2014 Hop garden photo thread

[Bamsdealer]

Nothing in this either, but you're dealing with two different animals. A wet hopped beer tastes completely different from a beer brewed with the same dry hops.

Also, when calculating recipes expect to use about 5x as many wet hops to get the same bitterness as hops you're used to purchasing.

Freezing wet hops is fine. As always, try to reduce the amount of air or oxygen when packaging. As with anything, thawing and re-freezing isn't a great idea. Also, I wouldn't expect wet hops to last as long as dried hops at room temp, in the fridge or in the freezer.

 

[Bamsdealer]

Hop Harvest 1

2nd year plants with plenty left on the vines. Cascades from two plants on the screen and Centennials on the cookie sheets. Got 5.5 gallons of Cascades. Any idea what weight this will amount to when dried? I'm guessing at least a half pound.

Notice the giant Cascade hop with leaves growing out of it. I got several like this.

Packaged my hops for the freeze this morning with a vac sealer. I'm pretty happy with the 10oz of cascade and 2oz Centennial I ended up with. As a rule of thumb I've found I get about 2 oz dried hops from each gallon of hops picked. I filled my fermenting bucket with Cascades to the 5.5 gal mark and ended up with exactly 10 oz.

The scary thing is I brew many IPAs topping the 10 oz mark... a fermenter full of hops to brew a fermenter full of beer!

 

[nextgenxx]

2014 Getting closer....


I have some 2013 fresh/wet hops vacuumed sealed froze in my freezer still, seem to be hard as a rock still, maybe I should open them and see what the status is on fresh frozen hops?

 

[bristela]

View attachment 215300
2014 Getting closer....


I have some 2013 fresh/wet hops vacuumed sealed froze in my freezer still, seem to be hard as a rock still, maybe I should open them and see what the status is on fresh frozen hops?

Nice plants

If your hops are vacuum sealed in the freezer, I would leave them be until you need them. Best to keep them as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

Cheers

 

[mattmmille]

Thanks to everyone for the advice on freezing vs. drying. Since I already have this reasonably small amount vacuum sealed and frozen, I'm going to hope for the best and will not take them out of the freezer until ready to drop into the boil. I usually set up to brew about 20 feet from my freezer, so that's no problem. Maybe I'll use the dried ones for dry hopping. Any way, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

 

[MrNic]

My Centennial and Columbus plants are doing pretty good for the first year.


My Columbus has stopped growing up, and is starting to Bush out.


Centennial is still growing up, almost to the roof now. It also has a bunch of cones starting to grow.

 

[tseverance]

2 on left cascades 2 on right are willanette my first attempt at growing hops

 

[EdMerican]

Got what I'm estimating at about 1/4 oz from one of my Columbus bines today. In a week or so I should have a little better than a pound. Perle has done nothing. Cascade is fairly sad. First year Centennial and first year Willamette are both doing a little better than those two. Maybe an ounce or two from everything each, aside from beast mode Columbus. Any ideas to boost flower production on the rest? It may be a bit late in the year to try to combat it now... but something may be worth a shot.

 

[bristela]

Got what I'm estimating at about 1/4 oz from one of my Columbus bines today. In a week or so I should have a little better than a pound. Perle has done nothing. Cascade is fairly sad. First year Centennial and first year Willamette are both doing a little better than those two. Maybe an ounce or two from everything each, aside from beast mode Columbus. Any ideas to boost flower production on the rest? It may be a bit late in the year to try to combat it now... but something may be worth a shot.

If they're first year plants I'd be happy to get any at all. My Willamette gave me three whole cones last year (it's first). This year there's dozens. As long as they're producing a good root system then you should get much improved yield next year.

I wouldn't be surprised if some varieties prioritise root growth over flower production so there may not be much you can do.

It's also possible that they're slightly under nourished some how. I think flower production in some plants (in general) is something they only do if all their other needs are being met. Having said that I think there are others still for whom flower production is a last ditch attempt at survival. I'm not a botanist though (clearly). I don't think hops fall into this latter category.

Have you seen any yellowing of the leaves? Or other signs of malnutrition?

 

[EdMerican]

The Columbus, Perle, and Cascade are 3rd year. The Willamette and Centennial are first years. I have good soil, tilled up a bunch manure into the soil when I transplanted crowns from barrel pots to the ground. I got about a half pound from each variety last year. I admit I was a little lazy in the beginning of the year and let them vine out all over the ground. It was a tangled mess. I had to whack most of it back to the ground.

