2016 Hop Growing Thread

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I found these hops in my neighborhood. Anyone have an idea of what kind they could be? I am attaching picture. Any help would be great.

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Joel626 said:
I found these hops in my neighborhood. Anyone have an idea of what kind they could be? I am attaching picture. Any help would be great.
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Can't tell from the photo but you may want to knock on that person's door and find out what the heck they used on those fellas. Those are monsters. Seriously, though...ask them. I'm impressed.
 
Joel626 said:
I found these hops in my neighborhood. Anyone have an idea of what kind they could be? I am attaching picture. Any help would be great.
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That's a pretty unique leaf shape. Might be a clue as to what they are. I don't have a clue though.
 
Harvested some of my cascades today. I would say there's still about the same amount out on another plant that isn't ready yet. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876712.550604.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876727.104370.jpg
And all of my Centennial. It didn't produce like the cascades did buy they are all first year plants so next year should be better. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876783.181612.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876796.005762.jpg
 
Harvest time:

I know people say you check them for 'spring-y-ness', but is that the only indicator? I have some tiny cones and some big cones, their all springy, is there any other kinds of indicators that their ready to harvest?
 
I harvested the large cones last weekend and I have about a shoebox full of cascade. I was on vacation and when I got back they were starting to turn brown so I picked the large ones and when I broke them open there was not very much lupulin in them. They Don't Really smell like hops either more just a plant type odor. Is there anything I can do to increase the lupulin in the remaining cones? I fertilizedfertilized several times with a product called gusher which is designed for plants which contain oil glands (the hydroponic medical marijuana people). But don't know of anything else I could have done to increase the content. My centennial is almost ready to harvest and it has a lot more hops aroma than the Cascade. I'm in the San Joaquin Valley area of California. So it is inhumanely hot here.
 
These are my cascades currently on the vine (first year). Are they ready to be picked?

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Are they ready to be picked?- likely not- if you want to know for sure, pop one off and inspect. The pic further up looks close- this is a chinook from this morning - still quite green and smells of grass more than hop.

image.jpg
 
Found a hop plant supplier that I believe has fair prices for the plants (not rhizomes)

My question is will they survive a Michigan winter if I plant them this late?
 
Hop plant on the left has great cones, it happened overnight from flower to cone. In Northwest, what is the estimate on how long from time cones are formed to time they need to be picked? I'm hoping not within the next 2 weeks.

IMG_20160810_170147-COLLAGE.jpg
 
I don't think its a matter of when the cones form to when they are ready fwiw. Mine have had cones on them most of the summer and most are still not quite ready
 
Picked all my plants within the last week, Centennial, Willow Creek, Chinook and Cascade.

Got almost 5lbs of Cascade and 2.6lbs of Chinook, both wet.
It's amazing the amount of water the cones hold. I dried the Chinook and ended with only 11oz from the 2.6lbs.

Chinook on the left and Cascade on the right.

IMG_2149.jpg
 
Kozwald said:
Picked all my plants within the last week, Centennial, Willow Creek, Chinook and Cascade.



Got almost 5lbs of Cascade and 2.6lbs of Chinook, both wet.

It's amazing the amount of water the cones hold. I dried the Chinook and ended with only 11oz from the 2.6lbs.



Chinook on the left and Cascade on the right.
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What are your thoughts on the willow creek?
 
Rypcord said:
Harvest time:

I know people say you check them for 'spring-y-ness', but is that the only indicator? I have some tiny cones and some big cones, their all springy, is there any other kinds of indicators that their ready to harvest?
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Check out University of Vermont Page...some good info.
Also Look for GVH Dan posts (he has some good info)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfUYXu4-0-s&feature=plcp[/ame]

http://blog.uvm.edu/hoppenin/2012/08/24/hop-harvest-readiness/

https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/engineering/?Page=hopscalc.html

Also available at bottom of (last link) page is downloadable spreadsheet xml file.

Cheers!
 
Johntodd said:
Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I get to post now!

Stand by to be wowed! :rockin:

I just harvested 148 grams wet of first-year Brewer's Gold!

:D

Thanks!
-Johntodd
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That was my first hop 15 years ago...never used it (don't think its popular anymore/and short storage life IIRC), and I cant kill it, It keeps comming back.

Let us know how it worked out(tasted/smelled) after you brew with it.(Im curious)

Cheers!
 
IME excessive nitrates and watering anytime after mid summer will give you a lighter crop and the cones will have less smell and flavor. My first few years I babied the hops, then after they were well established I just give them a little ammonium nitrate (for an early kick) and urea (available to the plant later in the season). The rhizomes (roots) can be 12'-15' on an established stand, so with our clay loam soil I do not water much.
A plant or tree that is water excessively will establish most of its feeder roots in the shallow ground causing the plant to be more susceptible to winter and drought damage.
Plants and trees that have just enough fertilizer and water will produce better quantity and quality than over fertilized over watered plants, best to stay on the low side imho!

