{"id":619,"date":"2017-08-20T00:34:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-20T00:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnbriner.com\/?p=619"},"modified":"2025-02-24T09:46:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T09:46:26","slug":"how-do-you-know-when-your-hops-are-ready-to-harvest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnbriner.com\/?p=619","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Know When Your Hops Are Ready To Harvest?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"619\" class=\"elementor elementor-619\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ee1f97 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4ee1f97\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_has_onepagescroll_dot&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-571fd78 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"571fd78\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One of the most common questions we receive around harvest time is \u201chow do I know that my hops are ready to harvest?\u201d \u00a0We use a few different strategies to determine whether the hops are ready. \u00a0There is a very traditional sensory test, a more scientific home-based test, and a lab-based test.<\/p><p>Traditionally, hop farmers have determined that their hops were ready for harvesting when the cones begin to feel dry and papery. \u00a0When the cones are ripe, the yellow lupulin inside the cone should be very obvious, bright, and aromatic. \u00a0If the cones are soft or damp, it is still too early for harvesting. \u00a0This sensory test is a good start \u2013 you can tell if your hops are ready for harvest or further testing.<\/p><p>The next test we do is a readiness test or moisture test. \u00a0We randomly test a minimum of 6 sidearms in each hop yard, near the top of the trellis, around noon on the date of testing. \u00a0We take a sample of around 100 cones, and record the weight. \u00a0We then dry the hops overnight in a food dehydrator at between 140-150F until the hops are down to 0% moisture. \u00a00% moisture is achieved once the cones reach a stable weight. \u00a0We then take our dried sample and apply it to the following formula: Hop percent dry matter = 100 x dry cone weight\/green cone weight.<\/p><p>Here is a handy online calculator for determining this formula:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/extension\/images\/engineering\/hopscalc.html\">http:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/extension\/images\/engineering\/hopscalc.html<\/a><\/p><p>To determine whether your particular variety is ready for harvest based on the above formula, you can check with standard target harvest dry matter results here:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/extension\/cropsoil\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hop_harvest_fact_sheet.pdf\">http:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/extension\/cropsoil\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hop_harvest_fact_sheet.pdf<\/a><\/p><p>Finally, if the sensory test and the readiness test seem to indicate that the hop field is harvest-ready, we send a sample to our local lab for testing. \u00a0This is a new development for us. \u00a0In the past, we would send our hops post-harvest to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/agr.wa.gov\/\">Washington State Department of Agriculture<\/a>. \u00a0While this is a necessary step in determining alpha and beta acids and oil content after harvesting, the shipping and turnaround time meant there was not enough time to test the hops prior to harvesting. \u00a0This changed for us last year with the opening of a local testing lab. \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.clvancouver.com\/\">Commodity Lab Vancouver<\/a>\u00a0is located less than an hour from our main processing facility. \u00a0When our sensory testing and readiness testing check out, we deliver a sample to the lab, and they are able to return results that afternoon. \u00a0This allows us to know with certainty that are acids and oils have reached peak levels and that particular field is ready to begin harvesting the next morning.<\/p><p>Harvesting is time-sensitive as harvesting too early can reduce yields from your hop yard and can affect the subsequent year\u2019s yield as well as affecting the flavour of your hops as the alpha acids and oils are not at peak levels.\u00a0 Harvesting too late can also reduce the brewing value of your hops, both in flavour and aroma. \u00a0Late harvested hops take on a garlic or onion flavour and begin to turn brown \u2013 which means your pellets will smell off and look brown as well.<\/p><p>So what\u2019s the optimal moisture level once you have harvested? \u00a0Hops should be dried down to 8-10% moisture (or 90 \u2013 92% dry matter) for packaging and storage. \u00a0We aim for a consistent 9% moisture. \u00a0If you are lucky enough to live within a reasonable driving distance to a lab, by all means make friends and get them to test test your hops for alphas and oils to ensure you are harvesting your hops at the right time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most common questions we receive around harvest time is \u201chow do I know that my hops are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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