As we are now well into picking season, I thought I'd give a few pointers to help you decide the best time.
1. Variety: Different varieties ripen at different times. Some early, some mid and some late. To make it easy Goldings and Fuggle are early, First Gold and Challenger are Mid, Cascade are late.
2. Location: Whilst you may have an early variety if you don't live in the South, you may potentially be picking your hops up to a week later. Good position, soil and drainage will also have an effect
3. Smell: Do this over a couple of days. Take a cone and roll it between your palms. Cup your hands with the cone inside and inhale. You will notice a huge difference in aroma over just a few days if the weather has been good.
3. Petals: If the petals on the cone are starting to dry and open up they're nearly there. A tightly packed cone is not ready.
4. Lupulin: The yellow sticky stuff. When ripe they will have an abundance of this at the lower end of the petals.
5. Seeds: Pull a cone apart and at the end of the petal near the stalk you will find the seeds. If they are going brown or black, they're ready. A soft green seed is not.
6. Still not sure: Take a cone by the stalk and gently bash the tip into your palm. If it easily falls apart and the petals float away its ready.
Remember an over ripe hop is better than an under ripe one.
Happy picking.
When to pick your home grown/wild hops
- scuppeteer
- Under the Table
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- Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:32 pm
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When to pick your home grown/wild hops
Dave Berry
Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!
Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC
Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!
Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC
- barneey
- Telling imaginary friend stories
- Posts: 5423
- Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:42 pm
- Location: East Kent
Re: When to pick your home grown/wild hops
At this rate, I will be testing the 10 cones I have before I can actually brew with them, the system seems flawed to me.
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.
Name the Movie + song :)
Hops, cider pips & hello.
Name the Movie + song :)
Re: When to pick your home grown/wild hops
Very interesting. I have just moved house and find I have a lot of presumably wild hops along one boundary fence. Is it best to dry them and then refrigerate/freeze or to freeze green?
- scuppeteer
- Under the Table
- Posts: 1512
- Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:32 pm
- Location: Brenchley, Kent (Birthplace of Fuggles... or is it?)
Re: When to pick your home grown/wild hops
Yes dry first.
Dave Berry
Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!
Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC
Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!
Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC
Re: When to pick your home grown/wild hops
Thanks, Scuppeteer. Useful post.
*Heads out to back garden with a knowledgable air*
*Heads out to back garden with a knowledgable air*
Re: When to pick your home grown/wild hops
Thanks scuppeteer. I will harvest them and give them a try