THink I can wait another week?

[jojox]

I have Cascades that I think are pretty much ready to come off the vines. I also have a brewer coming to help harvest them and use them in a fresh hop beer. Think I can wait a week or will they deteriorate significantly? Here are some photos.

 

[WayFrae]

Those are some great pictures! I don't know that it is possible to tell if they are ready to be picked by pictures though. But I am only a first year grower so I don't have an answer for you.

 

[wheathead]

They look ready to me. I'm on year three cascade vines, and went through four weekends of harvesting just the large cones. Pick & dry the large ones and leave the smaller ones for next week. I see you are in PA. If the weather strays cool, you my be OK. Last year, I waited too long on some of the cones and they turned a tad brown, but last hear was hotter than this year.

 

[jojox]

Thanks guys! Maybe I wasn't clear, but the brewer coming to pick the hops won't be able to come until next week. Think I'm okay leaving them? I could harvest and dry them, but I'd love these guys to make beer with them...

 

[WayFrae]

I think you should pick the ones that you think are most likely to start turning brown. I feel like if they can at least get some fresh and some dry it would be better than only some fresh and some that are brown.

 

[jojox]

So you think brown coloring is the best indication to know if it's starting to deteriorate?

 

[WayFrae]

I would think so but as I said before I am growing hops for the first time this year so it's a complete guess.

 

[thaymond]

Browning of the tips, fragile bract breaking from the Strig, golden lupulin (or school bus yellow), intense pungent aroma, and papery feel to the cone itself are good indicators of harvest time. If it looks like it was stuck in the oven and browned, and it smells cheesy or garlicky, it's way over done. If it's still light green and feels "cool" to the touch, "bouncy" or "squishy", doesn't have much of a hoppy smell (grassy) it's not ready yet. The best comparison is one I read about the consistency and sound being like if you were pinching a napkin in your fingers. If it's like that, it is papery enough to pick. Let it hit most of that criteria, and you'll be swimming in the Golden lupulin sea.