When to harvest

[Elmo Peach]

I have 3 hop bines I bought 2 from a nursery and I found one growing wild at my archery club I took it home and planted it in a 20 gallon container. The sotre bought bines are 2 years old and doing poorly very mall cones. The wild hop is 20 feet high with big cones.

I want to use them do I need to dry the cones or can they be used fresh?

Unsure why the cones on the wild hops are big and the store bought hops are so small also not sure when to harvest.

 

[IslandLizard]

I want to use them do I need to dry the cones or can they be used fresh?

If used fresh, referred to as "wet" hops, brew with them the same day, if possible. It makes one of a kind, marvelous beer. You'll need to use 5x the amount (by weight) compared to dried hops, keep that in mind.

I think but not 100% sure, you can refrigerate them in a CO2 purged mylar (Oxygen barrier) bag for a day. Maybe even up to 3 days, but they'll start losing their unique fresh/green fragrance fast, and may start getting brown, which renders them useless.

IOW, they don't keep well once picked. Either use immediately or dry them.

 

[redrocker652002]

Great question as my hops are getting ready I think. The Chinook are starting to get a brownish ends on the cones and the Cascade are really big and they seem to be growing still. My thought it that probably n the next few days if not week I need to get the Chinook picked and dried. I will try and post pictures, but I think you all get the idea.

I am going to the local hardware store and buy window screens for now. I can get a decent size screen for less than 10 dollars so why not go with it. LOL.

 

[catalanotte]

I am going to the local hardware store and buy window screens for now

That is probably a good call. My wife was less than pleased when I took the screens out of the windows in the spare bedroom for this purpose, but they worked.

 

[redrocker652002]

That is probably a good call. My wife was less than pleased when I took the screens out of the windows in the spare bedroom for this purpose, but they worked.

LOL. I think mine might be a bit unhappy if I did that as well. Ended up using some scrap wood and making a small screen for now. If I get a bigger harvest next year I will need to up the size a bit. I got two ounces of Chinook, and the Cascade is really taking off. My wife is really happy with how it worked out.

 

[catalanotte]

I got two ounces of Chinook, and the Cascade is really taking off. My wife is really happy with how it worked out.

Interesting differences. I had the opposite from 2 year old plants, rhizomes started at the same time, same soil, same sun. Nearly 5 pounds (wet) from one Chinook but only a pound each from the Cascade and Cluster. Not sure why such a big difference.

 

[redrocker652002]

Interesting differences. I had the opposite from 2 year old plants, rhizomes started at the same time, same soil, same sun. Nearly 5 pounds (wet) from one Chinook but only a pound each from the Cascade and Cluster. Not sure why such a big difference.

The Cascade took of in the last two weeks. I don't think I am going to get as much out of that one, but either way, I will or should have enough for a brew session just to see how it goes.