Nebraska hops harvest

We had our annual hops picking party yesterday afternoon. Our local brewery, Thuderhead, entered into a partnership with a local farmer 3-4 years ago and Thuderhead committed to buying all the hops grown in the farly small corner of a cornfield. This year was the largest harvest so far, producing 300 pounds of Cascades. A Lincoln, NE brewery (Empyrean Ales) purchased 50 pounds for their own use.

We had about 25-30 people attend the party and we were able to cut the hops, pick, and weigh them in about 3 hours. Four kegs of beer keep the participants well lubricated. This year's harvest will result in an IPA.

That looks like a LOT of fun!!

In the first picture, are those just more bines growing across the ground or are those weeds?

We need a hop festival calendar post!!

In the first picture, are those just more bines growing across the ground or are those weeds?

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A little of both.

4 kegs?!?!?!? I'm surprised anything got done...LOL

Awesome. Looks like a blast. You have me pacing my backyard hopyard waiting for harvest day! We are still a ways out here in Oregon.

Well hell, if I had known you would have been out there I might have made the trip with friends from Empyrean.

How many plants did Trevor say he has out there? 60 isn't it?

Edit: Does he still have the "Olde Monk Porter" on tap at thuderhead or is it gone?

That 4th picture is a glass of Miller Lite isnt it? It was triple hops brewed wasn't it!

I could tell that logo looked familiar. LOL

Awesome pick man!
-Me

I don't know that working has ever looked so fun!

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

Reverend JC said:

Well hell, if I had known you would have been out there I might have made the trip with friends from Empyrean.

How many plants did Trevor say he has out there? 60 isn't it?

Edit: Does he still have the "Olde Monk Porter" on tap at thuderhead or is it gone?

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We finished at about 8:00 and the Empyrean boys went back to Lincoln. The rest of us went to Thunderhead for more free beer. I caught a ride home, after bribing somebody with a bottle of mead, and made it to bed about 1:30.

Well, there's five rows so 60 plants seems about right. Someone just east of here grows a few more and Trevor buys those as well. I was at the brewery yesterday morning to see if he was as hungover as me and watched the vorlauf as he made an IPA with all 250 pounds.

As for the Olde Monk Porter, I really don't spend much time drinking at Thunderhead and I don't know what he has on tap. When we get together we usually drink mead or homebrew.

That is simply awesome!!!!!! Looking to plant more and more hops next year. Only have an couple going this year. Trying to get a feel for how many and how much room i might need. Dont need 300 lbs, could sell them I suppose. Still that is great to see Nebraska Hops!!