How to tell when hops are dry?

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noreaster40s

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This is my first time trying to grow hops. It's a pretty neat plant to grow. I did 2 rhizomes of Cascade, Centennial and Willamette. The Willamette started out gang busters then faded off and didn't really produce and cones. My Cascade did really well and my Centennial did pretty good for the first year, I think.

Anyway, I picked some cones from each this weekend and put them on a screen with a fan on low blowing across them. It's been about 48 hours now that they've been there. How do you know when they are dry and ready to freeze? I've read different things but didn't really get a clear answer. Thanks.
 
check out freshops.com as there is plenty of info. on growing and drying hops!
 
If you weighed them, before and after, you could work out how much moisture was removed and have some 'scientific' basis for your question.
However, when they feel dry and do not contain any noticeable moisture when you squeeze them is good enough for home freezing.
 
I have a question..

I picked some hops yesterday and put them in my dehydrator.

I looked this morning and some of them were browned.

Is this ok or did I ruin them?
 
OK, so I've had my hops on an elevated screen with a fan on low blowing over them for about 4 days now. The weather here has been cool and cloudy with showers so not alot of heat and not the driest conditions. There's not alot of them as this is my first year trying this. The hops feel light and dry but I've read in different places the stem should break when they're dry and mine don't yet. Will it do any harm letting them stay longer? Is it possible to overdry them?
 
I doubt it will hurt to overdry them, but I am pretty sure I UNDERdried mine last year and they have been ok. I just fudged the weight in my recipes to make up for it. I vacuum sealed mine and kept them in the freezer. Still got some of my 2nd year hops in there.
 
I took mine off the screen after about 5 days with the fan on low blowing on them. I think they felt pretty good. I don't have a vacuum sealer so I just weighed them out, put them in ziplock baggies and squished the air out of them the best I could and put them into the freezer. Boy did they smell good!
 
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