To use or not to use 1st year hops?

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squeekybobo

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Got about 10 oz. of hops from my first year Columbus plant this year. At brew club last night, someone told me I shouldn't use grown hops until the third year. Anyone agree or disagree with this?
 
I totally disagree. I used my first year Chinook, Centennial and Cascade to make multiple batches of IPAs last year, and as the yield this year was like five times last year I expect to be brewing well into the winter...

Anything else?

Cheers! ;)
 
I'm new to the hop growing game but I've used my first year cascades and centennials without ill effect. Maybe someone smarter than us can tell us why our first year hops are inferior to a more mature plant.
 
First year hops are not inferior in any way.

It takes about 3 years for hops to start producing full harvests (amount wise). However, the cones on 1st and 2nd year plants are just as good - there is simply less of them.

The person you talked to is confusing quantity vs quality.
 
Got about 10 oz. of hops from my first year Columbus plant this year. At brew club last night, someone told me I shouldn't use grown hops until the third year. Anyone agree or disagree with this?
at your next meeting, please tell this person that they are wrong and encourage them to not spread this information any more. first year hops are just fine for brewing. you get less of them, but they are just as good as third-year hops.

better yet, please tell this person to plant several varieties next year and to send me the harvest for proper disposal :mug:
 
my first year hops made very good beer. Very very good hops. Brewers Gold hops are an underrated hop imho.
 
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