using homegrown hops

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

So when you guys add your own homegrown hops do you just throw the flowers in whole? Crush 'em up? or what?

I'm curious if the whole hop flower will allow the flavor to be extracted or if it needs to be "released".

 

[Kaz]

I vacuum seal and freeze all my homegrown hops, so they are kind of crushed up to begin with. I would think that as long as they are dried out well, they will fall apart all on their own in the kettle or carboy if dry hopping.

 

[day_trippr]

The less handling the better, imo. Out of the freezer, into the brew, and hope nothing crawls out...

Cheers!

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

I dehydrated my hops, but they didn't fall apart. I guess that's kinda why I was asking.

I could see some advantage with them staying whole throughout the boil since I could decant it off easier. But I don't want it to come at the cost of taste.

 

[Sithdad]

I got some whole fresh cascade from my lhbs, who was giving them out, and I just threw the whole cone in.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Apparently you guys have only used pellets? You use the homegrown just like the store-bought whole hops. Just weigh them out and then chuck them in at the appropriate times. I've used whole hops since the beginning (around '85) and find that if they get crushed up prior to use they tend to clog up the filter on my siphon tube. I guess if it's different to you it'll take some time to get used to.

 

[wyzazz]

As B-Hoppy stated above, for whole hops (homegrown are whole) just toss the cones in as you would any pellets. The biggest difference is the amount of wort that the cones will suck up. Depending on how hop heavy your recipe is you may want to account for an extra .25gal - .5gal lost to the whole hops, personally I just do 6gal batches and anything over 5gals in a keg is "extra" for me.

 

[Gridlocked]

the last episode of BTV is all about home-grown hops:
http://www.brewingtv.com/episodes/2011/9/23/brewing-tv-episode-45-hop-madness-2011.html

I dry them, Vacuum seal and freeze them and just dump them in. Last year was the first time I'd used them and I didn't account for them soaking up so much liquid. I had to pour the slop into a sanitized bucket lined with a nylon bag, squeeze the sack (ah-hum) and pour that into the carboy. It turned out REALLY cloudy - like putting creamer in coffee but it all dropped out after fermentation.

here's a thread I posted which shows the hop additions and the aftermath.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/curious-about-using-home-grown-hops-215200/