1234Alchemy
Active Member
I am pretty new to the homebrewing scene (2 all grain, 4 total brews under the belt). It has recently come to my attention that my mother's neighbor grows hops for aesthetic value. At the end of the season, they chop down the vines and throw it all out. All those precious hops wasted!! I have the opportunity to harvest their hops, so of course I pounced. I will be harvesting them this weekend... but I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing. Couple questions:
1. How much of them should be saved? Just the flowers themselves okay, or more?
2. I know to dry them, and Charlie Papazian's book says to "air dry" them. How would one go about this, without special equipment if possible?
3. How long will they stay good for if I keep them in my freezer after drying?
4. Is there any way to determine the alpha acid content or even TYPE? They have no idea.
Thanks so much! I'll let you all know how the harvest goes.
Edit: If it's any help, I live in south-central Wisconsin. I don't know if that affects what varieties are more likely to be found here or what...
1. How much of them should be saved? Just the flowers themselves okay, or more?
2. I know to dry them, and Charlie Papazian's book says to "air dry" them. How would one go about this, without special equipment if possible?
3. How long will they stay good for if I keep them in my freezer after drying?
4. Is there any way to determine the alpha acid content or even TYPE? They have no idea.
Thanks so much! I'll let you all know how the harvest goes.
Edit: If it's any help, I live in south-central Wisconsin. I don't know if that affects what varieties are more likely to be found here or what...