So I harvested some fresh hops, now what?

[Powers]

I am harvesting hops now and through the next few weeks. I have some Willamette, Cascade, and Nugget. We are going to dry and freeze them.

But now I'm planning on a dark wheat brew which calls for Hallertau. I don't want to buy hops now that I have some fresh ones. I also don't care if they beer hits the style spot on. I'm left two immediate questions.

1. Since I have no idea the alpha acid content, do I just have to live with that uncertainty? I've heard our region will produce lower alpha acid levels than, say, the Pacific Northwest. On this basis, I'm considering using some of the Cascades for the dark wheat as they will be ready for full harvest this weekend.

2. Is there a standard conversion for fresh, dry hops? If my recipe calls for 1 oz pellet hops, what does not mean for me using my own whole hops?

Thanks for any guidance...if you can point me to a relevant thread that already exists, i would very much appreciate the help!

 

[Powers]

One other issue is these are first year growths, will this impact alpha acid levels?

 

[Yooper]

I don't know about the AAUs. I've heard to just "aim in the middle" for that hop variety, and it's worked pretty well for me.

For wet (not dried) hops, you would use about 6 times the weight of the dried. If it was me, I'd dry them before using just to keep all of that vegetative matter out of the wort- I imagine it would soak up a ton of wort and be a real mess!

 

[rtfick0]

I grow Centennial, Cascades, Chinook, and a few others in northern KY. I dry & use the same amount as I would a commercial. They may have lower AA's, (though I'm not convinced of that) but they haven't been handled very much, which is nice. Can't tell the difference except the hop experience seems better, although that may be pride in growing hops showing through the beer. They're also all high AA strains, so that probably helps mask the difference, if any. Throw a couple of freshly picked hops into whatever you're drinking. Adds a nice aroma & a bit of freshness. Another reason to grow.

 

[Powers]

i do plan on drying them out, yooper. i'm going to love harvest time now that i have hops. my only cost for my next brew will be $12 in grain after using my own hops, recycled washed yeast, water from a spring at our cabin, and some remnant grains. in fact, i think i'm going to take advantage of the great berry prices in this record year and throw in 4 lbs of blackberries for $20...

thanks for the input!

 

[Yooper]

Growing your own hops is great- I've been doing it for about 4 years now. My cascades are my favorite. I grow hallertauer, too, but I have no idea why since I rarely make German beers. I've used maybe 4 ounces of my hallertauer, and it's almost time to harvest again! The plants are beautiful. I might have to see if somebody wants to swap some dried homegrown hallertauer for something else.

I started chinook and centennial this year, because it's so been so much fun growing hops and using them in my own beers. Once you dry them and use a Food Saver to vacuum pack and freeze them, they don't take up much room in the freezer. Of course, I have a top freezer just dedicated to hops, so maybe that's why!