Hops and Bugs...

[ToddStark]

Harvested my hops this year, for first time. I tossed them into a food dehydrator and to my surprise the cones were quite full of different bugs. The temperature didn't seem hot enough to kill the bugs but they did seem to be gathering at the top of the dehydrator.

Now I am 99% sure I have nothing to worry about from the bugs because all the hops got frozen and then when I am ready to use they will be boiled. I highly doubt anything will survive that.

My question is, do you guys do anything to try and remove the bugs from the cones before you dry them out? (I want nothing to do with pesticides).

 

[nagmay]

Lots of small green/grey bugs? Sound like aphids - they are really common and it won't matter if a few stick around when you brew.

Next year there are several organic ways to reduce the number of aphids (and the damage they cause):

• Strip the lower leaves on from the bine
• Introduce/encourage predators like ladybugs
• Spray the plants with a hose a week or 2 prior to harvest.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Bugs and the great outdoors! I harvested for a wet hopped Hefe and I the process I discovered I had red spider mites, and I also saw an interesting greenish spider hiding perfectly camouflaged on the cones. Like you said op they go into the boil hence are no problem, but when we bring then in to dry, the bugs are going to go somewhere. Many people build an oast (sp?) to us in a garage or shed.

 

[Apimyces]

Harvested my hops this year, for first time. I tossed them into a food dehydrator and to my surprise the cones were quite full of different bugs. The temperature didn't seem hot enough to kill the bugs but they did seem to be gathering at the top of the dehydrator.

Now I am 99% sure I have nothing to worry about from the bugs because all the hops got frozen and then when I am ready to use they will be boiled. I highly doubt anything will survive that.

My question is, do you guys do anything to try and remove the bugs from the cones before you dry them out? (I want nothing to do with pesticides).

Bugs at the top of the dehydrator means bugs out of the cones! So yay!

If the temps in the dehydrator were high enough to kill the bugs, they'd be too high to maintain the quality of the hops though.

Maybe bugs contribute to "terroir"