2016 Hop Growing Thread

Joel626 · Aug 8, 2016

I found these hops in my neighborhood. Anyone have an idea of what kind they could be? I am attaching picture. Any help would be great.

SteveHeff · Aug 9, 2016

My babies after some fertilizer 1 month ago. Almost ready to go.

SteveHeff · Aug 9, 2016

Joel626 said:
I found these hops in my neighborhood. Anyone have an idea of what kind they could be? I am attaching picture. Any help would be great.

Can't tell from the photo but you may want to knock on that person's door and find out what the heck they used on those fellas. Those are monsters. Seriously, though...ask them. I'm impressed.

jleiii · Aug 9, 2016

Joel626 said:
I found these hops in my neighborhood. Anyone have an idea of what kind they could be? I am attaching picture. Any help would be great.

That's a pretty unique leaf shape. Might be a clue as to what they are. I don't have a clue though.

lzrdkng14 · Aug 9, 2016

12 oz of crispy centennial. I'll be splitting these into brown and green bagsView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470795962.657192.jpg

lzrdkng14 · Aug 9, 2016

And fyi, these were green last weekend but I had bad timing of heat / dry in SE PA. Add in my road trip through mass, Portland me, and NH/Vermont and it makes for some dried up hops.

I did get a nice collection during my trip...
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470797099.715934.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470797116.892129.jpg

BaylessBrewer · Aug 10, 2016

Harvested some of my cascades today. I would say there's still about the same amount out on another plant that isn't ready yet. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876712.550604.jpg View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876727.104370.jpg
And all of my Centennial. It didn't produce like the cascades did buy they are all first year plants so next year should be better. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876783.181612.jpg View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1470876796.005762.jpg

Rypcord · Aug 10, 2016

Harvest time:

I know people say you check them for 'spring-y-ness', but is that the only indicator? I have some tiny cones and some big cones, their all springy, is there any other kinds of indicators that their ready to harvest?

RiffRaff · Aug 10, 2016

I harvested the large cones last weekend and I have about a shoebox full of cascade. I was on vacation and when I got back they were starting to turn brown so I picked the large ones and when I broke them open there was not very much lupulin in them. They Don't Really smell like hops either more just a plant type odor. Is there anything I can do to increase the lupulin in the remaining cones? I fertilizedfertilized several times with a product called gusher which is designed for plants which contain oil glands (the hydroponic medical marijuana people). But don't know of anything else I could have done to increase the content. My centennial is almost ready to harvest and it has a lot more hops aroma than the Cascade. I'm in the San Joaquin Valley area of California. So it is inhumanely hot here.

Rypcord · Aug 11, 2016

These are my cascades currently on the vine (first year). Are they ready to be picked?

GreatBeerTour · Aug 11, 2016

Are they ready to be picked?- likely not- if you want to know for sure, pop one off and inspect. The pic further up looks close- this is a chinook from this morning - still quite green and smells of grass more than hop.

wtaylor3 · Aug 11, 2016

Found a hop plant supplier that I believe has fair prices for the plants (not rhizomes)

My question is will they survive a Michigan winter if I plant them this late?

eformo · Aug 11, 2016

Hop plant on the left has great cones, it happened overnight from flower to cone. In Northwest, what is the estimate on how long from time cones are formed to time they need to be picked? I'm hoping not within the next 2 weeks.

jabba11 · Aug 11, 2016

I don't think its a matter of when the cones form to when they are ready fwiw. Mine have had cones on them most of the summer and most are still not quite ready

Kozwald · Aug 12, 2016

Picked all my plants within the last week, Centennial, Willow Creek, Chinook and Cascade.

Got almost 5lbs of Cascade and 2.6lbs of Chinook, both wet.
It's amazing the amount of water the cones hold. I dried the Chinook and ended with only 11oz from the 2.6lbs.

Chinook on the left and Cascade on the right.

Johntodd · Aug 12, 2016

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I get to post now!

Stand by to be wowed! :rockin:

I just harvested 148 grams wet of first-year Brewer's Gold!

Thanks!
-Johntodd

Brizzo · Aug 12, 2016

Kozwald said:
Picked all my plants within the last week, Centennial, Willow Creek, Chinook and Cascade.

Got almost 5lbs of Cascade and 2.6lbs of Chinook, both wet.

It's amazing the amount of water the cones hold. I dried the Chinook and ended with only 11oz from the 2.6lbs.

Chinook on the left and Cascade on the right.

What are your thoughts on the willow creek?

dazed · Aug 12, 2016

Rypcord said:
Harvest time:

I know people say you check them for 'spring-y-ness', but is that the only indicator? I have some tiny cones and some big cones, their all springy, is there any other kinds of indicators that their ready to harvest?

