Newest Threads

Wild Duk · 08-12-2009, 03:44 PM

I harvested some of my Cascades a few days ago, dried them in a food dehydrator, and now they have a grassy smell.....No hop smell at all....

Any chance I picked them too early....

**GilaMinumBeer** · 08-12-2009, 03:46 PM

Chlorophyll "off gassing". It's normal and will fade. Over the years, it's a smell you will come to appreciate immensly.

TwoHeadsBrewing · 08-12-2009, 03:49 PM

I noticed this as well, even though my Cascades are beginning to brown on the edges and look ready for harvest. The Centennials on the other hand have a wonderful smell already. Saturday is BBQ and harvest time!

So, when does the Chlorophyll off-gassing stop and that Cascade aroma develops?

**GilaMinumBeer** · 08-12-2009, 03:52 PM

Sorry, the best I can say is 'eventually'. I have never found it to be consistent from batch to batch, year to year. Furthermore, the grassy aroma lingers in my garage so long I don't ever notice the actual hops aroma until I am bagging them.

Wild Duk · 08-12-2009, 04:17 PM

So, are they maybe not dry enough yet...

They were in the dehydrator for about 8 hours at 95 degrees.

They seemed dry...but I don't want to get mold

**GilaMinumBeer** · 08-12-2009, 04:24 PM

Grab a cone and bend it. If the strig (the spine all the leaves emerge from) snaps easily, they are dry enough.

If the strig bends considerably before it snaps, they aren't dry enough.

That, or weigh the wet hops before they go in and periodically while they dry. IIRC, they are dry enough when they are 10% of their original weight. I have NEVER tried that tho'.

david_42 · 08-12-2009, 04:58 PM

I doubt 8 hours at 95F was enough to dry the hops completely. 20% of wet weight is realistic.

TwoHeadsBrewing · 08-12-2009, 05:34 PM

My garage sits at about 120F in the middle of the day, dropping to 90F at night. Last year I set the hops out on a screen to dry for 2 days. For those of you that have harvested hops before, do you think this is enough time to dry the hops or should I give it more time?

**jagg** · 08-12-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoHeadsBrewing

My garage sits at about 120F in the middle of the day, dropping to 90F at night. Last year I set the hops out on a screen to dry for 2 days. For those of you that have harvested hops before, do you think this is enough time to dry the hops or should I give it more time?

There is no way hops can be dried on a screen in 2 days, at least I dont think so, I dry mine in the house, and it takes at least 5 days on the screen before they snap in the middle, sometimes longer, good luck.

Brewpatrol · 08-12-2009, 11:41 PM

I harvested here in Sacramento with the hottest time of day at 4-5 p.m. being 102. I used a screen and let air dry in the garage with the garage cracked open about a foot. Well over 150 degrees in there. Took less than 2 days and they were bone dry breaking in half. Weather out here is very dry and hot with no humidity.