2007 Hop Plantations

[bindi]

Just picked half my Chinook flowers, now to dry them .

 

[glenos]

I have just put some cuttings in that I took on my way through Bushy Park this arvo, it was growing over the fence on the edge of a paddock of hops, so no idea of what I have got, will be interesting to see:
1) if it survives
2) what variety it is and
3) if it is a female plant.

EDIT- I have attached a picture of a leaf, I am sure this is next to useless but anyways.

 

[Lukes]

I see Bindi up north already has cones.
Anyone else starting to get this years crop showing.

Cali Cluster is getting a few flowers on it.

The Ornamental Hallertau are still quite ornamental with no flowers.

- Luke

 

[drsmurto]

My 1st year chinook

Has flowers!

 

[NRB]

Mine's given up the ghost - stalled growth a little over a month ago with the ridiculously hot spell in Melbourne and hasn't changed since. I wish she looked as bushy as the examples here.

 

[Mitternacht Brauer]

After a slow start my Hersbrucker has had a growth spurt by putting on 100-150mm a day . but Rossy's golden cluster just down the road seems to be taking over the back of his house with massive cones. this pic is a few days old .the leading bine is about two feet along the top wire. a few strings have been added from the pot to support new shoots .

 

[braufrau]

My cluster has flowers.
Its growing up string attached to the trellis fence and the neighbours think its lovely.
She seems to admire its tenacity in getting to the top of the fence and then winding itself in and out of the trellis.

 

[devo]

probably a silly question that has most likely been answered before but how do you know or calculate the alpha rating of your home grown hops?

 

[mfdes]

I have just put some cuttings in that I took on my way through Bushy Park this arvo, it was growing over the fence on the edge of a paddock of hops, so no idea of what I have got, will be interesting to see:
1) if it survives
2) what variety it is and
3) if it is a female plant.

EDIT- I have attached a picture of a leaf, I am sure this is next to useless but anyways.

Hi Glenos,

It is probably a seedling and not a named variety. Most if not all of the plants growing on the roadside between Westerway and New Norfolk are chance seedlings dropped while transporting cones to the kiln. Will be interested to see how they go. You have one bonus point though: You know they can grow well down here

MFS

 

[mfdes]

Just picked half my Chinook flowers, now to dry them .

Hey Bindi!

They look fantastic. Some of the cones though look a bit unripe. The way to tell is they feel stiff and papery dry when they're ready, and spring back if you press on them, and if you pull the cone in half sideways, the strig (central stem of the cone) will split in half lengthways and the lupulin will be bright yellow-orange and very aromatic.

Keep in ming alpha levels and oils skyrocket in the last few days before they're completely ripe, so you'll be doing yourself a disservice by picking them too early...

MFS.

 

[jbirbeck]

no photos of mine but my Chinook has a stack of cones but its nowhere near as bushy as some of the ones shown on here. two decent bines that have done 4 metres or so up and accross. no more growth on this one aside from the cones.

My cluster is much bushier with lateral shoots coming from every leaf junction and has just started to get cones and is still growing like mad.

Columbus has finally found its way upwards and is starting to show early signs of cones.

But the poor wurtemburger hasn't found its way yet. two small shoots working their way out but they aren't very long. I doubt this little bugger will get far this year. Maybe next year.

Looks like a good year for my hops, all in their first year and 3 out of 4 with hops. pretty happy

 

[Kai]

This is one of my 2006/2007 rhizomes. I don't know if it's the chinook I cut from my 2004/2005 big daddy or the willamette I newly planted that season, not because I've got them mixed up but because I only get updates on my babies via email so I'm not sure which one is in the photo.

 

[redbeard]

my two hop plants have over the last week sprouted cones. is there an average time to pick or do u need to check weekly when its ready ?

cheers

 

[johnno]

Hi redbeard,

Good aussie article here.

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Methods/.../GrowHops.shtml

For established plants, the hop flowers are ready for picking in mid-March through to late May, depending on local conditions. The hop cone will turn from a moist silky feel to being dry and papery. When the edges of the hop flowers begin to turn brown they are ready to be picked. As the flowers will ripen at various stages you able to have a few pickings per year.

cheers
johnno

 

[capretta]

i was picking some cones today off my 2 year old tettenager today and found this!

as such i would like to open the contest for mutant hop cones..

 

[Lukes]

i was picking some cones today off my 2 year old tettenager today and found this!
as such i would like to open the contest for mutant hop cones..
View attachment 17539

capretta,
I have had a few that have started to flower and then started too shoot again.
My Tassie Tett has not one flower yet .

I think it's missing a German Lake.

- Luke

 

[capretta]

last year mine was quite scrawny with only a few cones until the sewerage pipe next door burst inundating it with effluent. took off like a rocket then! maybe thats what your needs..

 

[Blackfish]

last year mine was quite scrawny with only a few cones until the sewerage pipe next door burst inundating it with effluent. took off like a rocket then! maybe thats what your needs..

well, don't complain if the beer you make with that tastes like sh1t!!

Sersiously, well done, did you get many cones from the Tet? or just large mutant ones.
At last count mine had 3 , but is shooting wildly after side dressing it with fertiliser.

 

[capretta]

i have already copyrighted "POO BREW" !

mmm got a fair few cones, cant remember the exact weight but it wasnt a big producer. less than half a kilo wet all season, but that was its first year. it responded really well to lots of fertiliser, i went nuts with the chook poo this year, and it seems pretty sensitive to low water so try and flood the ******* if you can i reckon. here is a pic of my second harvest this year, and i should be able to get cones well into late april if last year was any indicator.

 

[Lukes]

last year mine was quite scrawny with only a few cones until the sewerage pipe next door burst inundating it with effluent. took off like a rocket then! maybe thats what your needs..

I think it is still early days as the ornamental Hall has no signs of hops either.

I got a couple of bags from the Tet last year and dumped then into secondary for 60 ltrs of ale.
It was a bit grassy at first but mellowed.


Next time strait into the kettle late.

Luke