First year Cascades, when will they smell like hops?!

[dockmasterjc]

My vines have plenty of cones for about a month, some are just getting brown at the edges, the lupulin seems pale yellow and the don't smell yet! Will I have to wait for next year?

 

[cuinrearview]

Pull off a cone, get your fingers into the cone and smash some of the glands by rubbing them between your fingers. You want them to be a bit yellow and stinky(your fingers). Smell your fingers and I bet it's the second best that they've ever smelled.

 

[ChuckinWA]

Smell your fingers and I bet it's the second best that they've ever smelled.

Now that's funny!!

 

[stevea1210]

Is cotton candy the best thing they've smelled? Cause that is some tasty stuff.

 

[Fingers]

Is cotton candy the best thing they've smelled? Cause that is some tasty stuff.

I believe he's referring to bacon.

 

[AnonyBrew]

Yeah they have to be squeezed to get the smells.

 

[Nostrildamus]

I find that there's a one to two week window in which the harvest is optimal. The cones will brown at the tips and the lupulin turns golden NOT yellow. By the sounds of it, your cones are probably still looking light green and are relatively tight (the leaves haven't splayed out). It's still a little early.

My Cascades and Nuggets are late as well but my Willamettes are done. Seems like each type of hop favours varying conditions so let them stand on the vine until you get the darker colored lupulin. At this point, they will definitely smell like hops.

 

[Joe Camel]

I'm guessing then that bacon, hops and cotton candy together would melt my brain