HOPS Anybody into Hops?

[ascast]

HOPS Anybody into Hops? As title says, I have some growing around the place. I picked most today. Anybody have GURU status here?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I grow Cascade Hops (one plant) on a 25 foot tall trellis.

267396

[Pipefitter]

Not into growing them, but I have put a few pounds of hops through the brewing kettle.

[robg]

like mine in beer

[ascast]

ok I have a few plants that are survivors of the great blights that wiped out the New York industry around WWl, or prior 1880. I have picked about a bushel. Now what?

[KLR]

I grow Cascade Hops (one plant) on a 25 foot tall trellis.

267396

Dang, that one looks healthy. How are you going to harvest it?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

ok I have a few plants that are survivors of the great blights that wiped out the New York industry around WWl, or prior 1880. I have picked about a bushel. Now what?

They need to be dried/dehydrated, best done within 24 hours of harvest.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Dang, that one looks healthy. How are you going to harvest it?

The trellis is hinged, I have a winch to lower it like a railroad crossing gate arm...then pick while standing on the ground.

[KLR]

Nice!

I started this year with five different varieties. My posts are only 18' tall. The cascade made it to about 12'.
I ended up with enough hops to brew one small batch.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Qf9S8Cx/0/66cdd866/XL/i-Qf9S8Cx-XL.jpg (https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-DCrTNJ/i-Qf9S8Cx/A)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Nice!

I started this year with five different varieties. My posts are only 18' tall. The cascade made it to about 12'.
I ended up with enough hops to brew one small batch.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Qf9S8Cx/0/66cdd866/XL/i-Qf9S8Cx-XL.jpg (https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-DCrTNJ/i-Qf9S8Cx/A)

That looks very much like the Commerical setup...Looks nice, do you pick from a Ladder? or tractor bucket?

[KLR]

That looks very much like the Commerical setup...Looks nice, do you pick from a Ladder? or tractor bucket?

There are loops on each pole and a rope runs through the loops and down the posts where it's wound around a couple of pegs. I unwind the rope and lower the bines to picking height.

[Ozark mike]

Theres a bunch of em over in idaho up near porthill

[brewer12345]

Where I live at the 40th parallel or so, traditional humulus lupulus is marginal at best because it wants longer day lengths (and more water). So those vines have never really produced and next spring I will be evicting them from their choice spots in the yard. However, humulus neomexicanus (New Mexican hops) is ideally suited for my climate and holy cow have the vines been doing great this year. The big one in the backyard made it to the second story gutters and produced the biggest crop yet. The little vine in the front yard didn't grow that high, but produced its first crop and the cones were almost 3 inches long.

Pick them and dry them promptly.

[Handloader109]

Use a small dehydrator. I grew for several years in central MS. Used in my brews, worked well for aroma, Put some in a pillowcase if you can't sleep...

[jdfoxinc]

I thought you ment gun cleaner.

[bedbugbilly]

Very interesting thread! Any of you have a photo or two you could post of the hops you pick to show what they look like?

[Pipefitter]

Little (1" or so) green pine cones.

[brewer12345]

Little (1" or so) green pine cones.

You also want to see the yellow lupulin glands and when you gently squeeze a cone it should be slightly resiny feeling and smell good.

[Three44s]

Hops?

..... lookin’ for hops?

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=PRKx%2FkuK&id=E0367D6E1F39FF3120A5D6F1578C01A0BCE7F370&thid=OIP.PRKx_kuKLrKQZHOic5mvqQHaE9&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fspiritsandhops.files.wordpr ess.com%2F2016%2F07%2Fhop5.jpg&exph=1006&expw=1500&q=hops+yakima&simid=607991258440271460&ck=434D586CD389045D8CC58C786D772A43&selectedindex=8&form=IRPRST&vt=4&sim=11

My family raised hops for years. I think the last ones were pulled out in the early 70’s by my uncle. My father pulled our “yards” in ‘67.

Very few buyers then, many growers. An easy recipe for price manipulation against the farmers.

Three44s

[bikerbeans]

I would like to buy a pound or two of Cascade and Fuggles if any one has excess.

BB

[gwpercle]

i thought you ment gun cleaner.

like !!!

[bangerjim]

I thought you ment gun cleaner.

Same taste............different spelling.

[MaryB]

I have Chinook and Willamette growing. Neither is producing this year. Both have lots of cones but very little aroma and what aroma there is on the Willamette smells like cat pee... pass! Not in my beer! I need to move them to a better spot and the 2 post system. Local brewery will buy them vac bagged and frozen fresh for their "fresh" hop brews. Debate is if the labor picking them is worth the return of $3/lb(wet) dried they will pay $10/lb...

[ascast]

I wound up with a paper shopping bag 3/4 full; no idea weight but I'd guess a couple pounds. I have them in a food dehydrator now. Question is for how long? Manual has no mention of anything leafy. Any ides would be appreciated. I will try to get a pic. , no idea how to post/upload. They have produced better this year than most. I have no idea what "brand" they are, just blight resistant survivors. Oddly I have only 1 Black Walnut out of dozens that has any nuts. The hops do smell great. I like Black Walnuts scent as well and carry a bag in my car. People tell me my car smells great, but when I offer to let them smell my nuts, they get weird and run away. Go figure.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I wound up with a paper shopping bag 3/4 full; no idea weight but I'd guess a couple pounds. I have them in a food dehydrator now. Question is for how long? Manual has no mention of anything leafy. Any ides would be appreciated. I will try to get a pic. , no idea how to post/upload. They have produced better this year than most. I have no idea what "brand" they are, just blight resistant survivors. Oddly I have only 1 Black Walnut out of dozens that has any nuts. The hops do smell great. I like Black Walnuts scent as well and carry a bag in my car. People tell me my car smells great, but when I offer to let them smell my nuts, they get weird and run away. Go figure.

80% of the weight of undried Hops is water.
What I did was pre-weigh them, then dry them to 1/5 of their original weight...there was some trial and error the first couple times I did this (about 10 years ago)...What I learned was...In my Excalibur dehydrator, I'd set the temp for 105º F and the Hops will dry to the desired weight in 8 hours.