Let's face it. We're getting tired of waiting for our homegrown hops to be ready to harvest. With everyone talking about fresh hop beers and pictures on our Facebook walls of people laying in bins of freshly harvested cones, we've been itching to pick our hops and deflower (so to speak) pots full of virgin wort and process the remainder for the year's upcoming brews. (cue "screeching to a halt" soundbyte) Just wait!!! Don't succomb to peer pressure or your own lack of willpower. Your hoppy beer will thank you later. The knowledge of picking hops later than usual has been passed on to us, the homebrewer, by Stan Hieronymus, author of recently released book, For The Love of Hops. As the cones mature, the resinous lupulin glands become a more golden (orange-y) schoolbus yellow color. They get more sticky. They get better, imparting better flavor and aroma to your beer. So some of the bracts are browning around the edges? No big deal. If you harvest too early, you won't get those intense hop characteristics you are looking for. I'm not going to tell you exactly when you should harvest. Only you truly know your bines. You listen to them don't you? If not, you should! They have much to say. In fact, here is a very good YouTube video showing what I'm talking about.
That being said, I am planning a simple extract hop harvest ale this weekend anyway. Here's the recipe. Enjoy! Be Fermentive!
Hop Harvest Ale
3.3 # Light Pilsner LME
3.3 # Amber LME
1 oz. Simcoe (First Wort Hop) 60 min.
at least 1 # fresh from the bine Chinook cones at flameout
30 minute hop stand (submerge fresh cones; put a lid on it)
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