Don't see as much side shoot activity with deep clay loam soil and 25' building to scale. Would like to try a little summer pre-bud pruning to get more side growth, is this a bad idea?
 
heLLbent said:
Don't see as much side shoot activity with deep clay loam soil and 25' building to scale. Would like to try a little summer pre-bud pruning to get more side growth, is this a bad idea?
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I'm wondering the same thing. We're in the midst of the hot & humid stretch in PA and I just harvested two of my plants last week. Considering picking the two Zeus plants. I'll post pics in the morning.

My cascade still has a healthy crop of flowers. The centennial is pretty bare but I'm hoping I'll get a second wave. Assuming some minor pruning and blood and/or bone meal would help?

Thanks
 
GreatBeerTour said:
Are they ready to be picked?- likely not- if you want to know for sure, pop one off and inspect. The pic further up looks close- this is a chinook from this morning - still quite green and smells of grass more than hop.
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Give them another 1-2 weeks. You should be able to smell significant lupulin. From the photo, the lupulin does not look like it's quite there, yet. But be patient. Post another pic next week and compare the two.
 
Brizzo said:
What are your thoughts on the willow creek?
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Not sure about the Willow Creek. They had a light lemony/grassy smell when dried. My first brew with them is in the primary right now. I used the Willow Creek @ 15, 10 and 5 minutes and when transferring to the primary there was a unique citrus smell. I'm still trying to put my finger on the smell. I'll be moving to secondary tomorrow, I'll post the results.
 
Here are the two plants I harvested last week
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View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471104669.405825.jpg

Centennial on the right, cascade on the left's. Was thinking pruning during this hot stretch, then blood/bone meal to see if I can trigger some new growth.

These are Zeus and have not been harvested. Been watering them daily for the last week, but the week before they had 4-5 dry days while I was on the road. Thinking they need to be picked asap, thoughts?
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471104779.936413.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471104791.162026.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471104802.407530.jpg
I think I'll drop them right in a vac bag this weekend.

And the healthiest (greenest) is the comet in the other garden.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471104865.732751.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471104938.342310.jpg
 
I'm sure this question has been asked and I've missed it:

You folks growing your hops way up into the sky, how do you harvest?

Ladder? Rope/pulley to lower the bines back down? Cut the ropes and re-string every spring?

Thanks!
-Johntodd
 
Picked some of my centennial today and I think I may have jumped the gun. Got about 20 wet oz. Not getting much aroma from these things. Going to let them sit for a couple of days and see how the smell after they've dried out a bit.

There are still plenty of small flowers on these plants so I should get another decent harvest in a month or so.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471219727.294687.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471219738.593619.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471219749.779031.jpg
 
lzrdkng14 said:
Picked some of my centennial today and I think I may have jumped the gun. Got about 20 wet oz. Not getting much aroma from these things. Going to let them sit for a couple of days and see how the smell after they've dried out a bit.

There are still plenty of small flowers on these plants so I should get another decent harvest in a month or so.

From your picture these are definitely ready if not past harvest. if these are first or second year hops you wont have a ton of aroma. Most "folks in the know" say they don't really mature until at least the third year.
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I have lots of burrs and some cones forming.Just got a massive poplar tree that was over hanging my back yard trimmed back so my plants will be getting a lot more sunshine.Started giving them some more micacle grow the last couple of days and I am definately seeing results.Wettest summer I have seen in Calgary ever so no lack of moisture.Just need some sun for the next month to form up and fatten them burrs/cones.

RMCB
 
Centennial was the 1st to start cones and the 1st to be picked. I got 13.75 oz(wet) out of this 1st year centennial. They are drying now.

Centennial Hop Pic Day.jpg


Centennial Hop Pic Day End.jpg


Centennial Hop Pic Day End 2.jpg


Centennial Hop Pic Day on.jpg
 
lzrdkng14 said:
Curious how long you are drying these?
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Not sure how long he dried his but I just harvested some last week and after 2.5 days on a screen in the garage with a fan on them mine came in at 4:1. Harvested 418g cascade and packaged 104g Harvested 112g centennial and packaged 28g
I didn't dry then to the point of being super crumbly either. They were very crunchy but held together when handled and would only break in two if you tried to break them. They still bend when you try to break them.
I vacuum pack and store in the freezer so if they're not 8-10% I really don't care. Close enough is fine in my book. They have tons of yellow Lupulin and they smell wonderful.
 
lzrdkng14 said:
Curious how long you are drying these?
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I think tomorrow 8/17 will be the last day of drying. That will be 2.5-3 days of drying. This is my 1st year drying hops so Im not 100% sure what I look for when drying.
 
First year rihzomes, didn't think they'd do anything because I planted late and just focused on roots... Next year I'll actually feed them!

image.jpg
 
This is my second year growing cascade and have pretty good volumes this year. I have one plant that has done better than the others and the cones are getting huge. With the rest of the plants cones being more "normal" size. Could this be because the plant did so well early on and plant devoted more attention to the cones? Do i possibly have a mutation or a different variety?

View attachment 1471391119502.jpg
 

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