When is hop harvest

New hop yards are planted from rhizomes or potted plants. Rhizomes are planted in early spring, and potted plants are planted later, after the danger of frost has passed. Trellis and irrigation systems are repaired. Initial fertilizer applications are applied. Based on soil tests, each field is treated with nutrients at the levels needed for healthy plant growth.

Nutrients will continue to be applied throughout the season as determined by plant tissue analyses. Primary shoots emerge from the hop crowns. In established yards, primary shoots are generally pruned to eliminate early disease inoculum and to set training dates. Twining crews manually tie coir coconut fiber or paper twine to the overhead trellis structure, while other workers insert the twine into each hill hop plant.

Sorting Hop cones are then separated from leaf and bine in cleaning stations — leaving only raw leaf hop cones. Drying Hop cones are laid out on massive-sized hop kilns where they are gently heated until thoroughly dried. Cooling Dry hop cones are then piled high on cooling floors which help maintain their color and essential oils. Baling The dried and cooled hops are then compressed in pound canvas bales, sealed with a hand-stitch. Pelletizing Hop leaf is ground into powder and forced through a die under extreme pressure to form dense hop pellets.

Quality Packaging Hop pellets are fresh-packed in nitrogen-flushed mylar pouches and heavy-duty crates with data label. Logistics Orders are processed to ensure shipments arrive on schedule.

We offer storage and delivery programs. The Proof is in the Pour For over years, Hopsteiner has built a reputation of providing top quality hops at the best possible price. Select a random cone and cut it vertically.

A ripe cone will have yellow dust lupulin in the center and it should be pungently hoppy. Another way to tell is to snap a hop cone in half. If it breaks like a carrot would, you are ready to harvest. If it is still very spongy, then you need to wait. Only pick the cones that look similar to the one you tested because not all of the cones will be ready at the same time.

When you have enough cones, or you just want to move on, you need to dry the hops. A food dehydrator works well for this, but read your instructions first.

You don't want to over dry or burn your hops.