[THC] harvesting hops

[L.A. Swihart]

mr soul wrote:

>I am wondering when you hop growers out there usually harvest your hops.  My cascades are fairly plentiful.  The cones are still green.
>
>Tom
>
>  
>

There is no hop harvest at our house this year because I never re-built 
my trellis.  It finally had to come down last year.  But they'll be fine 
next year.  If I get a new trellis up. 

Mine are Cascades and have been growing for 7 or 8 years (I'm a little 
sick of them some years), and what I have done most years is cut them 
back to the ground in mid to late May, then let them grow.  This seems 
to cause a more concerted ripening process, i.e. all the hops are about 
ready at the same time instead of the harvest being spread over a period 
of a month or longer.

Check the lupulin production, that's the key.  Take one and cut it open 
the long way with a sharp knife for the best demo of the density of the 
little yellow oil balls that develop inside.  When they start being a 
little dry at the edges, or to brown a little at the edges, that's 
pretty late, get them down right away.  I would just bring everything 
down and pick off all the hops and dry them.  It's real rash-producing 
scratchy irritant kind of work; wear long sleeves.

Here is what "tastybrew.com" says
http://www.tastybrew.com/tips/detail/13

Linda