Hop Growing 2009

[Charlie B]

I have picked some home grown Fuggles which have dried down to about 7oz, they dried 2 days in the airing cupboard and seem to be really dry with the stalks breaking and not bending. The hops seem to have quite a garlic type smell which I have never smelt on hops before, I think they smelt like this before drying as well. Has anyone else experienced this? Have I done something wrong.

[Jymbo]

Ok so the hop harvest is nearly over for the guys living in the balmy south, I was wondering how people up north are getting on with theirs? My own cones (first gold) are still on the small side and look like they have a way to go yet, hopefully this little bit of good weather (N.I for once getting the best of it) will ripen them up pretty quick.

Del, my first year fuggles have produced plenty of cones. I've tried tasting them by pouring hot water over a cone or two in a cup and leaving to cool. The taste is definitely bitter but very grassy. I tried the same with some fuggles from a packet for comparison and it tasted much better. I'm assuming they're not ripe yet but some of them have started to go a bit brown (although most of them are green). Hopefully they'll improve with the recent sun we've been getting but I'm not sure if that's enough to make up for two months of rain!

I havn't done this before so I'm not really sure exactly how to know when it's time to pick them - I've read that they should be harvested between the start and middle of september but I'm pretty sure mine aren't ready yet.

[Shoit]

I'm in Sheffield and the wild hops in my mates garden seem to be getting closer to harvesting - they're drying out a bit and definitely smell stronger. When I looked last week i decided that they weren't quite ready but I don't think ill be leaving it much longer.

Kev

[beers_great]

Ok so the hop harvest is nearly over for the guys living in the balmy south, I was wondering how people up north are getting on with theirs? My own cones (first gold) are still on the small side and look like they have a way to go yet, hopefully this little bit of good weather (N.I for once getting the best of it) will ripen them up pretty quick.

Im in Liverpool First Gold Hops were harvested middle of last week. It was my first year and I got about 360g dry weight from 1 bine.
On Saturday I brewed my harvest ale and used about 130g. Im look forward to a big hopy taste from them.

[Belto]

I still have to pick my first year hops seems I have a reasonable crop.

Drying is the difficult part

For those that have brewed with last years hops has there been any benefit apart from costs?

I.E bittering / aroma

[haz66]

Up here on the Yorks/Lancs border i`ve just harvested my first years crop tonight.

Fuggle did the best
Northdown just behind
Progess a waste of time this time round

I`ll have enough to do a brew though thats all, but i wasnt expecting much this year.

Going to get some more rhizomes for next year and plant them in my garden instead of the father in laws,
so i can better tend them.

[chris_reboot]

were those planted this year or last to give your first yield?
my new planting this year has been disappointing, but they were planted late, and have only grown to about 2 foot high, and no cones.
That's on the only 1 of 3 plants that actually did anything.

[haz66]

They were planted this year, i wasn`t expecting much so quite happy that there may be enough for one
maybe two brews.

[delboy]

Thinking harvest day is fast approaching, this good weather isn't going to hold much longer i'd imagine so i'll probably gather them in this coming sunday (weather permitting).

[oblivious]

Does anyone dry the hops in the oven at a very low setting?

[SiHoltye]

I passed a commercial hop garden in kent on my travels today and it had been harvested fwiw.

[Jymbo]

Did my harvesting last night. Not a bad yield for the first year.

Here they are before the harvest:


After the harvest:


And drying:


Some of them were starting to turn a bit brown so I though it must be time to harvest. I had quite a lot of small cones (in the wooden bowl) so I separated them out from the larger ones (in the stock pot). Anyone know if it's OK to use the small ones or should I just dump them?

[chris_reboot]

good haul! Very jealous!

[Jymbo]

I won't get too carried away - I also had a Mathon Goldings plant that produced 1 single cone

[delboy]

Thats non too shabby jymbo, i might change my plan and harvest what i have tomorrow night (showers on saturday).
Were they first year plants and if so cuttings or rhizhome.

My own plants (2 first gold) were cuttings and they are only now finding there feet 3 years down the line, i might be tempted to purchase some rhizhomes for next year.