 

[Strecker25]

First year Cascades from field ready plants ( so I guess technically second yr) they've had cones for two weeks but they're steadily increasing in size.


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[bristela]

The Columbus, Perle, and Cascade are 3rd year. The Willamette and Centennial are first years. I have good soil, tilled up a bunch manure into the soil when I transplanted crowns from barrel pots to the ground. I got about a half pound from each variety last year. I admit I was a little lazy in the beginning of the year and let them vine out all over the ground. It was a tangled mess. I had to whack most of it back to the ground.

When did you transplant them?

I know from bitter experience that they don't enjoy being transplanted. I had about a 90-95% die off when I did it last year just after harvesting (we were moving house, fortunately not very far). They survived though.

If you transplanted them before they started growing again in the spring then they should still have been dormant and presumably not minded as much. On the other hand, you wouldn't have had any outward signs if they had.

Weirdly, I'm having exactly the same problem with my Cascade. It has completely given up on making new cones. There is some new growth lower down on the plant. I've also seen a fair number of dead and withered shoots (see pic). We did have a bit of dry spell and I wasn't that great with making sure they were watered. It's just possible my Cascade is more sensitive to this.

In the same way, it's also possible that the conditions in your garden favour some strains over others.

Hope this helps some.

 

[EdMerican]

They were just out of dormancy. As soon as I saw the first little shoots come up I k ew I had to get them moved. . I tilled the area and plunked the whole root ball with the soil from the pot into big holes I trenched out in the fresh tilled soil. Used a long thin stick to work soil I to any air pockets in the dirt around it and watered them in very well. They did exceedingly well until I tried to untangle them and failed miserably... at which point I gave up and lopped them off at the ground and restarted with new shoots. Between the transplant AND the lopping they may have been a bit stressed... theres always next year.

 

[bristela]

They were just out of dormancy. As soon as I saw the first little shoots come up I k ew I had to get them moved. . I tilled the area and plunked the whole root ball with the soil from the pot into big holes I trenched out in the fresh tilled soil. Used a long thin stick to work soil I to any air pockets in the dirt around it and watered them in very well. They did exceedingly well until I tried to untangle them and failed miserably... at which point I gave up and lopped them off at the ground and restarted with new shoots. Between the transplant AND the lopping they may have been a bit stressed... theres always next year.

As you say, they may have been a bit stressed If they're still alive and growing then they should give you a nice harvest next year. They may still even surprise you later this year. They are very resilient plants.

 

[scutiger]

Man, this thread makes me jealous...

My third year hop plant that I've been taking care of has just one shoot about 4 ft off the ground and looks terrible.

 

[bristela]

Man, this thread makes me jealous...

My third year hop plant that I've been taking care of has just one shoot about 4 ft off the ground and looks terrible.

Do you want to post a photo? You never know, we might be able to help diagnose any problems. I previously grew hops in Houston, so you ought to be able to in South Carolina.

 

[hungry4hops]

3.5 wet pounds of second harvest 3rd year cascades they smell awesome!

 

[drewsk]

Harvest is finally on the horizon! A few more weeks, perhaps.

 

[atimmerman88]

Does anyone recommend a good resource for determining when it's time to harvest?

I'm a first time grower and have 3 plants full of hops. They are starting to feel more paper like than vegetable like and want to be sure I let them mature before picking


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[drewsk]

When the tips start to brown and they crunch like paper when squeezed.

There is this calculator, that I haven't used yet:
http://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/engineering/?Page=hopscalc.html

 

[BigRock947]

First year Crystal Hops...pretty excited considering the late start and the crazy weather in Central Iowa this year.

 

[Strecker25]

Here's another couple shots of my first year cascades. Horizontal growing is a pain in the ass during the initial growth but really cool once cones appear. Hopefully next year they go all the way across.




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[beerinasippicup]

A little late, but here is the update from the ale and metal tv hop garden.

 

[Strecker25]

And one of the whole trellis for perspective. The trellis is about 8 ft tall. The other bed has tomatoes, basil and chiles mostly. Habaneros, jalapeños, and a Carolina reaper.



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[Schecter]

My baby cascade...

 

[dtgrdn]

updated pics of my first year hops, it's looking like a good first year crop!

 

[fuzzy2133]

First year cascade from rhizome. Glad I stopped by the mother in-laws house, might have lost all of the hops. Sorry the second pic is blurry. Last pic is the harvest I was not expecting to get.

