Hops, Hops And Hops

[geoffi]

My sad-looking little POR vine has come a long way in the last few months.

Any experienced 'hoppers' have advice on when to harvest?

 

[drsmurto]

There are threads on hop plantations - 1 for each year....

Hopefully a mod will merge this into the current thread.

As for when to pick, they don't look dry enough. They will go from feeling wet to feeling papery. That's when you pick them.

EDIT - pre-morning coffee grammar

 

[MarkBastard]

I can see lupulin just from those photos!

 

[geoffi]

Thanks guys. The do feel a little 'wet'...although after the last few weeks that's not a surprise. I'll let them go a bit longer.

 

[jeddog]

Looking good Geoffi
I had the little brewer help harvest today. Was my first crop of Cascade that I planted last year....

STOKED!!



Hope the timing was right?

 

[jeddog]

Is this right for picking?

 

[matt white]

...perfect jeddog!

Geoffi, yours are very close. I harvested chinook today (traditionally early). My POR are a few weeks away yet.

 

[geoffi]

Harvested about 1/2 of the crop today, about 700g, so I reckon I'll get about 1.4kg or so altogether.

That's a garden sieve they are in. (Note 500ml glass for size comparison.) I think it should work OK for drying as it will let air circulate from above and below.

When they are dry I'll do a test batch with them, probably some kind of CPA cloney thing. My plan is to work on an IBU of 9%, as that seems about normal for POR. If it's a little more or a little less I'm not worried.

 

[Pumpy]

What am i doing wrong

Pumpy

 

[geoffi]

After four days drying, they're packed and ready for action.

That's about 270g dried weight from about 1.2kg, so they really do lose a heap of moisture.

I don't have a vacuum sealer, but these double-sealed sandwich bags seem to do a pretty good job.

Next step...the test brew.

 

[MarkBastard]

How much do those garden sieves cost?

I was gunna make up a box dryer but that looks too easy

 

[drsmurto]

4 pieces of wood, a few nails and some fly screen equals 1 hop/fruit drying screen.

If this tool tard can make one then anyone can. :lol:

It did take me 2 hours to do it but i got there.......

 

[geoffi]

The garden sieves cost about $20, I think.

But I happened to have one lying around. The good Doctor is right that you can knock up something just as good with a few odds and ends for nix.

 

[MarkBastard]

Well I have heaps of swiss voile leftover and an old carboard box, I may just staple the swiss volie to the cardboard box and sit the hops on top.

Maybe cut out a hole in the side of the box and mount a PC fan.

It's not that I can't do it, I just CBF.

 

[geoffi]

Swiss voile should work. Anything that allows air circulation. The PC fan is a great idea.

 

[MarkBastard]

 

[MarkBastard]

For some reason only fast reply is working for me.

Anyway those are my Chinook hops, they are massive compared to my Tettnang hops.

I hadn't checked them for ages and they were sort of hidden behind leaves, was really surprised at the size.

They look a bit fresh though right? Really pale green. I don't think the Tettnang where ever anywhere near that pale.

Plenty of lupulin (spelling?) on them though.

 

[geoffi]

Do they come apart if you brush them back with you finger? I read that's a good indication that they are ready.