Time to harvest hops

[Rob Kerr]

Hi,

I'm in my first year of growing hops and I was wondering if anyone else, particularly in the Cambridge area, has started harvesting yet. I know it's just about time, and my Fuggles look/feel ready. The Goldings look like they need a little more time.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Henders]

Hi Rob I'm about 0.6 degrees further south than you and my Prime Donna/First Gold hops are almost ready. So I will guess there's 5-7 days lag as we move every degree or so further north :). Back up by some discussion in the growing report thread :).

Can you post a photo? I may post one if I can drag myself outside!

EDIT: Whew, did it:

 

[jMac]

I’m not far from you, just over the border in Central Beds, 20 miles west of Cambridge. My Goldings are ripe for picking this week. I picked about half on Monday, but was probably a few days early. The rest on the plant is definitely ready now, so will pick this afternoon.

Its a proper art, isn’t it, deciding when they’re ready?

@Henders - yours look like they’re there. Difficult to tell from a photo of course - it’s not just the look, it’s the feel, sound and smell as well...

ETA: I feel I’m a week or so earlier picking than last year. Didn’t keep a record of when I picked in 2019, but I brewed with them dried around the end of September.

 

[jMac]

Just out of interest, have you got many cones in your first year?

 

[Rob Kerr]

Here are a couple of shots of the Fuggles, which have been quite prolific - probably not enough to brew a full batch from, but certainly worth chucking them into my next brew.

The Goldings bines have grown well, but there aren't a lot of flowers this year.

Thanks for the tips. I suspected they were nearly ready. I think I'll pick 'em next weekend and brew the same day.

 

[Edison]

Yep, here in Tamworth my Prima Donna looked pretty much there so i harvested them yesterday and they are now dried, vac packed and in the freezer with 250g of elderberries I picked at the same time.
I may have been a day or two early as the higher cones looked a little younger than the lower ones, but previous years I know I’ve been a little late. I would rather chance the grassy end of the spectrum than the stale, oniony end. If I dry hop with them, I’ll do it very cold and for only a day or two to limit the grassy stuff.

 

[Henders]

Rob they look slightly more closed than mine, so perhaps another few days is indeed warranted. Although second pic maybe they look more ready. In my first pic, that's the sign i'm looking for. That ever so slight tint of rust that's appearing on that bottom hop. Maybe . This is my second year :).

 

[terrym]

@Rob Kerr
I suggest you
Look at this

and read this
https://homebrewsupply.com/learn/how-and-when-to-harvest-hops.htmlAll the advice you will need.
And you only have a window of a few days when the hops are ready in which to pick them at their best

 

[jMac]

@Rob Kerr
I suggest you
Look at this

and read this
https://homebrewsupply.com/learn/how-and-when-to-harvest-hops.htmlAll the advice you will need.
And you only have a window of a few days when the hops are ready in which to pick them at their best

This is the video I watched last year to help me decide when to harvest. It’s well worth a watch.

 

[Honk]

Bedfordshire here, picked my EKG yesterday. They were growing up an old sailing dinghy mast, the ones lower down that I could get to to test weren't quite ready but noticed the higher ones starting to brown so decided to lower the mast and pick, probably about right timing for the majority.