BeerCat
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Jas thats impressive. Mine got eaten by bugs and i gave up on it. Hopefully better next year.
Hop plants/rhizomes - growing report
- Thread starter Pabloxprt
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Could you let us know what the weight ends up as once dried? A reduction in weight of about 6:1 seems to be the calculation most people use if brewing with green hops.
I'm in Bedfordshire and mine arn't yet ready but I'm brewing on Friday so hoping they will be by then.
marlon
Senior Member
I have been growing a Fuggle and a Progress for the first time this year. The Fuggle has always been a bit ahead of the Progress and that is true of harvest too. I picked all the cones from the Fuggle today as they were papery and the tips were starting to brown. The Progress needs another few days I think.
I am now drying the Fuggle Hops. I built 4 trays made from a timber frame and some insect screen material stapled to it. The hops are spread out over the trays and I have a fan underneath to circulate the air to aid drying.
The Fuggle produced 3545g of hops, so will probably expect about a kilo once dried. I am very happy with that yield in its first year. Not expecting that much from my Progress. I have bought a vacuum sealer, so will bag them up and freeze them until needed. The garage smells lovely....
That's a great yeald for a 1st year hop. I also picked my 1st year Fuggle today. Weighed in at a minuscule 455gms. :-?
But I also picked my 2nd year Phoenix. That weighed just shy of 4kgs. Went down the road where a hedgerow hop is growing and picked a bin-bag of bines, just got to pluck and dry them. But that's for tomorrow....time for a beer I think...:thumb:
Bigjas
Landlord.
Well, it has been a total fluke growing the hops this year. I am a hopeless gardener, but just followed sound advice from these forums. I am amazed how well the Fuggle has done this year, really wasn't expecting much. I'll post up my final weight. Not sure how long that will take?
marlon
Senior Member
So, the drying process begins.....
(1): my Fuggles drying in SWIMBO's oven - fan at 30 deg C
(2): next batch waiting - hedgerow EKG's
(3): remaining hedgerows to be picked off the bines
(1): my Fuggles drying in SWIMBO's oven - fan at 30 deg C
(2): next batch waiting - hedgerow EKG's
(3): remaining hedgerows to be picked off the bines
jceg316
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My chinook plant is growing at my inlaw's house where they have a nice garden. Last year there were a handful of flowers, so this year I was expecting enough for at least a batch. Just get a message from him "First hop flower come through!" The picture shows one flower on the plant 
Am I going a bit OTT here..?
...just trying to protect my baby from the rain.. :-?
I see nothing wrong here.
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Do Prima Donna (First Gold) mature quicker than other varieties? I am guessing by the name that maybe they do, but just wondered what you other hop growers have found?
I am in Leeds and my Prima Donna on the cold, exposed allotment looks just about ready to harvest. I have a couple of Cascade on a sheltered south facing wall of the house that look like they maybe need another week or 2 (cones formed but not papery yet); and I have a Nugget on the same sheltered south facing wall that is still just burrs.
I am in Leeds and my Prima Donna on the cold, exposed allotment looks just about ready to harvest. I have a couple of Cascade on a sheltered south facing wall of the house that look like they maybe need another week or 2 (cones formed but not papery yet); and I have a Nugget on the same sheltered south facing wall that is still just burrs.
sdt7618
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Marlon,
How long did that take in the oven?
Can't see me getting away with tying up the oven for any length of time.
I'm about 15 miles from Leeds so our First Gold should be neck and neck. I'm completely colour blind but when I asked her yesterday, the missus said that the cones were just showing hints of browning at the tips. Guess it'll be harvest time later this week if I can be around during a dry moment - lot's of showers are forecast and I'm on nights!
marlon
Senior Member
I didn't think to time it exactly, but I'd guess a couple of hours for each batch. I left the door open a little to let out the moisture.
You could speed it up a bit by raising the temperature a touch - 40 - 45deg maybe..?
SWMBO was very helpful, she loaned me her bun cooling racks. :thumb:
sdt7618
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Great, could certainly get the oven for the time. thanks]
Bigjas
Landlord.
So I started out with 3545g of Fuggles on Saturday. I have been drying them in the garage with a fan and have ended up with 1156g. I wasn't sure how long to leave them, but they felt very dry and papery last night, so I bagged them up using my vacuum sealer. They were drying for about two and a half days. I'm very happy with that in my first year of growing hops. I will harvest my Progress hop later in the week. My freezer has never seen so many hops.....
johnnyboy1965
Landlord.
JMHO...They look very green, did you check the lupus?
johnnyboy1965
Landlord.
To folks who dry their hops in a oven, even on low temp. I think its still too hot. This time of year you should be air drying at no more than 20oC
Ive always dried my hops in a airing cupboard @20oC with very good results
Ive always dried my hops in a airing cupboard @20oC with very good results
Bigjas
Landlord.
Yeah I checked it, all looked and smelt great. The tips of the cones were starting to turn brown when on the plant, so I thought it was time to harvest.
Irishwizard
Regular.
just picked my "Prima Donna' and can say that they have absolutely no smell whatsoever...weid
Stuff the law - fill yer boots! I know I would, and raid the elderberries too, if there was any to be had.
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