Any tricks to using homegrown hops?

I tried the search feature but couldn't find anything just right....

I figure I'm a week or two from harvest of my first year hops. Cascade vine was from an old rhizome so that sucka produced abundantly! Others did pretty well considering.

Anywho, maybe I'm missing something simple, but any tricks to using homegrown hops? Other than the obvious air-drying and freezing in sealed container for storage. I know hops are natural preservative and all that, but still no rinsing, cleaning, etc?

I don't have that many, so I'll probably just end up using these for flavoring and aroma.

What about dry hopping? Homegrown hops good to use for that too?

Randall!!!!!!!!
Actually, once they're dried, they should make excellent flavoring and/or aroma hops. Just take a big old sniff and you'll know.

I'd shy away from using them for bittering unless you know the AA. Maybe a 1 hop APA/IPA with 1 oz every 15 minutes. Don't classify it until you taste it of course.

The guy from Basic Brewing radio did a couple episodes where he used his own wet hops to make a beer. Might take a look at that...it might have been the video actually.

You can use them for dry hopping as well. You can use them for bittering if you are willing to guesstimate the AA%. I have used homegrown Nugget hops for bittering stouts with good results.

I made a wet-hopped beer last year with my hops, I won't do it again.

I plan on drying them this year, so I'll need to start researching that. I'll probably just throw them in my food dryer.

Depending on the yield, I'll decide how I'm going to use them. Some folks are all concerned about AA%, personally I don't care. I'm going to use a median number and base a recipe off of that.

Dude said:

I plan on drying them this year, so I'll need to start researching that. I'll probably just throw them in my food dryer.

Click to expand...

use a 3 man tent and a dehumidifier

Right on, thanks for the tips!

Just to clarify, don't need to do anything but dry them?

I'm a big fan of BasicBrewingRadio and was planning on re-visiting the hops episodes on roadtrip we're taking today.

I really have no idea how much weight (wet or dry) I'll have, so I'll base my final decision on what exact role these guys will play in my next batch when I figure that out. Then I'll be all the more ready to go bigger next year assuming a larger crop!

Thanks again!

Just dry them. You could also make a Fresh Hop ale (use 4x by weight), but don't try using them for wet hopping. I ruined an IPA a couple years ago trying that. Smelled like lawn.

You could make a hop wreath with it and SWMBO would love you for it.



This pic was taken in Au Germany in the Hallertau region.