Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:55 am
You picked at about the right time. Hallertauers are notoriously early for harvest. I picked mine (in Wisconsin) on August 14 and they were totally peaked. A good number (maybe 25%) of the hops were sort of a yellow color, no longer green at all, and these yellow hops are the ones that smelled most strongly like Hallertauer. But it's good that I didn't wait any longer than last week because now my plant is completely dead due to disease. It was still pretty well alive last week. I haven't checked alpha acid yet, but with respect to weight, mine were at 23% dried compared to wet, which is beyond necessary harvest date -- they should be at least 21% solids at harvest so mine were actually past due. If yours smelled like hay, MAYBE you picked a little early, but try smelling some of those yellow ones.... mmmm, yummy... those are the ones that really matter. When combined with the rest I'm sure the result will be just fine. I've enjoyed my Hallertauer ales over the past couple of years. I found them to be pretty mild, herbal, and a little spicy, but not grassy or hay-like. And I picked mine in previous years in late July without a problem. Perhaps a bit early but still alright. If you picked in first or second week August, you done good.
Dave
"This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption. Let us give praise to our Maker, and glory to His bounty, by learning about... BEER!" - Friar Tuck (Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves)
