2011 Hop Plantations, Show Us Your Hops!

[Malted]

Inspired by Malted's "5 minute 'bodggit and leggit' hop press" but not having any steel-pipe, I made a Hopsquash from 90mm PVC pipe fittings:
... now I need to spend a day or two squishing and packing them all.

Bodggit and leggit FTW!

Wow you must have got sick of twisting that clamp handle around! I got sick of squishing the quick clamp pistol grip thingy pretty darned quickly but don't know how I would cope with a clamp like yours (I have exactly the same too but chose not to use them). As I was doing it I was thinking, hmm next year I should build something with a ram powered by the air compressor. But hey where is the ghetto in that?


I had the suction bags ready made and shoved each plug in as I did them, the buggers expand a bit soon afterwards.

Is there a reason you went for 30g plugs? I only went that size because 30g of loose hop cones filled my compression tube. I cut the tube and first and then figured out what would fit in it. I guess I also thought that it was 1/3 the size of a pack you would purchase. A few English plugs I have used were around 12-15g.

 

[Tony]

Wolfy....... perfect keg hop plugs

 

[Wolfy]

Wow you must have got sick of twisting that clamp handle around!
...
I had the suction bags ready made and shoved each plug in as I did them, the buggers expand a bit soon afterwards.

Is there a reason you went for 30g plugs? I only went that size because 30g of loose hop cones filled my compression tube. I cut the tube and first and then figured out what would fit in it. I guess I also thought that it was 1/3 the size of a pack you would purchase. A few English plugs I have used were around 12-15g.

Twisting is not too bad actually, thought it would be worse (first time I've used that clamp).
30g (fractions or multiples of) matched the quantities of hops I've used in the last few batches, plus at about 30-35g is where it starts to get harder to squish the uncompressed hops into the tube.
I make the 1/2 sized vacuum bag while the clamp is compressing the hops which means they stay squished long enough to package, vacuum and seal.

 

[Wolfy]

Twisting is not too bad actually, thought it would be worse (first time I've used that clamp).

Now that I have a blister from twisting the bloody thing - I take that back.

 

[hoppy2B]

Now that I have a blister from twisting the bloody thing - I take that back.

:lol: Hilarious!

 

[Wolfy]

Finally finished all the hop picking and packing I'm going to do for this year.

2012 Hop Crop, 2 plants of most varieties, most plants 2nd year :

POR 45g
Saaz 107g
Columbus 180g
Halleratu 315g
Cascade 175g
Tettnang 75g
Hersbrucker 155g
Perle 240g
Goldings 345g
Victoria ~50-100g
MtHood ~100-200g
Chinook & Nugget ~100g
Fuggle, Willamette, Challenger, Target, Liberty - no crop worth harvesting.

 

[Bongchitis]

You aren't really taking this hop growing thing seriously enough wolfy!

Nice crop.

 

[DJR]

Bodggit and leggit FTW!

Wow you must have got sick of twisting that clamp handle around! I got sick of squishing the quick clamp pistol grip thingy pretty darned quickly but don't know how I would cope with a clamp like yours (I have exactly the same too but chose not to use them).

I'd just use a big enough bench vice to fit in a section of tube. 40mm pipe with end cap inside 50mm drain pipe would let you get a bit smaller plugs. Obviously when using a bench vice you don't want to push it too hard as you'll crack the PVC pretty easy

 

[Spork]

Goldings.

Only 91g, but first year plant so didn't expect too much, and they are already fairly dry.
Do these hops look OK, or will they be no good, as I think I should have picked them sooner?


These were "better". Green and resinous. 328g (green) of Perle. Also first year plant. Never used it before, will have to check the recipe thread.

 

[Yob]

Worth a giggle and a look.

Above: Those goldings look a bit old..

 

[Wolfy]

Do these hops look OK, or will they be no good, as I think I should have picked them sooner?

These were "better". Green and resinous. 328g (green) of Perle.

The Goldings are a bit brown and likely should have been picked a week or two ago when they were still green (when they were just starting to dry out and felt a bit like) , the Perle look about right.

 

[Spork]

OK, thanks fellas. Will compost the goldings instead or risking a ruined brew with them.

 

[Adam Howard]

Put them aside to use in a Lambic Spork!

 

[Wolfy]

I can't imagine you'd ruin a brew with them.
However they do look like they are past their best so the AA%, flavor and aroma may be much lower than if they were picked earlier (much of the Lupulin will have fallen out or blown away as the hops dried and opened up).

 

[Spork]

OK, so maybe hang onto them and use for keg hopping if I ever make an underhopped brew?
Hmmm.
Have an APA hopped exclusively with Zeus. It's big on the bitter already, but a teabatg of these in there could be the go...

 

[Florian]

Anyone got a good control method for killing the little grasshoppers?

They've ruined my complete plantation this year!
Started out as tiny green grass hoppers and over time mutated to huge brown monsters who have literally eaten every single leaf of my five plants.

 

[kaspa07]

They've ruined my complete plantation this year!
Started out as tiny green grass hoppers and over time mutated to huge brown monsters who have literally eaten every single leaf of my five plants.

Good luck I say
I don't really know much about the critters except they are highly mobile so ifyou kill the ones in your garden, new ones from the area will come in and youare back to square one.

Apparently they make a tasty treat when deep fired :blink:

 

[kalbarluke]

They've ruined my complete plantation this year!
Started out as tiny green grass hoppers and over time mutated to huge brown monsters who have literally eaten every single leaf of my five plants.

Pet chooks or ducks :lol: . As for chemicals, not sure. The rains this year have brought them on big time.

 

[adryargument]

Had a second harvest of 350g wet.
Mix of Mt Hood, Chinook, Columbus, Hallertau, Goldings.

Looked a the plant and went 'f*** this, all going in one bucket, IPA mix.'

Edit: itchy.

 

[DU99]

adryargument..what a mix