The hop harvest begins in late summer. Ripe fruits should be picked as quickly and continuously as possible so that they do not become overripe. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell from the outside whether a hop fruit is ripe. How to see if your hops can be harvested.
When are hops ripe and ready to harvest?
Hops are ready to harvest between August and September when the fruits are elastic, dry on the outside and have a yellow powder (lupulin) on the inside. The ripe hops also give off an aromatic smell. Harvest continuously to avoid overripeness.
Hops are ready to harvest in late summer or early fall
The ripening period of hops begins in August and ends in September.
If the fruits are still very green and quite heavy, the hops are not ripe. Only when the hops feel like paper and seem dry have they reached maturity.
Open a fruit to look inside to see if it's time to harvest.
Open fruit
To be sure that the hops are actually ripe, you have 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, called lupulin, and the hops smell aromatic, they are ripe and can be harvested.
Hop fruits do not all ripen at the same time. Pick the ripe fruits continuously. Under no circumstances should they be left hanging until they are brown. Then they are overripe and can no longer be used.
How to harvest hop fruits
The hop vines grow several meters high. You will therefore need a ladder to pick the fruit (€139.00 on Amazon).
You can also make harvesting easier and cut the tendrils about 50 to 80 centimeters above the ground. Carefully remove it from the trellis and place it on the ground.
Now you can easily pick the fruits.
Dry hop fruits as quickly as possible
Fresh hops cannot be stored for a long time. You can only store it for several months when it is dried.
Place the hop cones loosely on a sieve and let them air dry. A convection oven is also suitable for drying hops.
Tip
Lupulin, the yellow powder formed in the ripe hop fruit, is one of the most important ingredients for brewing beer. It contains the so-called hop bitter. This substance gives the beer a slightly bitter taste and also makes the drink durable.
