2016 Hop Plantations, Show Us Your Hop Garden!

[Mardoo]

Not necessarily. Often, but as far as my opinion is worth anything, I've always taken it as a minor sign.

 

[AJ80]

Climbed the ladder for a closer look this evening and was happy to discover burrs forming on my Mt Hood (heaps, thanks Mardoo!), goldings and cascade. Laterals are sprouting from the chinook so I may have burrs there too in the near future.

Given these are all first year plants I'm quite chuffed to be getting anything at all.

 

[Rocker1986]

Climbed the ladder for a closer look this evening and was happy to discover burrs forming on my Mt Hood (heaps, thanks Mardoo!), goldings and cascade. Laterals are sprouting from the chinook so I may have burrs there too in the near future.

Given these are all first year plants I'm quite chuffed to be getting anything at all.

Same thing's been happening with my Hallertau. Surprised at the amount of burrs on it for a first year plant but then again I don't really know what I'm meant to be expecting either. :lol:

I bought a couple of 2mx1m raised garden beds the other day, and during the winter I'm going to transfer my Hallertau and Fuggle plants (or root systems) from their current pots into these garden beds, and also construct a different type trellis with 5 or 6 wires running from the soil to the top. Might build it a bit bigger as well perhaps 3.5/4m high.

i'll keep the pots because I'd like to get a Cascade rhizome and I'll use one of them to grow it up in before moving it to a garden bed somewhere as well if I can find room.

 

[sponge]

I should be harvesting my first lot of cascade over the weekend. Quite surprised by how many flowers have been produced from first years, especially not getting any sunlight in the afternoon.. a few burrs coming through on the chinooks but still nothing but laterals from goldings.

Question - I know a lot of folk put their hops on fly screens etc in the garage for a couple of days to dry, but how about a mesh oven tray with the hops on the tray on the lowest shelf in the oven with just the fan (and light) on and the door ajar? I'd be thinking it'd be a fairly gentle drying process but faster than just drying at ambient? Obviously not suitable for large harvests but just until I sort out something more permanent.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Similar product if you want to fast dry.

So, after trying several ways to quick dry hops I came across one that in my opinion works the best. We have all tried the standard oven treatment, and of course your left with hop that has lost some of it's kick not to mention that it comes out tasting like crap. So if your looking to maintain bitterness when quick drying hops try this:
You will need:

One four sided microwave safe dish with lid (something like small casserole dish)

Paper towels

A Microwave

And of course your fresh hops

First you line the bottom of the pan with DRY paper towels. Then you put your hops on top of that. Now wet enough paper towels to form a double layer to lay across the top of your pan (make sure that the wet paper towel is not touching your hops), wring the paper towels out so that they are damp but not wet. Now cover the paper towels and pan with the lid, sealing three of the four sides (or some space for steam to escape). Microwave for one minute on 40% power, take the pan out of the microwave and uncover for 20-30 seconds. Repeat these steps 3-5 times or until your hop is dry enough to use. Re-wet top paper towels as needed.

I'm sure many of you have tried this but it was a new method for me, and the hops turn out soooo much better.
Grow safe....

 

[NikZak]

Similar product if you want to fast dry.

So, after trying several ways to quick dry bud I came across one that in my opinion works the best. We have all tried the standard oven treatment, and of course your left with bud that has lost some of it's kick not to mention that it comes out tasting like crap. So if your looking to maintain potency when quick drying buds try this:
You will need:

One four sided microwave safe dish with lid (something like small casserole dish)

Paper towels

A Microwave

And of course your fresh bud

First you line the bottom of the pan with DRY paper towels. Then you put your bud on top of that. Now wet enough paper towels to form a double layer to lay across the top of your pan (make sure that the wet paper towel is not touching your bud), wring the paper towels out so that they are damp but not wet. Now cover the paper towels and pan with the lid, sealing three of the four sides (or some space for steam to escape). Microwave for one minute on 40% power, take the pan out of the microwave and uncover for 20-30 seconds. Repeat these steps 3-5 times or until your bud is dry enough to use. Re-wet top paper towels as needed.

I'm sure many of you have tried this but it was a new method for me, and the buds turn out soooo much better.
Grow safe....

This all sounds a little like something we probably shouldn't talk about

 

[sponge]

Find and replace: bud / hop


But agreed.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I've no idea what we are talking about here, its not as if we are distilling liquor.

 

[Fents]

did someone mention OG KUSH!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

did someone mention OG KUSH!

No I think it was Lupus Indica.

 

[Fents]

wonder if those hop shots would be any good in the vape

 

[Mardoo]

Now THERE'S a new market!

 

[goid]

I should be harvesting my first lot of cascade over the weekend. Quite surprised by how many flowers have been produced from first years, especially not getting any sunlight in the afternoon.. a few burrs coming through on the chinooks but still nothing but laterals from goldings.

Question - I know a lot of folk put their hops on fly screens etc in the garage for a couple of days to dry, but how about a mesh oven tray with the hops on the tray on the lowest shelf in the oven with just the fan (and light) on and the door ajar? I'd be thinking it'd be a fairly gentle drying process but faster than just drying at ambient? Obviously not suitable for large harvests but just until I sort out something more permanent.

If i remember correctly I read that drying the hops should not exceed 40c. Above this you will degrade some of the volatile oils in the hops. And when drying I work on a loss of 75% of original weight, which will give you approx. 8-10% residual moisture. Any drier and you also risk again, loss of oils.

Edit: Just re read your post. You are only using the fan with no heat, which will be fine. I use a fan under my mesh table when drying. It still take about 1-2 days to dry depending on ambient.

 

[Yob]

wonder if those hop shots would be any good in the vape

I almost got a bloke at the office to try it, he couldn't find an empty tube thingy to put it in h34r:

 

[sponge]

If i remember correctly I read that drying the hops should not exceed 40c. Above this you will degrade some of the volatile oils in the hops. And when drying I work on a loss of 75% of original weight, which will give you approx. 8-10% residual moisture. Any drier and you also risk again, loss of oils.

Edit: Just re read your post. You are only using the fan with no heat, which will be fine. I use a fan under my mesh table when drying. It still take about 1-2 days to dry depending on ambient.

Yea no heat, just the fan (pretty sure the light comes on as soon as the fan is on). I also read somewhere about keeping them <40'C which is why I thought that may be on option.

I almost got a bloke at the office to try it, he couldn't find an empty tube thingy to put it in h34r:

Gatorade bottle?

 

[Yob]

knife on the hotplate?

wait.. what are we talking about again?

 

[Mardoo]

Hmmmm, shisha with hop shots?

 

[Rocker1986]

I picked some of the flowers off my Hallertau plant earlier. They felt quite dry and papery to me and the aroma from crushing one was the familiar smell I am greeted with by the pellets I usually use. It's only a first year plant of course and this micro harvest gave me 8g, which I expect will dry out to be about 2g or so... I don't know if you can tell by looking at them if I picked them too soon or not? :unsure: There are more burrs on the plant so I can always leave those ones longer and see if they change more.

 

[Yob]

They'll usually lighten a bit as they ripen, these look a touch young still

 

[Rocker1986]

Cool, thanks mate. I'll leave the next lot of burrs a bit longer once they turn into flowers and see how they go.