2016 hop harvest

[bpgreen]

I pretty much ignored my hops this year. I didn't water them, so they only got natural precipitation, which is basically nothing here.

I usually try to get a couple of harvests, but I cut my hallertauer bines down to get all of the cones.

I'm drying now. 888 grams fresh. Not sure how much I'll get dried.

Edited to change subject.

[John Sand]

I didn't do a thing for my Cascades either, except tell my wife not to water the leaves. I expect to harvest soon.

[mashani]

Both the hop plants I planted from rhizomes BP sent me keep getting eaten down to the ground by something. I think it's deer. They just leap the fences around here and go grazing. My dogs chase them away but they aren't out there 24x7 and this happens sometime overnight.

So I have no joy.

[MrBandGuy]

My bp cascades are rocking! I'm was surprised to get anything this first year. I've also got a bit of Chinook production. Now to figure out when to harvest...

[John Sand]

I find it a challenge to know when to harvest. But there are videos and sites with info. I think I review them every year.

[bpgreen]

Once they finished drying, I ended up with a little more than 10 ounces, compared with about 6 ounces last year (three harvests last year, one this year).

I lightly pinch a few cones. When they're papery, they're ready. You can also look for the yellow humulus, but I just check for that papery feel.

If I remember correctly, harvesting early gets you grassy and/or vegetable flavors. Harvesting late loses some of the hop oils.

[bpgreen]

I harvested the rest of my hops today.

I didn't fertilize at all this year and also didn't water (and I'm in the desert, so no water since early June). And the nugget and perle twine came down in a wind storm.

In addition to the 10 ounces of hallertauer (1 plant), I also got a little more than 7 oz of cascade (2 plants).

The others are drying now, and my guess is that I'll end up with about an ounce or two each from my centennial (2 plants), nugget, Perle (1 plant each).

Since I've bought a few kits and have cut back on brewing due to increased travel, I still have hops from last year.

If I water and fertilize, I may get to the point where I grow all the hops I need.