First hop harvest-need help with drying issue

[Pelican521]

I harvested some of my cascade hops yesterday and put them on a screen in my furnace room last night. Being a first year plant the yield was very minimal but I'd still like to throw them in a brew, at least for the novelty.

When I went to check on them today, all their leaves have "opened up" and they have seemed to be totally dried out just overnight.

Is it normal for the leave to open up like this when drying?

 

[johngaltsmotor]

It likely means they weren't completely ready to be harvested. Normally on the bine they will open up as they come to maturity and prepared to dry out naturally.
They do get extremely wide open when dried though - think of a pine cone all clamped down when it falls vs all splayed out after lying there for a few weeks.

 

[Pelican521]

ok thanks. I thought they were ready but being my first time growing, maybe they could have gone longer.

They were very papery and sprung back to shape when I squeezed them. I was getting worried since some of the leaves on the hops themselves were turning brown. They smell pretty good now that they dried a bit.

I don't have my camera to take a shot but here's a shot of dried hops that I googled that looks exactly how mine look after being on the screen just overnight. Could they have dried too quickly? I can't imagine my furnace room getting over 85-90 degrees...Just a noob here...

 

[vraftsman]

I'm about to pick some first year hops myself....Subscribed

 

[hogwash]

They were very papery and sprung back to shape when I squeezed them. I was getting worried since some of the leaves on the hops themselves were turning brown.

They were ready to be picked then. Mine open up too when they dry. I doubt they dried too quickly. It usually takes a few days for mine but all I do is lay them out on plates. Its been pretty rainy lately too so there's some humidity in the atmosphere. If they smell good and you can see the yellow lupulin crystals then you're all set.

 

[Pelican521]

Think I might have ruined my first harvest they were dry as a bone after leaving them in my furnace room overnight. I guess it gets hotter in there than I realized this time of year.

Now, they barely have an aroma to them. Live and learn I guess. I'm just glad I learned on my first plant I harvested. My Centennial still has a week or two to mature as well as my nugget.

Think these are still good to use even though they dried so quickly at the hot temps?

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

How hot are we talking?

It takes considerably heat to "ruin" hops. I doubt it was so hot that it affected the lupulin.

If you crush one of the ones between your hands and roll it around and smell it in your hands you should smell something.

 

[hogwash]

I'd still use them if only for being able to say "I used my homegrown hops in this beer." Throw them in with a late boil addition, they won't hurt it unless they smell bad.

 

[Pelican521]

Yeah, I guess i can still smell the aroma a bit. I'll crush one up and check it out, I don't have many cones left though being such a small first year harvest.

I think I'll throw them in a ziplock and put them in the freezer.

Thx guys