Hops are ready for harvest in late summer or early autumn
The ripening period for hops begins in August and ends in September.
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Are the fruit still very green and quite heavy, the hops are not ripe. It is only when the hops feel like paper and seem dry that they have reached maturity.
Open a fruit to see inside to see if it's time to harvest.
Open fruit
To make sure that the hops are actually ripe, you need to open a fruit. Just cut them in half.
- Fruit elastic
- Fruit dry on the outside
- yellow powder inside (lupulin)
- aromatic smell
If there is a yellow powder inside, the lupulin, and the hops smell aromatic, it is ripe and can be harvested.
Hop fruits do not all ripen at the same time. Pick the ripe fruits continuously. In no case should they get stuck until they are brown. Then they are overripe and no longer usable.
How to harvest hops
the Hop tendrils become several meters high. You will therefore need a ladder to pick the fruit.
You can also make the harvest easier for yourself and place the tendrils around 50 to 80 centimeters above the ground cut off. Carefully detach it from the climbing aid and place it on the ground.
Now you can simply pick the fruit.
Dry the hops fruits as quickly as possible
Fresh hops cannot be kept for long. You can only keep it dry for several months to store.
Place the hop cones loosely on a colander and allow them to air dry. A fan oven is also suitable for drying hops.
Tips
Lupulin, the yellow powder that is formed in the ripe hop fruit, is one of the most important ingredients for that Brewery. It contains the so-called hop bitter. This substance provides the somewhat bitter beer taste and also makes the drink durable.