Found some hops growing wild the other day and took pics. Don’t know much about when to pick them but figure it must be close or now. This is in England and am wondering what to do with them. Hope to get some info. I took pics but can’t figure out how to post them. Help please.
Just had the same experience over here in British Columbia, I assume temps are pretty similar there as they are here, and I know our big farm on Campus just harvested all their hops. So i just went ahead and grabbed like 50 oz of them, I am no hop master, but if they smell gorgeous and you mash em up in your hand and the oils and scents are flowing well then I assume you could probably nab some, I mean there growing wild so who knows really, Half the ones I found were already browning, so I grabbed the fullest bunches that were still green. I vac sealed and froze all the ones I was not using, All i Know is if you plan on using them, use em quick, if your not freezing them, people say they are best right off the vine and into the wort. Idk not much help, if anyone else has info on this I would also be interested.
Regards,
GbrewH
I found some feral hops a few years ago, and transplanted rhizomes to my house. If you have the room, they are really fascinating to grow- 25-30 feet up the side of my house.
Harvesting- pick a few and examine them. They should not feel moist and spongy when you squeeze them. The tips of the bracts will be starting to turn a little brown, and they will be more papery feeling. Break them open and look for the yellow lupinin glands at the base. Rub them in your hands and give a good smell.
After harvesting they need to be dried. Usually in a warm dry room on a window screen propped on a couple chairs with a fan moving the air underneath them. They dry in a week or so.
A foodsaver vacumn sealer is ideal for storage when they are dry, but I don’t have that, so I use Ziploc bags. Store them in the freezer, and they’ll last around 6 months they say, although I’ve used them beyond that. Since you can’t tell IBUs without expensive analysis, most people use them for flavor and aroma additions, or dryhopping.
Free hops- what a bonus! :cheers:
and how they was loooked like ?
i know this is an ilder thread, but here in finland i just picked some wild hops. the aroma isnt so strong, but i thought id try them for a wet hop beer anyways. anyone got an idea as to what they are?
what about preserving them? can i just throw them into the freezer without drying first`? :mrgreen:
