How to Harvest, Prepare and Store Homegrown Hops

Ingredients

• Freshly Grown Hop Cones (At peak ripeness, identifiable by a pungent aroma, sticky texture from lupulin, and springy cone.)

Instructions

1. **Determining Hop Ripeness:** Harvest usually falls between mid-August and September, depending on your location and the hop variety. Use these indicators to determine ripeness:
2. 1. **Squeeze Test:** Gently squeeze a hop cone. Ripe cones will feel light and dry, and spring back after compression. Unripe cones will remain compressed.
3. 2. **Aroma Test:** Pick a cone, roll it in your hands, and smell it. Ripe hops will emit a pungent aroma, often described as a blend of cut grass and onion. A rancid smell indicates overripeness. Discard these.
4. 3. **Sound Test:** Hold the hop cone next to your ear and roll it between your fingers. A 'cricket' sound suggests it's ready for harvest.
5. 4. **Texture Test:** The hop cone should feel springy and have papery tips while remaining sticky to the touch, indicative of lupulin content.
6. 5. **Lupulin Check:** Examine the cone for lupulin – the yellow, powdery substance found on the outside. It should be abundant and vibrant in color.
7. **Harvesting the Hops:**
8. Important: Wear durable, abrasive-resistant clothing, gloves, and goggles to protect against skin irritation and cuts from the hops' hooked hairs.
9. Choose one of the following methods:
10. * **Hand-Picking (Best for First-Year Bines):** Carefully pick the mature cones from the bines, leaving the bines intact to encourage nutrient flow back to the root system and crown.*
11. * **Cutting the Bine (Suitable for Established Bines After the First Year):** Cut the bine two to three feet above the ground to avoid damaging the root system.*
12. Estimate: A mature plant should yield approximately one to two pounds of dried hops.
13. **Drying the Hops:**
14. Freshly harvested hops contain about 80% water. Proper drying is crucial for preservation and uniform alpha acid content.
15. Essential factors to control: Time, Light, Heat and Moisture.
16. Optimal drying should not exceed three days, with temperatures below 140°F (60°C). Excessive heat can lead to oxidation and loss of aroma compounds.
17. Lower temperatures and longer drying periods generally result in higher-quality hops.
18. Select one of these drying methods:
19. * **Food Dehydrator:** Arrange the hops in a single layer within a food dehydrator and set the temperature to below 140°F. This method ensures controlled air circulation and heat distribution.*
20. * **Oven (with Ventilation):** Spread the hops evenly on a baking sheet and place it in an oven set to the lowest possible temperature (below 140°F). Crack the oven door open to allow moisture to escape, and frequently check them every 20 minutes.*
21. * **Drying Screen:** Spread the hops across a window screen or a clean air filter. Place the screen in a warm, dark (cover with landscape fabric), dry, and well-ventilated area with a fan to promote air circulation.*
22. Hops should be dried to a moisture content of 8-10% by weight to prevent molding.
23. To check for sufficient dryness, bend the central stem of a hop cone – it should snap cleanly. The lupulin should easily detach, and the leaves should feel papery and springy.
24. **Packaging and Storing the Dried Hops:**
25. 1. **Divide:** Weigh out the dried hops and divide them into portions of one to two ounces per bag.
26. 2. **Package:** Seal the hops in airtight containers such as plastic freezer bags, vacuum-sealed bags, or airtight jars.
27. 3. **Remove Air:** Eliminate as much air from the containers as possible. Vacuum sealing is preferred but not essential. Flatten the bags to remove air pockets.
28. 4. **Label and Freeze:** Label each package with the hop variety and store them in the freezer to preserve freshness.