It's all new to me. This is my first year and I've several bines with cones that are very close. They are all ripening at different rates so I will not cut down the bine to harvest on the ground. It looks like I will be harvesting for at least a month.
The higher ones on my cascade stopped getting bigger about 2 weeks ago and I've been climbing the ladder every couple days to check on them. At first they definitley felt moist, un-ripe and had no hops aroma. A week later a few cones started to have the tip of a leaf turn brown, they have a little aroma but still feel too soft and moist. Now 4 days later the bigger ones are finally starting to get close. They are starting to turn more papery. When I pull back the leaves of the cone, at their base I can see the yellow. I think I'll let them go until later this week or this weekend. I'd like for them to dry a bit more and see if the lupulin turns more amber. The one cone I picked yesterday had aroma when moist but has lost it as it dries, so I'm thinking it's still a bit too early.