Hops almost ready

I picked a Chinook and a Cascade yesterday, popped them open and they are full of yellow stuff, I think Im going to harvest them tomorrow morning, the tips of the leaves on the cones are turning a bit brownish, I think they are ready, anyone want to comment?

Sounds good.

If you can be selective with your harvest and only pick the ones that are truely ready you can get another harvest before the years end. Maybe even a 3rd too.

I only do one harvest, but that's because of my growing zone (mine are just setting cones at this late date). If you pick the ones that are browning, you'll be able to harvest more later.

I picked about half of my Chinook cones already but there is a clear difference between the ones that were ready and ones that will be ready in about 2 weeks. It's almost like the cone formation started in two distinct spurts.

After drying, I got .6 ounces. Yeah... sad.

Bobby_M said:

I picked about half of my Chinook cones already but there is a clear difference between the ones that were ready and ones that will be ready in about 2 weeks. It's almost like the cone formation started in two distinct spurts.

After drying, I got .6 ounces. Yeah... sad.

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That is the saddest part. They look so impressive on the vine. Big, fluffy, etc.. Your eyes have a hard time taking it all in. Then next thing you know, they are picked, dried, and then you realize that what your eyes saw as 4 pounds ( :cross: ) turns out to be .4 Ounces.

Yeah, the weight sounds depressing but just wait until you vacuum seal them. I hand-packed them into a 16oz cup to fit on the small scale and thought, wow, so small. They barely fit into the 1qt bag but they then compressed down to about the width of less than 1/4".

Bobby_M said:

Yeah, the weight sounds depressing but just wait until you vacuum seal them. I hand-packed them into a 16oz cup to fit on the small scale and thought, wow, so small. They barely fit into the 1qt bag but they then compressed down to about the width of less than 1/4".

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Thats something to think about, do you think you could have vaccumed a bit, packed more in and so on before the bag seals, and get by using a smaller bag Bobby? I was going to give it a try like that, but it may not work, I will try and report back when they are dry enough to seal.

Can someone post a ready/not ready pic? I've got a few that are browning but inspection reveals very little luplin. Or perhaps a whole lot, but my noob eyes can't tell the difference.
I've only got about 30 cones, so I don't wanna go picking a bunch of green hops.

I did some searching for ya...

You have to feel, squeeze and sniff a hop cone to determine its ripeness and readiness for picking. If the cone feels cool and moist, it's not ready. A dry and papery feel is a sign of readiness. Now squeeze the hop cone. If it springs back after squeezing, it's probably ready. If it stays rather compressed, it's not ready yet. Next, tear off some of the cone petals (bracts) and squeeze the inside-ends where the golden-colored lupulin glands are. The resulting "resin" should be feel very sticky. If it seems a little thin or watery, the cones aren't ready. Now smell the squeezed resin. The aroma should be quite fragrant--lightly spicy or floral. If the aroma is very faint, the hops are not ready for picking. If you perform these tests once or twice a week, you will get a feel for the ripening process and know when the cones are ready for picking.


The flowers will open up a bit, and have a very hoppy smell. You will need to keep a watchful eye, though, as it is a short time between optimum ripeness and them going over, when they will start to turn brown and decay. Pick them on a dry, sunny day, when any dew or dampness has dried off. It's a long smelly job, and your arms will get covered in scratches, so be warned.

Here is a pic of ready hops, see how they are thin and papery, and some of the cone tips may start to brown..Depending on your region and rizhome size and how much fertilizer they got as well as water...this will vary..Hope this helps...

Bighops



http://images.search.yahoo.com/imag...&sigr=114556l61&sigi=11ajffi4q&sigb=11shj1eah

Wow, that's more than I found after a lot of searching. Thanks!

As for picking them once or twice a week; At one a week that only gives me about 3-4 weeks before my little vine is bare....

That picture of "hops ready to pick" looks exactly like my cascade cones right now, and they are still a couple of weeks out. There ain't a brown leaf tip in that picture. Only brown hairs from the "burr" or "spur" stage. I will post up pictures of what they look like when I harvest, but you definately need to let them brown a bit on the bine. Today was the first day I smelled a slight hint of aroma, and it soon gets so strong it's overpowering....no....sexual to smell

Every zone is different, as is every variety. The cascade cones that I grow in southern lower MI get papery feeling and smell like a north Florida fruit farm in about two weeks or so. I know because I've had the plant for five years, and this will be the first that I actually harvest the thing. I'm re-born as a brewer this year, but have watched this plant every year.

I can't speak for any other variety, but hopefully I'll be able to comment on centennial, mt. hood, and hallertau next year.

Yea it was the best I could find...You would want the tips of the cone leaves to be a little more on the brown side...if you look closely you will see they are turning slightly off color and in another week would be brown at the tips..from what I have been reading if you let them brown too much they will give you an "off" flavor.

Bighops

Well, mine have brown tips and some have mostly brown tips. But they have no odor and relatively little luplin... It is year one, though...

wahtcha growin'? Most varieties aren't as aromatic before drying as the cascade variety. Take some pictures and I'll give advice (for what it's worth).