Hop Harvest?

[Jordan71017]

I read somewhere that the hop harvest season is from the middle of August through the middle of September. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, when do the hops usually become available for sale? Is there a different harvest time for different kinds of hops? I would like to buy a pound or two of Simcoe as soon as they come out so I have enough for a few batches before they sell out. Would you even tell me the truth if you knew or do you want all the Simcoe hops for yourself you greedy b@$t@rd? JK

 

[temptnmonkey]

I asked this exact same question a week ago and got little response, lol.

From what I've gathered, check hop sellers from October - December. It will come and go I'm sure. You can also call hop sellers directly.

 

[DarkBrood]

Depends on where they're grown. After harvest, they'll need to be processed and either dehydrated and vaccuum-sealed or dried, crushed, and pelletized, all of which can add up to a month between actual harvest and ready-for-sale. Then they fill pre-orders from the big breweries with budgets for that. Then they fill up local breweries. Then the distributors get their chance to get at them and try to buy up anything that's left. Then starts another round of filling pre-orders to breweries, pre-orders to big distributors like NB and BBB. What little is left is either stockpiled for raised prices once the circulating stock is gone or resold to the smaller distributors.

Realistically, your best bet is probably to contact the smaller niche-growers directly...folks like Nico, RNV, etc. A few of them will even allow homebrewers to preorder small amounts before the harvest.

Then again, I hear Australia is starting to experiment with Simcoe and Amarillo...maybe someone down there would part with a rhizome or two?

 

[Jordan71017]

Much appreciated.

 

[DarkBrood]

Border Brew Supply here in NH just got Simcoe pellets in....keep your eyes peeled, they're startin' to flow!