Hop plants/rhizomes - growing report

[prog99]

Moved house last year. Bought a new hop plant this week, let’s see how it goes.

 

[An Ankoù]

Good luck Prog. Good luck, little plant.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Just picked my crop from first year EKG today, only 100 g of wet cones so just used them in the hopmissile as aroma.
My tangerine dream plant grew well but only got 3 cones so ornamental value only. Next year will be better.

 

[sifty]

Literally just back from first pick. Fingers smell all hoppy
Noticed some cones were browning off so grabbed some of each variety...

 

[sifty]

There will be at least as much left on the bines for the next few days. Filled roughly to the 5 litre mark on the bucket, which is about the max I can fit in the dehydrator (tested and can get ~ 100g per layer). Currently running at 35 degs C for around 8 hrs with the Cascade. Garage smells amazing...

Not organised enough for a green hop/harvest brew but will vacuum pack these in 50g lots and put in the freezer. Thinking of doing an American and an English pale ale...

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@sifty
You have done a lot better than me.

Not sure whether my slightly later planting, the wind, the rain upset them. I might have to build a 25 foot high green houseBut the beer is fermenting nicely so we'll see how it comes out. I've got several kilos of hops in the freezer acquired at bargain price ( danger to my health as I'm using too much freezer space) so I'm making inroads on them.
Which dehydrator do you have?

 

[sifty]

Sunbeam DT6000. Looked for ages at used ones on trademe but this was similar price new from Harvey Norman, and has digital temp control. Bought it for 'drying fruit' for camping...

 

[allotment_fox]

try bunging a few in a clean dry pillow slip in your tumble dryer on low for 5 minutes at a time till your happy .
I can tell you your kitchen will smell great

 

[Hanglow]

This is the crown of my hallertau mittelfruh I pulled out and have yet to dispose of. I do have a fresh first gold in a pot but it hasn't surfaced yet.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

There will be at least as much left on the bines for the next few days. Filled roughly to the 5 litre mark on the bucket, which is about the max I can fit in the dehydrator (tested and can get ~ 100g per layer). Currently running at 35 degs C for around 8 hrs with the Cascade. Garage smells amazing...
View attachment 64718

Not organised enough for a green hop/harvest brew but will vacuum pack these in 50g lots and put in the freezer. Thinking of doing an American and an English pale ale...

That looks very sophisticated. Mine were hung from the landing light in nylon bags in front of of the AC unit. It worked though.

 

[sifty]

Ha. Brilliant...

Fuggles in the dehydrator now. Cascade ran for ~ 9hrs and came out weighing 180g (roughly lost 70%) so sealed in 6x 30g pouches (bag weighed 8g)...

Cheap Aliexpress vacuum sealer worked great. I'll pop these in the freezer and start looking at recipes...

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Great plan, I'm awaiting a slightly more expensive aliexpress Vac sealer that puts a wider seal on the bag. Have been using a LIDL one for several years and it's just a bit of a trial but it does work.

 

[ecirpian]

View attachment 64545
The Chinook is coming along nicely!

My chinook are very active too, but not as far on as yours are. I also grow, cascade, prima Donna and tradition but they are only just starting to grow here in Lancashire.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/members/docanna.39107/I find it easiest to use a screw peg and string, I also select 3 or 4 bines as I inevitably break a couple when winding ( I wrap them around my pergola)

 

[ecirpian]

This is the crown of my hallertau mittelfruh I pulled out and have yet to dispose of. I do have a fresh first gold in a pot but it hasn't surfaced yet.
View attachment 64760View attachment 64761

How come you’re getting rid, don’t like the flavour?

 

[Hanglow]

It succumbed to disease for two years running so I'm trying another variety. The 2019 harvest was great though, I got about 1kg dried and it was by far and away the best hallertau mittelfruh hops I have used

 

[ecirpian]

Nightmare, takes so long before you get results too.

 

[Broken Toe]

Didn't think it would survive after my carelessness this winter for its care and that I only had one shoot last year. But low and behold.

Might actually have to do something about the weeds now

 

[Erik The Anglophile]

Got 4 plants a few days ago, gonna put them in used 1.5L milk cartons with soil in a day or 2. Will let them grow indoors until the snow melts and the frosty nights are over.
Varieties are Böle, Korsta, Bella and Gamla Källmon, all Swedish heritage varieties found on old abandoned farmsteads and the like.

 

[sifty]

I never knew about heritage Swedish hops. Interesting, wonder how they'd grow elsewhere...

 

[Erik The Anglophile]

We appearantly have quite a few. Back in the middle ages up to the early 1700's, if you were a self sufficient farmer owning your farm/land ( traditionally this was the norm for most farmers in Scandinavia), it was illegal to NOT be a homebrewer, so there are a lot of old regional varieties that have faded in to obscurity.
I have chosen types originating from the Northern half, since I live just a 100km or so south of the arctic circle. Although summers are short they are pretty warm with occasional highs reaching +35c and 24hr sunlight, so I should be good, hops are hardy little *******s.