Check out University of Vermont Page...some good info.
Also Look for GVH Dan posts (he has some good info)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfUYXu4-0-s&feature=plcp[/ame]

http://blog.uvm.edu/hoppenin/2012/08/24/hop-harvest-readiness/

https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/engineering/?Page=hopscalc.html

Also available at bottom of (last link) page is downloadable spreadsheet xml file.

Cheers!

dazed · Aug 12, 2016

Johntodd said:
Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I get to post now!

Stand by to be wowed! :rockin:

I just harvested 148 grams wet of first-year Brewer's Gold!

Thanks!
-Johntodd

That was my first hop 15 years ago...never used it (don't think its popular anymore/and short storage life IIRC), and I cant kill it, It keeps comming back.

Let us know how it worked out(tasted/smelled) after you brew with it.(Im curious)

Cheers!

heLLbent · Aug 12, 2016

IME excessive nitrates and watering anytime after mid summer will give you a lighter crop and the cones will have less smell and flavor. My first few years I babied the hops, then after they were well established I just give them a little ammonium nitrate (for an early kick) and urea (available to the plant later in the season). The rhizomes (roots) can be 12'-15' on an established stand, so with our clay loam soil I do not water much.
A plant or tree that is water excessively will establish most of its feeder roots in the shallow ground causing the plant to be more susceptible to winter and drought damage.
Plants and trees that have just enough fertilizer and water will produce better quantity and quality than over fertilized over watered plants, best to stay on the low side imho!

Don't see as much side shoot activity with deep clay loam soil and 25' building to scale. Would like to try a little summer pre-bud pruning to get more side growth, is this a bad idea?

lzrdkng14 · Aug 12, 2016

heLLbent said:
Don't see as much side shoot activity with deep clay loam soil and 25' building to scale. Would like to try a little summer pre-bud pruning to get more side growth, is this a bad idea?

I'm wondering the same thing. We're in the midst of the hot & humid stretch in PA and I just harvested two of my plants last week. Considering picking the two Zeus plants. I'll post pics in the morning.

My cascade still has a healthy crop of flowers. The centennial is pretty bare but I'm hoping I'll get a second wave. Assuming some minor pruning and blood and/or bone meal would help?

Thanks

SteveHeff · Aug 13, 2016

GreatBeerTour said:
Are they ready to be picked?- likely not- if you want to know for sure, pop one off and inspect. The pic further up looks close- this is a chinook from this morning - still quite green and smells of grass more than hop.

Give them another 1-2 weeks. You should be able to smell significant lupulin. From the photo, the lupulin does not look like it's quite there, yet. But be patient. Post another pic next week and compare the two.

Kozwald · Aug 13, 2016

Brizzo said:
What are your thoughts on the willow creek?

Not sure about the Willow Creek. They had a light lemony/grassy smell when dried. My first brew with them is in the primary right now. I used the Willow Creek @ 15, 10 and 5 minutes and when transferring to the primary there was a unique citrus smell. I'm still trying to put my finger on the smell. I'll be moving to secondary tomorrow, I'll post the results.

lzrdkng14 · Aug 13, 2016

Johntodd · Aug 13, 2016

I'm sure this question has been asked and I've missed it:

You folks growing your hops way up into the sky, how do you harvest?

Ladder? Rope/pulley to lower the bines back down? Cut the ropes and re-string every spring?

Thanks!
-Johntodd

lzrdkng14 · Aug 13, 2016

I've been using the ladder on the plants growing up the wall.

corkybstewart · Aug 14, 2016

To promote side shoots pinch off the growth tip of the bines. Once it can't grow higher it puts on the side shoots.

Kozwald · Aug 14, 2016

Brizzo said:
What are your thoughts on the willow creek?

Brizzo
Just moved the beer to secondary and the sample has a very unique citrus flavor. Can't decide if it's grapefruit or pineapple.

lzrdkng14 · Aug 14, 2016

Picked some of my centennial today and I think I may have jumped the gun. Got about 20 wet oz. Not getting much aroma from these things. Going to let them sit for a couple of days and see how the smell after they've dried out a bit.

There are still plenty of small flowers on these plants so I should get another decent harvest in a month or so.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471219727.294687.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471219738.593619.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471219749.779031.jpg

LoopeyLoon · Aug 14, 2016

The brewery I work at asked me to do a R and D batch. We changed the yeast on a beer we do already. Well this is it with a fresh cascade hop fresh on the bine. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471226643.487015.jpg

2016 Hop Growing Thread

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