2009 Hop Plantations

[Rossy]

Yes. Yesterday I took my first harvest. Chinook had plenty that were ready. There are still lots just started on the same plant. I am trying something new this year. Only dried them for 24hrs, then into the vacuum bag and into the freezer. Not dried out much at all. Going to use some 'wet hops' in 2010.
So I reckon if they're spreading a bit and feeling paperish on the vine, then harvest.
mckenry

Go easy on the light drying front, my first go I did the same and the more moist bags went black, fortunately only the first few bags were treated this way
but since then all mine are in the ost oven at 40* for 30 hours

 

[raven19]

Been doing some research online and found some more useful blurbs on when to pick hops:

This page:
Linky

3/4 way down this page:
Linky2

I tried a few of my Chinook the other day, no aroma at all and still too wet.

 

[raven19]

Progress shot, the Chinook is going crazy in the middle with flowers at varying stages.



A close up of the Chinook flowers, poor photo quality with another green tree in the background.

 

[kenworthy]

Had the drug squads spotter plane fly over mine the other day, never saw a plane do such a fast u turn,went over them three times,mind you I also have tomato plants growing amongst them so am expecting a visit any day now.

 

[Bizier]

Saw my main garden over the last couple of days. They are really stunted from the dry. The Hersbruk is over 4m tall and the cones are half-near ready. My Goldings is still struggling. I lost my little Mt Hood. Next time Gadget.

 

[matt white]

I just harvested a couple of kilos of chinook flowers today off my plants. These are big and fat but traditionally are low in AA. The second round of flowers in Feb/March are much better for using in brews....lots more of the yellow crystals that make up the AA.

 

[Greg Lawrence]

I think they are ready to harvest






Edit:
Just been back through some earlier posts.
Perhap sthey should be left a bit longer.
My next problem is that I cant remember what they are.
Hey Pete (Petesbrew) can you remember what they were?

 

[big78sam]

I've got my first flowers (chinook) in my first year! How exciting!

 

[clarkey7]

Got mine late in the planting season.....in ground on 10th October 2009.

1st year Chinook and POR left to right.

The rain hasn't hurt growth in the last week. The bines were just at the top of the timber fence on XMAS day.

Looking like I may get some cones in my first year....heres hoping.





Brisvegas sunset there.....nice

PB :icon_cheers:

PS - yours look really healthy Gregor........

 

[barls]

just finished harvesting my wurtenburger. i filled one of my trays with just that one. will be doing the mt hood tomorrow

 

[Bizier]

Perhap sthey should be left a bit longer.

If you pick one and brush the petals against their direction, they should come away pretty easily. They should feel dry and papery and make a noise when you touch them. Yours look a little underdone to me, even though they are first year (I am assuming there) and as such, will be a little smaller.

 

[Greg Lawrence]

If you pick one and brush the petals against their direction, they should come away pretty easily. They should feel dry and papery and make a noise when you touch them. Yours look a little underdone to me, even though they are first year (I am assuming there) and as such, will be a little smaller.

Yes I think they do need a bit longer.
I picked some the other day and took the to a friend for his opinion. I ended up leaving these hops in the car for a day and they ended up rather dry and crispy.
This got me thinking. Maybe when they are ready, I could dry them out in the back of my car (wagon) on an elevated fly screen.
Probably need to leave the windows down a bit so they dont get to hot.
The car will probably smell like hops for a while, but I see this as an added bonus.

Gregor

 

[barls]

thats all i do but mine go in the spare laundry and on racks in there.

 

[Pennywise]

Would you believe mine has started to kick off again, little f**ker. Once I realised I wasn't going to get anywhere this year I ripped up the rhyzome to check that it hadn't carked it on me, there were sweet FA rootlets but it still looked healthy enough, so back in the ground it went and up it started to grow. Should I cut it back to the ground now, or wait till it goes through the motions and cut it back when it starts to go dorment? Hopefully next season it fires up well to make up for this seasons flop.

 

[mckenry]

Would you believe mine has started to kick off again, little f**ker. Once I realised I wasn't going to get anywhere this year I ripped up the rhyzome to check that it hadn't carked it on me, there were sweet FA rootlets but it still looked healthy enough, so back in the ground it went and up it started to grow. Should I cut it back to the ground now, or wait till it goes through the motions and cut it back when it starts to go dorment? Hopefully next season it fires up well to make up for this seasons flop.

Let it go through the motions 'Craftbrewer79'

 

[Pennywise]

'Craftbrewer79'

Hey :angry:







:lol: :lol:

 

[Hutch]

A few photo's of the 6 plants strung across my narrow backyard.
All first-year plants, though some rhyzomes (Chinook, Columbus and Hallertau) were quite large, so you could say they're equivalent to 2nd year plants.


L->R: Tettnang, POR, Columbus, Chinook, Cluster, Hallertau


Chinook Cones forming at top of bines


Columbus cones

Not expecting a huge crop, though I'm stoked if I get anything in my first year.

 

[matho]

a hail storm came thru here about 1 pm and has stripped about 40% of the leaves of my plants, they look like they will survive the worst hit was a cascade that im growing for regulator. it also put some dents in the car :angry:

 

[manticle]

Good to see people have success leaving them in pots. I have 2 varieties in the ground and two in puts. All seem to be going well. Planted this spring so no expectation of flowers.

 

[Mantis]

You might get a handful of flowers Manticle. I did last year with the first year chinook