 

[Jerf]

Here's my 2 best producers this year. Both first year plants. The first photo are my 2 Cascade plants, the 2nd photo are my 2 Columbus plants. I'm pretty sure I'll have enough for a couple smash IPA's

 

[bristela]

Here's my 2 best producers this year. Both first year plants. The first photo are my 2 Cascade plants, the 2nd photo are my 2 Columbus plants. I'm pretty sure I'll have enough for a couple smash IPA's

Lovely looking plants Can I ask if you saw any male flowers on your Columbus?

Cheers

 

[kirbcheck]

Lovely looking plants Can I ask if you saw any male flowers on your Columbus?

Cheers

I know this question isn't aimed at me, but I have a ton on both of my Columbus plants.

 

[thaymond]

My CTZ has recently hermed out on me. Not sure what the cause of stress is, as she is also, visually, my biggest producer. No herming on Nugget, none on cascade (which was surely my most stressed plant, with watering and root rot issues, along with our weird mild summer) and a few boy parts on my Chinook. I can't quite figure out why, but my high alphas this year went hermie on me.

My CTZ has tons of cones. She also has the same manliness as Chuck Norris... Imagine the harvest if I got all female flowers!

 

[yewtah-brewha]

My hops are not anywhere close to the size of these beasts. Chinnok 2nd year took this pic today, Its only August 8th so I am still hopefull, but I' worries birds will get to them before they reach maturity

 

[day_trippr]

Birds? What kind of birds?

We have a friggin' bird menagerie around here but they never show any interest in the hops...

Cheers!

 

[kirbcheck]

My CTZ has recently hermed out on me. Not sure what the cause of stress is, as she is also, visually, my biggest producer. No herming on Nugget, none on cascade (which was surely my most stressed plant, with watering and root rot issues, along with our weird mild summer) and a few boy parts on my Chinook. I can't quite figure out why, but my high alphas this year went hermie on me.

My CTZ has tons of cones. She also has the same manliness as Chuck Norris... Imagine the harvest if I got all female flowers!

CTZ is by far my best producer too. I've gotten just over 2 oz dried from it so far with 95% still on the plants.

As I understand it, it doesn't take much to stress them into playing for both teams. I'm not too worried about it. I can filter any seeds out before they hit my pump.

 

[bristela]

My CTZ has recently hermed out on me. Not sure what the cause of stress is, as she is also, visually, my biggest producer. No herming on Nugget, none on cascade (which was surely my most stressed plant, with watering and root rot issues, along with our weird mild summer) and a few boy parts on my Chinook. I can't quite figure out why, but my high alphas this year went hermie on me.

My CTZ has tons of cones. She also has the same manliness as Chuck Norris... Imagine the harvest if I got all female flowers!

My understanding is that you will not see both male and female flower on a hop plant if it is diploid not matter how stressed it becomes. They just don't have the genetics for it. Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zeus are triploid and thus can produce both. In my experience, the Columbus must be very sensitive to stress if that's the only reason it produces male flowers. Mine has produced male flowers both last year and this. Last year in particular was very free of stress. It was a first year plant from a rhizome so perhaps that was enough. This year we had a bit of dry spell, during which I wasn't that great about watering them.

I have been picking the male flowers off as soon as I see them as I don't want them pollinating my other varieties and having them go to seed. I suspect that is not good for hop cone yield. Don't know for sure though. On the other hand, great if you actually want to breed your own hop varieties.

If you're interested, I've written a post on complicated plant sex.

 

[weirdbeerguy]

8ozs today off of my Cascade. Pulled 4ozs earlier and have at least that much left with new burrs still forming.

 

[1fast636]

Can't waitin get home and see what my centennial is doing they were starting to smell amazing before we left and getting fat as hell. Pic coming tomorrow

 

[kirbcheck]

I have been picking the male flowers off as soon as I see them as I don't want them pollinating my other varieties and having them go to seed. I suspect that is not good for hop cone yield. Don't know for sure though. On the other hand, great if you actually want to breed your own hop varieties.

If you're interested, I've written a post on complicated plant sex.

I was under the impression that male flowers from a hermaphroditic hop plant were sterile. Therefore, it's unnecessary to pick the males to prevent cross pollination.

I could easily be wrong, just thought I read that somewhere.

 

[sablesurfer]

Chinook came down today. (Columbus just seems to not want to dry for picking, so maybe next week.)

 

[sablesurfer]

8ozs today off of my Cascade.
View attachment 216687

Those look very green still. They don't even look to be at the papery stage.

When does everyone pick their stuff? I have been very selective about picking ones that only feel a bit crunchy less springy dense.