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1st year hop harvest questions

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  • #16
    Originally posted by jason.koehler
    One thing I'm worried about, that maybe US hop growers don't have, is the late season rain we had here in Japan. Usually the rainy season stops at the middle of July, but this year it has continued through the 10th of August...which is pretty peak for lupulin formation. I'm wondering if the resins can be 'washed out' of the cone after it forms by heavy rain.

    I'll splice a few and post pictures to show the low resin content later.
    It is your rain I would wagger that decreases AA.
    Like capsicium in peppers, heat and bitter are intensified when the plant is stressed or dry.
    A wet wet August makes for not hot peppers and not bitter hops.
    The remedy is beyond me since as of yet no one gets to control rain or wind or hail

    A variety that cones and produces much earlier or later than your monsoon season?
    Or a thousand little umbrellas-- could double as an art exhibit?

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    • #17
      Hopefully the freak late season rains we got this year were just that...freak late season rain and won't repeat next year...

      I'll be doing my final harvest next weekend, and I'm hopeful that the cones that did the bulk of their forming after the heavy rain spell will be more potent. I plan on doing some test brews with early vs. late hops to see if they turned out differently.

      I suppose we can't control the weather, but I can plant a little later to avoid burr/cone development during the peak of monsoon season.


      I just met with some government guys yesterday about leasing unutilized farmland closer to my area than where my farm is now...wow do they ever have a 'good ol' boy' system in play here!
      www.devilcraft.jp
      www.japanbeertimes.com

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      • #18
        I'd like to address a few of the questions floating around here.

        Lupulin and the corresponding humulones, oils, etc. will not fully extract even in boiling water. They are non-polar resins that require non-polar solvents like hexane or toluene to fully extract in the lab. In the kettle there are some emulsifying compounds present from the mash that extract at higher temps.

        As the plant develops the first 1-2 years you will certainly notice reduced yields (size and number), but you can also experience lower resin values. The plant must divide its resources into root, shoot, and flower development with the first few years focused on the roots.

        Mechanized harvest is something to be considered for anyone with more than about 200 plants. We've spent considerable time designing and fabricating our own processing equipment scaled for the small grower. 300 bines/hour is our projected capacity. Bines in one end, sorted cones out the other ready for the oast. From there they go to the pelletizing operation. This can be done on the small scale. Get a hold of us if you're interested.

        Kindly,
        James Altwies
        Director/Horticulturist
        Gorst Valley Hops
        www.gorstvalleyhops.com

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