Hop Cones Turning Brown

[Flatspin]

I have a second year centennial hop plant in my back yard that looks like it might be ready to harvest soon. This surprises me a bit because it is still so early in the year.
Here are a couple pics. The first is the plant, showing some of the hops starting to brown. The second is one of those hops cut in half showing the lupulin inside.

Let me know what you think. Are these ready to pick or should I wait a couple weeks?

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

I picked my cent about 2-3 weeks ago. How do they feel. Smell. Lup bright yellow or getting mustard look??

 

[Flatspin]

I picked my cent about 2-3 weeks ago. How do they feel. Smell. Lup bright yellow or getting mustard look??

The cones feel pretty papery. When I squeeze one between my fingers it bounces back, but slowly.

I can get a hop aroma from them, but it's not terribly strong. Not having a real harvest from them until this year, I'm not sure how strong they actually will smell when they are ripe.

The lupulin is definitely yellow, but not really a dark yellow.

As I'm answering your questions I am thinking that these might still need another week, the brown bracts on several of the cones just throws me off a bit.

 

[TangoHotel]

I harvested some sunbeam and got 3 oz about 2 weeks ago. I'm hoping I can wait out harvesting on the others until the end of august. They were getting brown on the bracts, papery, a little pungent, and some yellow lupulin. I hope I didn't jump the gun, but I'll be trying those out in a SMaSH for a golden ale soon. If it looks ready and feels ready, it's probably ready.

 

[Flatspin]

So here's a follow-up question. What effect does leaving hop cones on the bine too long have on their flavor?

 

[day_trippr]

They can develop oniony/garlicky characters that aren't usually what we're going for. And if you let them go further than that, you'll be hopping with cheese - which is always undesirable

Cheers!

 

[TangoHotel]

So here's a follow-up question. What effect does leaving hop cones on the bine too long have on their flavor?

What day-trippr said. Garlic and onion beer sounds gross. So goes cheese beer. Avoid at all costs.

 

[Flatspin]

I've heard of the onion/garlic issue in certain varieties (Summit comes to mind). Does this flavor come on quickly or does it take a few weeks?