tons of free hops questions.

[basilchef]

I have access to alot of free hops, they are wet and very large. How do I utilize these hops now so I can brew with them in a month? Also, how does one wet hop a brew (more hops)? They are cones now and havnt been picked. Do I need to worry about anything bad from using these hops? Please send any and all info on hops my direction. Thanks cheers

 

[Jroy]

I could help you use them up if thats what you mean...

 

[BRONCOBREW]

I have access to alot of free hops, they are wet and very large. How do I utilize these hops now so I can brew with them in a month? Also, how does one wet hop a brew (more hops)? They are cones now and havnt been picked. Do I need to worry about anything bad from using these hops? Please send any and all info on hops my direction. Thanks cheers

Rule of Thumb: 5 ounces of wet hops = 1 ounce of dry.
Important to remember that hops need to be dried within 24 hours of picking.

 

[tchuklobrau]

Also if you are going to use wet hops in a brew dont use em in the boil longer than 30 min. I did this once used em from start of boil to finish and the end result was a grassy nasty dumper. Made another one and only used the wet hops from the 30 min mark on, perfection.

 

[RobertRGeorge]

They do need to be dried properly to be stored. I have gotten some very large window screens like are used for sliding glass doors, and spread the hops out on them. I have a small garage that gets pretty warm inside at harvest time, so I put them in there. I raise the screens up off the floor with blocks at the corners for air circulation through them. In warm weather the hops are dry enough to store in two or three days. I pack them tightly in ziplock freezer bags, sucking the air out before the final seal, and store them in the freezer with labels showing date and variety. They easily last a couple of years that way.

 

[basilchef]

Rule of Thumb: 5 ounces of wet hops = 1 ounce of dry.
Important to remember that hops need to be dried within 24 hours of picking.

thanks, how do you dry them? just let them sit out?

 

[bigbeergeek]

You can always freeze wet hops if you want to delay brewing a wet hop ale, BTW.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

A box fan and filters/screens dries them in a day:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/hop-dry-picture-tutorial-134103/

 

[basilchef]

A box fan and filters/screens dries them in a day:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/hop-dry-picture-tutorial-134103/

thanks the link was very helpful. i think ill do that. i am moving soon so im gonna dry them and freeze them. im thinking ill freeze some wet ones too. i was wondering though if hops have a lesser effect if picked young? they arent all growing at the same rate and want to get as many as poss. - thanks cheers

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

thanks the link was very helpful. i think ill do that. i am moving soon so im gonna dry them and freeze them. im thinking ill freeze some wet ones too. i was wondering though if hops have a lesser effect if picked young? they arent all growing at the same rate and want to get as many as poss. - thanks cheers

You probably don't want to pick them young. It's like a fruit. You have to wait until the lupulin has been produced. It would probably be a waste picking young. This video has a good example of the "feel" of a hop ready to be picked:

 

[basilchef]

You probably don't want to pick them young. It's like a fruit. You have to wait until the lupulin has been produced. It would probably be a waste picking young. This video has a good example of the "feel" of a hop ready to be picked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVxuVzDz_L0

great vid!