Hop Harvesting

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quixoticgeek

Hop Harvesting

Post by quixoticgeek » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:46 am

It looks like my fuggle hop is ready for harvesting. However before I do, I am wondering upon the exact technique to use to harvest.

Do people use a pair of scissors to get each individual flower, or cut large lengths of bine each time?

I am still at the kit brewing stage, it seems my hop plants are producing hops long before I have the capability to use them...

Julia

prolix

Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by prolix » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:58 am

I just picked mine, they came off fairly easily.

Belto
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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Belto » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:05 am

Yesterday Sunday I harvested 1st year Cascade hops reaping approx 1KG

I selected parts of the bine, cut them off sat in the sunshine and had an hour or so of thoughtful reflection upon my brewing experience.

My local HBS is charging £6.00 + for compressed hops /100grs .

Back to the question, I found it best to pull off the cone by putting the fingers behind and gently pulling.

Other methods can leave some important parts on the bine (Small yellow stamens)?

I have left approx 4 Ft of bine that I will trim back to ground level and cover with soil later when the frosts arrive.

This will hopefully protect the roots and not let frost travel along the bine into the soil

Belto
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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Belto » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:11 am

I now have 2 newspaper pillows of Progress hops and also 2 newspaper pillows of Cascade hops.

Suggestions to dry are put them in the airing cupboard

I now have a condensing boiler, not have an airing cupboard or any where suitable to dry off the cones.

Is there any reason why I cannot just bag up the cones and freeze prior to drying

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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by WishboneBrewery » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:17 am

Belto wrote:I now have a condensing boiler, not have an airing cupboard or any where suitable to dry off the cones.
Is there any reason why I cannot just bag up the cones and freeze prior to drying
I'm having this problem, I have newspaper envelopes sat along the top of the TV and the back of an arm chair, the greenfly are 'Bugging out' too!

delboy

Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by delboy » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:01 am

Belto wrote:Yesterday Sunday I harvested 1st year Cascade hops reaping approx 1KG

I selected parts of the bine, cut them off sat in the sunshine and had an hour or so of thoughtful reflection upon my brewing experience.

My local HBS is charging £6.00 + for compressed hops /100grs .

Back to the question, I found it best to pull off the cone by putting the fingers behind and gently pulling.

Other methods can leave some important parts on the bine (Small yellow stamens)?

I have left approx 4 Ft of bine that I will trim back to ground level and cover with soil later when the frosts arrive.

This will hopefully protect the roots and not let frost travel along the bine into the soil

Belto where did you get the cascade from???

Belto
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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Belto » Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:15 am

Hi Delboy

Try www.aplus-hops.co.uk

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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Belto » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:19 am

Aplus hops are accepting orders now for delivery November

I have just ordered 3 more varieties bare root @ £5.00 ech + £5.00 delivery

Potted £7.00 ech

Plant out when received is ok apparently
Will give a better start for next season

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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Belto » Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:41 pm

Since placing the order with Aplus Hops they have been in touch with me ref my earlier enquiry
Can I bag the hops and freeze?

The answer is 'NO'

They are taking a box several types of Hop and experimenting to find a way for those who do not have an airing cupboard or suitable methods of drying
If sucessfull will publish the reports on their web site and also inform me.

I will keep you all posted if and when they reply

delboy

Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by delboy » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:38 pm

Belto wrote:Hi Delboy

Try http://www.aplus-hops.co.uk
Can't see any cascade on that website, do you have to ring up and make an enquiry?

SiHoltye

Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by SiHoltye » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:48 pm

If you can get Cascade rhizomes please post up a separate thread highlighting that. I'm sure lots would be interested in having one.

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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Belto » Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:30 pm

Hi
My apologies it was Wye Challenger I purchased

I have been in contact and although He does not have any in stock this year he hopes to have them available nexr year

Chiltern Brewer

Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Chiltern Brewer » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:48 pm

fivetide has had successfully dried hops in his loft space laid out on newspaper. I use drying frames in a summer house. You could use the newspaper hop pockets in the roof space of a shed/garage (I've zig-zagged string between two rafters to form a platform) or a loft space. Don't pack in too many wet hops into the pockets, a third full is enough. I only use them for secondary drying so I can pack more in.

The keys to success are darkness and a through draught of dry air.

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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by Aleman » Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:47 am

I dried my 2.5 Kg of fuggles in the loft this year . . . I stretched an old sheet between two of the cross beams about 4 ft high, and spread the hops out on that . . . even with the lack of sunny weather to dry them they were dry in around a week . . . . Vacuum packed 467g of dry cones . . . and had very sticky squeaky hands afterwards . . . nice amount of resin. . . . I've earmarked mine for a Durden Park IPA

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Re: Hop Harvesting

Post by WishboneBrewery » Wed Sep 30, 2009 3:56 pm

How long for newspaper pockets to dry sat on the back of a sofa and on top of the tv ?? :)

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