I made wine and mead long before I started brewing, too. I wanted to have a beverage quicker, so I started making beer.
I don't know what you mean exactly by siphoning up some hops.
I assume you meant they went into the fermenter? If so, that's fine. I never strain out my wort going into primary, unless I have a ton of material that will take up too much room in my fermenter. All of the hops, suspended proteins, break material, dead yeast, etc will settle out as trub in the end.
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Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006
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