Are these hops ready?
- Thread starter zrule
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Celticway
Well-Known Member
They look pretty good. How is the nose? I like to wait until there is a very slight browning on the edge of one or two leaves of the cone.
KevyWevy
Well-Known Member
I agree ^ I'd say let them go a little longer, not quite yellow enough for me 
I'm in Aurora IL, my Chinook look similar. I'm letting them wait. I am starting to harvest around them. I'll probably do them last.
RugenBrau
Well-Known Member
Great pics and a great post. As a first time hop grower this was a great help
My centennial is also dry, but I haven't harvested anything. I just got my vacuum bags on Friday. I'm going to start walking the suburban hop yard and pick something to start with. My Fuggle or Centennial are probably the first to come down. The fall harvest probably starts tomorrow after work. Ironically, a lot of my plants seem to have a second growth started and I may try to harvest off the bine and see if I can get a tiny second harvest. Depending on variety, some hops are just starting to burr. I'll look tomorrow and report back with a better list of what's ready and what's not.
Oh yeah, your pics are fantastic.
Oh yeah, your pics are fantastic.
Hey Retro, I am west of you about 45 minutes just off 88. Have you been to the roundhouse since Two Brothers bought it?
Off subject but I want to make a fresh hop beer, but haven't a clue as to how much to use. Same as a regular batch?
My wife's camera...takes great macro shots.
Where did you get your vacuum bags. I have been using the food saver bags with the vacuum sealer.
Off subject but I want to make a fresh hop beer, but haven't a clue as to how much to use. Same as a regular batch?
My wife's camera...takes great macro shots.
Where did you get your vacuum bags. I have been using the food saver bags with the vacuum sealer.
The first three photos and the last are my cascades. The fourth is my Chinook. The Chinooks did not branch out like the rest and will probably have less than half of the Cascades. My Centennial were even less. These are all second year hops. You can see at the top of the bines the damage from the beetles this year. For some reason they stayed at the top. I didn't really feel the beetles were that bad. When I shake the bines maybe 5-6 beetles will fly out. I need to come up with a sprayer that will reach to top. My wife says a supersoaker.
tchuklobrau
Well-Known Member
very nice. almost jealous.
Nope... Definitely Jealous... mmmmmmmmm IPA.
Zrule I'm at work. I respond about two brothers and wet hops. I live at 88 and 31. Were "almost" neighbors.
Hey,
Two Brothers: What the brothers did was basically toss the elements of the Round house out that were failures. That is, the food and the beer. The place looks the same, but I think they are dismantling the brew system. They are bringing in beer from Warrenville (Two Brothers Brewery) It's almost redundant to run the Roundhouse equipment.
If you have been to the Tap House, the restaurant in Two Brothers, the new Roundhouse has the same menu. Currently they are only selling Two Brothers beer. No Payton beers (which were forgettable), not outsider products (Miller/Busch/whatever). No guest beers. Just Two Brothers beers.
I had a good time. Mike the old brewer served our meal. Awkward?
So.... I liked it. And I think they could grow. Payton's Roundhouse had atmosphere, but disappointing meals and forgettable beer. There is room for growth and if the Brothers host beer events, Aurora might become a beer town.
Fresh hops or Wet Hops. You should use FIVE times the normal amount.
So if it calls for 1 ounce, you should use FIVE.
This is because hops are mainly water and if you put 'wet' hops in your beer and don't compensate for the water you won't pick up anything.
I've got to say, your hops are producing MUCH more than my own, and I'm the hop king of Aurora IL. Ok, I may be the only grower, but my buddies drop their jaws when they see my hops and you have so much more than me!
You can probably afford to make a wet hop beer. If your gun shy about burning all your hops in one brew I have an alternate idea. I am going to a hop harvest in Wisconsin and I will have fresh hops the day after. The plan is to brew a beer less than 24 hours after harvest. Because I've 'got a guy' I can do that. I don't think any of the mail orders can deliver that fast. If your interested PM and I can give you more details. I made this offer to the Aurora club and no takers. They aren't hop heads. Sigh....
Concerning vacuum bags. EBAY.
I just got them and I'm on the fence. I haven't used them yet and I'm use to the Food Saver kind. They have the cross hatch lines on one side and smooth on the other. The bags I bought advertised lined on both sides, but it's just one line- no cross hatch. So are single lines on both sides better than cross hatch on one side? I dunno. They were pretty cheap. I think about 200 for $50? I forget. They SEEM good but I haven't started harvest yet. I'll know more in a week.
I like to home grow hops and herbs, brew, and meet people. If your interested in the wet hops, brewing, having a beer some time- PM me.
