Wet Hopping- Updated

[Ted Briggs]

There is a post on this but its 2-3 years old and I wanted to read some updated responces.
I have some hops growing and was wondering:
How do you know when they are ready to pick?
They need to be washed as they were sprayed for bugs- I was planning on "salad spinning" them. Should I dry them additionaly? Will I loose alot of character doing this? Im fairly shure the big growers wash as part of thier procedure.
Use will be in hop bags at -15 and whirlpool, same as ive done with whole hops in the past. How about fermenter or server/bbt hopping with these? Or even adding a pound or two to the dosing tank on the filter?
Ohh- and I have no idea what type they are so this is a real experiment! :cool:

[nohandslance]

Contact San Juan Hop farms, operated by Andrea (Alexisscarlett on Probrewer),
Sanjuanhopfarms.com, they are having their fresh hop picking event soon.

[Moonlight]

No matter what, assume you will use them within 24 hours of picking, and ideally within a couple hours.
I wouldn't expect that washing with cold water would affect the flavor. Most of what you want to save is hydrophobic. Next year perhaps consider alternatives to spraying. Dunk some in water and see what flavors get left behind. I believe commercial growers don't use nasty sprays close enough to harvest to "require" washing- none could afford the extra kiln drying time. Not knowing what you sprayed, and how recently, I would be overly cautious about drinking the resulting beer.
Mostly, recognize that you will get quite a bit of extra water in your beer, so plan your gravity accordingly. (Maybe have some dextrose or wort powder nearby.) A salad spinner could be effective, depending on how much you have and how many arms you can get to assist.
I would expect good results using them in all those mentioned places.
To determine ripeness, rub them by twisting them between the palms of your hand and smelling. You need good aroma, without too much moisture. When the cones begin to be brittle, when the brachts can be broken off, they would be ready. If the cone shatters, it is too late.