Lower hop burrs dying?

So on the bit of my first year Cascade plant, maybe to 5-6 feet up there are random groups of burrs that just browned and died off...touching them they just break off the plant.

The plant is GIGANTIC for its first year, its easily 30 feet by now with giant side arms and there are a bunch of burrs everywhere that look fine...i just want to make sure those wont die too! Is it standard for some of the burr's at the leaf nodes to die? They never really grew at all they were just the tiny little bits growing at the leaf nodes.

Its seriously made me reconsider how im going to do my trellis, since its already grown two vines to the very top of the 17 foot line, and then another 5-6 feet across the top hanging line over to where the other plants come up...i took off those lines and wrapped it back around itself and it just keeps going.

I have had a similar thing happen on my first year cascades. We went through some pretty hot days and I didn't change the amount of water I waas giving it. Perhaps it needs a bit more water since it is getting so large. Mybe a more experienced grower can chime in on that, but it would seem to me that as my plants get bigger, they are needing more water. Especially in the heat of the summer. Can anyone confirm this?

We did have some high 90's days for quite a while but i thought i was watering it fine, because it was still growing like a weed.

Heres some pictures.

Mine is doing the same. Only at the bottom, though. The top is continuing to grow. The leaves at the bottom are just turning brown and dropping off if touched. Watered and fed, but it's still happening. Only the ones at the bottom, so far. And only the small ones... Again, my hop is mahoosive.