and lager. But I stand to be corrected. I have a hop plant in my garden from which I used the hops this year. Damned if I really know what sex it is (there is no obvious sign). The woman who sold it to me wasn’t even able to tell me what hops they are. I suspect from the aroma that they are Target, but I don’t know for sure.