I have 2nd year Golding & they are dry but don't smell much like hops. They are starting to turn brown & I have picked a couple & tore them open they are loaded with lupin (?). My question is should I pic them & dry them before they turn to brown?
Harvest Question
- Thread starter pascott6
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
harry_the_face
Well-Known Member
There are those that know way more than I but if they are browning then they are past harvest. Take them down, dry them and vacuum seal them immediately. They will not be the best with the brown on them but better than nothing.
allynlyon
Well-Known Member
I have 2nd year Golding & they are dry but don't smell much like hops. They are starting to turn brown & I have picked a couple & tore them open they are loaded with lupin (?). My question is should I pic them & dry them before they turn to brown?
I struggled and struggled with how to tell if my hops were ready. Finally I searched youtube for a video and there are several good tutorials for how to tell. A little browning around the edges is ok, but if the entire hop is brown then it is past due.
stpug
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2012
- Messages
- 3,808
- Reaction score
- 767
IMO, some browning is okay and probably normal in most homegrowers plots. I like to harvest all at once rather than parts of a plant multiple times so I actually wait until the majority is fully ready which means there are some browning ones and some not-fully-ripe ones. When I harvest, I'll toss the all-brown ones and the really small, not-fully-ripe ones; and keep the rest.
As for your golding not smelling too much like hops: My golding is 3 years and it also doesn't have a big hop aroma like my cascades or centennials, however it does have aroma. If I crush one up really well in the palm of my hands, cup my hands, and give a good whiff - I can pick up on the delicate spice aspect of golding. Remember, these are low alpha, noble hops and don't provide the typical PUNCH you get from northwest hops - BUT they have their place. Besides, year two hops are probably still not at their full potential once they get established in later years.
HTH!
As for your golding not smelling too much like hops: My golding is 3 years and it also doesn't have a big hop aroma like my cascades or centennials, however it does have aroma. If I crush one up really well in the palm of my hands, cup my hands, and give a good whiff - I can pick up on the delicate spice aspect of golding. Remember, these are low alpha, noble hops and don't provide the typical PUNCH you get from northwest hops - BUT they have their place. Besides, year two hops are probably still not at their full potential once they get established in later years.
HTH!
