Confusion about when to harvest

[nanobrau]

I have a few bines growing, and Centennial was way earlier than the rest this year. I harvested them when they became light yellow-green and were obviously papery in texture. I did notice that they had a subtle garlicy smell though. I brewed with them anyway and the beer smells like oranges. I haven’t tried it yet since I started dry hopping today. But generally it seems the garlic did not come through.

The conventional wisdom is confusing me. I picked when they were papery but I still got the off-aroma of garlic. My understanding is this is a bad thing, so I’m looking to pick my other hops earlier. My Chinook went from obviously grassy to now smelling absolutely incredible! But the texture is sort of damp paper. Still drier than an immature hop, but still has some moisture. Is it time to harvest? Do I wait a little longer until they actually start turning brown around the edges? Picture of the Chinook:

Weather here in the Bay Area in California is hot around this time, if it matters.

 

[Sylvain]

the smell of garlic means that it’s too late. make sure to examine your cones every day. The Chinook you really need to feel the dry touch.

try to aim between dry and smell

 

[nanobrau]

This will be tough but I’ll try. Maybe when the first hop on the bine is just dry enough, take them all down?

 

[nanobrau]

The Chinook dried out super fast, so I harvested them all and used some in a pale ale.

And I tried the NEIPA brewed with 100% garlicy Centennial. The garlic doesn’t come through in aroma or flavor at all which was a pleasant surprise.

 

[redrocker652002]

Funny, I smell the same with mine. I am tempted to start picking them now, but the cones seem very small this year. I am in South San Francisco, where we have had a few hot days, but mostly mild and foggy to wet. I checked the Columbus I have and they smell good, no garlic this time, so my thought is to get them now. I am thinking of just cutting the bine they are on since my wife trims them down anyway. Good post, gonna follow it. Where are you in the bay area?

 

[nanobrau]

I’m in San Mateo. Microclimate here is usually warm, but doesn’t get as hot as say Mountain View. Rarely gets fog.

My Columbus is almost there. A few more days maybe. It’s harder to tell with those tight cones.