2007 Hop Plantations

[Gerard_M]

T.D I will send the new tennant a letter this week to see if we can arrange for the FaB boys to harvest the "North Epping Chinooks"! Not sure if we will get a response but it is worth a try.
Cheers
Gerard

 

[mr_walker]

My first batch of hops, so I'm trying to figure out when to harvest. I've read that they need to sound papery, and starting to brown on the tips. Can anybody tell me if my POR looks like it's getting close? I think it might need a bit more time yet.

Walker

 

[capretta]

i would probably give them a little longer. are these the oldest hops on your plant? if so give it another week i reckon..

 

[mr_walker]

i would probably give them a little longer. are these the oldest hops on your plant? if so give it another week i reckon..

I don't know about oldest, but they're definitely the biggest. Being a new plant there's a lot of smaller hops as well. Thanks for the tip.

Walker

 

[Mitternacht Brauer]

Hi just wondering if anyone had grown plants from cuttings? I have a couple that have taken off for the last two months but am wondering whether they will be any good when they die back over winter? the cuttings have come from my 1st year Hersbrucker .

 

[Fents]

Most hops are grown from cuttings buster. They will be fine.

 

[Quintrex]

Hi just wondering if anyone had grown plants from cuttings? I have a couple that have taken off for the last two months but am wondering whether they will be any good when they die back over winter? the cuttings have come from my 1st year Hersbrucker .

I think it depends whether they manage to store enough energy back into the rhizome to withstand the winter hibernation!

Q

 

[drsmurto]

Ok, so my chinook is now ready to be picked and dried, the cones are very papery and have gone brown around the edges. Got some fly screen from partners old man to dry them on. Can i just pull them off or do they require cutting?

 

[randyrob]

Nope another few weeks by the look.

Thanks GL, i'll live and let be for now!

 

[lochrockingbeers]

Ok, so my chinook is now ready to be picked and dried, the cones are very papery and have gone brown around the edges. Got some fly screen from partners old man to dry them on. Can i just pull them off or do they require cutting?

They're pretty easy to pull off as long as the bine is attached to something. Use 2 hands - one to hold plant and one to pull the cones - if you are worried about damaging the plant.

 

[drsmurto]

They're pretty easy to pull off as long as the bine is attached to something. Use 2 hands - one to hold plant and one to pull the cones - if you are worried about damaging the plant.

Cheers. Thought just in case there is time for a 2nd crop, quite a few of the side shoots havent got cones. Dont want to damage the binesbut they are held securely to the chook fence.

 

[Steve]

Dr - wear a long sleeved shirt too....your arms can get a bit scratched up.
Cheers
Steve

 

[randyrob]

is there a male amonst my ranks???

 

[domonsura]

Geez man, that's what it looks like to me........

 

[chovain]

Okay - I had a slight problem. First year grower: I have one plant with 3 bines. I picked a few off one of the bines to see how they were. The next day, that bine completely died. Coincidence, maybe... Anyway, I've grabbed all the hops off the dead bine. They're quite brown, but they're still green in the middle.

Should I still be able to use them, or will I want to dump them?

 

[randyrob]

Geez man, that's what it looks like to me........

hmm... no probs, the next thing i guess would be to rip it up so it doesnt make my female hops flower?

i've heard having a male around can also increase hop cone output? or is it to risky?

Rob.

 

[domonsura]

Might do I suppose, but get some more qualified opinions than mine before ripping it out....I'd hate to be wrong...

 

[mfdes]

Some females occasionally produce male flowers. This is especially the case with aneuploids when you're breeding polyploid plants. However, if your plant didn't also produce female cones, then it is a male.

The argument as to males or no males is the following: pollination increases yield (not more cones, just more cone mass) but slightly decreases alpha. Thus triploid sterile hops are being bred nowadays because they can be pollinated but still set no seed. I don't mind seed in may brew, and if you're using them primarily for flavour and aroma you may as well leave them in. On the other hand you could use that precious hill for a productive female.

MFS.

 

[jendres]

Some females occasionally produce male flowers. This is especially the case with aneuploids when you're breeding polyploid plants. However, if your plant didn't also produce female cones, then it is a male.

The argument as to males or no males is the following: pollination increases yield (not more cones, just more cone mass) but slightly decreases alpha. Thus triploid sterile hops are being bred nowadays because they can be pollinated but still set no seed. I don't mind seed in may brew, and if you're using them primarily for flavour and aroma you may as well leave them in. On the other hand you could use that precious hill for a productive female.

MFS.

I think I heard of basic brewing radio that the main reason for seeds not being desired is because it messes up the brewing systems in most large breweries. I forget the details, but i think it is this podcast: Gerard Lemmens from Brewers Supply Group joins us to give us some background on hops and trends in the hop industry. or it could be the next one: We continue our chat with Gerard Lemmens of Brewers Supply Group as he gives us practical tips on using hops in home brewing.

Another one that might be interesting, and I'll have a listen to it today: Dave Wills of Freshops walks us through the process of planting, growing, and harvesting our own hoppy goodness at home.

 

[Cannabaceae]

hmm... no probs, the next thing i guess would be to rip it up so it doesnt make my female hops flower?

i've heard having a male around can also increase hop cone output? or is it to risky?

Rob.

No risk, it will make your cones a little bigger and you get a tiny amount of extra lupulin on the seed coats.

Let it pollinate all your cones this one time, then rip it out and grow a female in its place.
Check out the picture in the paragraph titled "Seeded vs Seedless hops" HERE: Scroll down about
a third of the page to the paragraph titled: Seeded vs Seedless hops.
There are lots of wild hops growing all over the UK, so you find occasional seeds in their diploid hops.
Commercial growers don't like seeded hops because of processing problems ...seeds leach out
fats when they get crushed. Male hops are illegal over certain areas of Europe because of this.

Of course you could take up hop breeding as a hobby as getting a good male is the first step.

Rupert.