Fresh Hop issue

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archthered

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I am fairly new to growing hops, this year I finally should have a small amount of home grown hops that I can use. I was planning on a fresh/wet hop IPA/Pale Ale depending on just how much I get. I only have one bine producing hops and basically want to harvest them and throw them straight in to wort. That said it looks like some hops will be ready for harvest before the others. I am afraid that just leaving the ripe hops on the bine while the rest ripen will degrade their quality, though feel free to correct me on that. I am unsure of the best way to deal with this issue, I was thinking of harvesting the early hops at peak and then putting them in the fridge or freezer but I'm not sure that won't affect the flavor and I'm not sure which will best preserve the fresh hop elements. Additionally there is probably another solution that what I am thinking so please offer any thoughts.

And because I feel like someone will ask, though I don't think its relevant, here is a bit more background. I live in Missouri and have a second year chinook plant that is probably around 20+ feet long. It dosen't have a ton of cones, unless there's alot hiding high up where I can't see it, but it should do the trick for one 5 gal batch.
 
I’ve always read that you shouldn’t freeze fresh hops. I’ve also heard that you shouldn’t keep them more than 48 hours in the fridge (although I don’t necessarily believe this one).
I make one batch of rye pale wet hop batch per year and have always picked at one time. Some are turning brown when I do this but the beer always turns out great. If they are too brown or rotten looking, throw those out for the order of the good!

Don’t make it hard on yourself and pick once. IMO.

Good luck, I’m sure the beer will be great.

If you doubt your method, take a close look at the whole hops you buy at the brew stores- you’ll start to see all the stems, leafs and brown hops that are thrown in the mix.
 
Agreed on picking once.

Use pellets (Warrior, Nugget, Magnum etc.) or so for 60' bittering, as you don't know the AA% of your homegrown.
Add your fresh wet hops in the whirlpool, way after flameout, when the wort has chilled to 150F (160-170F at maximum). Let steep for 30-40' with a good stir every 5 minutes or so. Keep kettle covered with a lid in between. Then chill to ferm temps.

You could use wet hops that weren't quite ready yet from a 2nd harvest a week or so later and use those for dry hopping after your beer is done fermenting. Leave on dry hops for 3-5 days. Dry hops "make" your IPA aromatic and full of flavor. Then package.
 
I’ve also heard that you shouldn’t keep them more than 48 hours in the fridge (although I don’t necessarily believe this one).

You're right not to believe it's OK to leave them 48 hours - it's much less than that. The most experienced commercial brewer of green hop beers I know, reckons that ideally you want to be in the wort within 4 hours of picking, and by 12 hours they're only good for compost. Take that FWIW - all I can say is that almost nothing tastes like the green hop beers from hop-growing country, even good brewers away from the farms don't seem to capture the X-factor of what makes green hop beer great - except for one or two that I know do all they can to minimise the time between picking and wort.

It can be perfectly nice beer, but it doesn't have that special something that comes from using properly fresh hops.

+1 on staggering the harvest when dry hopping. Alternatively dry the first lot and use them in the copper, then use fresh-picked ones in whirlpool/dry.
 
Agreed on picking once.

Use pellets (Warrior, Nugget, Magnum etc.) or so for 60' bittering, as you don't know the AA% of your homegrown.
Add your fresh wet hops in the whirlpool, way after flameout, when the wort has chilled to 150F (160-170F at maximum). Let steep for 30-40' with a good stir every 5 minutes or so. Keep kettle covered with a lid in between. Then chill to ferm temps.
.
My first harvest as well. I decided to learn something about the hops so I used fresh hops exclusively from bitter through whirlpool. Buy using another bittering hop you will add a variable that you will not be able to distinguish. Worst case is you are a bit under hopped (OMG) and you have learned a lot about your crop.
 
My first harvest as well. I decided to learn something about the hops so I used fresh hops exclusively from bitter through whirlpool. Buy using another bittering hop you will add a variable that you will not be able to distinguish. Worst case is you are a bit under hopped (OMG) and you have learned a lot about your crop.
I should have been clearer.
If your fresh hop harvest is smallish or limited, don't waste those hops on bittering and early boil additions. Boiling them for 20-60' will leave very little of their unique flavor and aroma. You're better off using a dedicated bittering hop for those, saving the precious wet hops for much, much later, where flavor and aroma count the most.
 
I plan on using a bittering hop unless I get a ton more hops than expected, which is highly unlikely. Next year, assuming I get enough hops, I plan on experimenting to see what ball part my hops are in so I can use them for that as well.
 
The whole point of green hops is the volatile compounds that are normally lost when drying them. So it's stupid to use them during the boil, which will kill all the flavour compounds normally lost in drying, unless you have plenty to spare.
 

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