When should you harvest hops?

Hops should be harvested from late August to early October. Mature hops are springy, dry, and produce a thick, yellow substance. Hops in a single crop may reach maturity at different times. Therefore, some hops in a crop may need to be harvested at a later time.

After being harvested, hops must be dried using a heat source that does not exceed 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Hops not thoroughly dried risk becoming moldy or rancid. Large quantities of dried hops are stored in large bales wrapped in burlap. However, a small harvest can simply be stored in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer.