1st year hops "not usable"?

[Pwrflpills]

So a buddy of mine who I had been planning on sharing some of my hops with now tells me that 1st year hops are "really not that usable" and that he basically isn't interested in my hops. He had a bad experience trying to grow some himself a year or two ago and I guess used whatever he got out of his plant and it didn't go well. He says the oils, etc. don't really develop until year 2.

Thoughts?

 

[lowlife]

You probably wont get any or much first year hops anyways.

 

[brianj434]

I used the ones i got off of my first year plants. True, maybe they weren't that hoppy but i have sub ideal growing conditions. You still make beer with hops you grew yourself and that is awesome. I say use them all for yourself and then he will be jealous.

 

[QuixoticDevice]

I and a buddy of mine used all of my first year hop harvest without any problems. The issue isn't sub-quality hops, just the amount that you get out of the vines in your first growing season.

 

[Randar]

You won't know what the acid profile is, so bittering is of questionable accuracy and there are numerous threads here that deal with suggestions for how to ballpark AA%.

That said, first year hops are not going to be plentiful so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Use whatever you get and prepare for huge harvest in future years... years 3 and 4 make you wonder why the hell you started all these hop crowns in the first place!

 

[IrregularPulse]

Besides quantity, the quality of the hops should be just fine/the same as multi year plants. Use them yourself if he doesn't want any!

 

[uechikid]

I got just enough last year to make a 10 gallon batch of pale ale. It was real good.

 

[Homercidal]

Use what you get. They will be fine. Just might not get enough for a batch, depending on how many you planted and how well they took off.

I got diddly my first year. Second year I got about 2 lbs. This was for 3 plants.

 

[Pwrflpills]

Thanks for the info guys. I brought this up because my Cascade plant is going CRAZY with burrs and already has a few handfuls worth of an early crop that came out about a month ago. My Centennial plant has a bunch coming out now too. (2 plants total)

I'm growing them in containers in South Florida as an experiment and must say I'm surprised how well they're doing after reading that I didn't have much of a chance down here, let alone with first year plants in containers.

 

[SOB]

Just remember that they may be crazy with burrs now but after harvesting they wont weigh much compared to the volume you picked and then after drying they'll weigh even less. About 80% less.

To your original question I would forget your friend and dry hop with what you get this year.

 

[Hopfarmer]

I had my 1st year Cascades and Chinooks tested and they were both on the high end of alphas . They were used to make Town Pump Century Ale by New Belgium Brewing check out the u tube Cheers Glen

 

[rniles]

Good job Glen - Nostrovia!

I had my 1st year Cascades and Chinooks tested and they were both on the high end of alphas . They were used to make Town Pump Century Ale by New Belgium Brewing check out the u tube Cheers Glen

 

[stubbornman]

Very cool vid, thanks for sharing.

 

[GIusedtoBe]

I got just enough last year to make a 10 gallon batch of pale ale. It was real good.

Off of how many plants and what type? I have 3 cascades and 1 willamette and the Cascades are starting to produce cones now. The vines are about 5 ft high on the lattice. I'm thinking that if my hops are sub batch level I will add my home growns as an addition to an IPA that I can just go hop crazy on.

Regards,
Alan

 

[cuinrearview]

Last year I had good luck with a first year Sterling at a friend's house and I spread the 4oz. out over three brews. They were actually more potent in flavor and aroma and bittered as expected in a wit.

 

[uechikid]

Off of how many plants and what type? I have 3 cascades and 1 willamette and the Cascades are starting to produce cones now. The vines are about 5 ft high on the lattice. I'm thinking that if my hops are sub batch level I will add my home growns as an addition to an IPA that I can just go hop crazy on.

Regards,
Alan

I had one cascade and one Chinook.