When do I pick hops?

[FirebladeAdam]

These are in my garden looking awesome, how do I know when to take them off the plant? Thanks knowledgeable collective

 

[Cwrw666]

Looking good but wait until they've got some brown tips and feel papery when you squidge one.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Superb! Thank you.
Then what? I've heard putting them in a paper bag to dry out is a good idea?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I read in my hop book lots of complicated methods dry weight estimation etc.
But the old method was when the hop cone split/tore in half along it's length easily.
It's what I'll try on my hops in about 6 months.

 

[Cwrw666]

Superb! Thank you.
Then what? I've heard putting them in a paper bag to dry out is a good idea?

Spread them out on something that'll let the air circulate through. I use mushroom trays. Put them in tha airing cupboard if you have one or over a heat source (I hang them over our woodburner) or somewhere with a dehumidifier. When they're fairly dry bag them up and freeze them. Use them as the final hop addition as you wont know the AA content.

 

[Sandimas]

Wait as late as possible, when they start to turn brown as stated above consider picking, but also roll one between your fingers and smell it. I did this today and, whilst they look almost ready, there's next to no hoppy smell yet: that will develop over the next 2-3 weeks. Watch them like a hawk around mid Sept, which is when mine are usually ready for picking.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

These are in my garden looking awesome, how do I know when to take them off the plant? Thanks knowledgeable collective

In general - you want to see a few with brown bits - and not all of a plant may become ripe at the same time. This is a good general guide :
https://yakimavalleyhops.com/blogs/news/how-to-harvest-hops
The traditional harvest in Kent starts the Tuesday after the August Bank Holiday, but this year will be early (but it helps the BH being early too!). So if you roughly think of the harvest being spread out over September in a normal year, it depends on the variety - the likes of Bramling Cross and Fuggle are pretty early, Cascade and First Gold (Primadonna) are mid-season, Challenger is one of the later ones. There's a range of Goldings clones from Early Bird which is...early, through to the likes of Eastwell which are relatively late.

But don't look at the calendar, look at the cones - and as I say everything will be early this year.

Superb! Thank you.
Then what?

I've heard putting them in a paper bag to dry out is a good idea?

Ideally brew with them immediately - green hop beers are really special. But you can't hang around, they're no good for brewing within 12-24 hours, they go off really quickly. The Kent brewers start the boil, then go to the farm to collect their hops. Same applies to drying, you need to get them drying or freezing ASAP.

 

[Sandimas]

I dry mine on the floor of the garage in plastic plant trays. Careful they don't got mouldy, need to give them a shake now and again.