Why do I have to dry?

[Shadoxhurst]

I found some hops growing wild down by the river near to where I live. So, haing read about harvesting themI ave kept an eye and checked them for ripeness over a period of a few weeks. Last week I decidedthat they were ready for picking. As I understand they are probably a very low AA% so I will ahve to use loads for a brew... how many is loads (I have beenmaking beers of og:IBU of around .?

But my main question is why do I have to dry the hops? I don't think that I have got enough to warrent long term storage so plan to use them as soon as possible. Do they undergo some kind of change during the drying process that is benificial to brewing?

[Invalid Stout]

Absolutely not, just use them before they go mouldy and you'll be fine. I read on here recently that you need to use about six times more wet hops than dried ones, but the good news is they will also suck up less precious wort!

[Shadoxhurst]

Thanks.
I think that I am going to get a stout on the go tomorrow so that it is ready for Christmas and after that I'll have a go at using the hedge row hops and see what hapens. They will be fairly dry by the time I use them, but I didn't weigh them when I picked them so have no idea how much weight they will have lost when I use them and I have no idea of the strength so I'll probably just put loads in and hope for the best.

[thomas.cena09]

If you dry then you will be able to preserve and keep it with you for a longer time which you can not in the normal state. It is very helpful and good for you.

[Invalid Stout]

Do you get much aroma off the wet hops? I got shown some a few weeks ago and they weren't nearly as aromatic as I thought they'd be.

[Shadoxhurst]

I got some aroma off the hops, but not as much as the commercial ones I have bought but I guessed that was because they were some low AA% wild hops. However, after I had been picking them off the stalks and putting them in the box my hands were sticky and smelt a lot and my wife said I had to dry them in the shed as they were making the house smell too much ( I thought that the house smelt nice with the aroma of hops floating through it but felt it best not to argue)

[smp465]

I used my First Gold hops wet a few weeks ago and the smell of the boil was something else. Have to say it wasn't as hoppy as i expected when i tasted a bit during bottling, but we'll see what happens when she has matured.

[umpa]

This thread interests me as I have just ordered some hop rhyzomes and intend to plant hops in massive pots in my garden.
Ok So I dont want to dry them as the only place I can do this is in the kitchen oven and SWIBO - says NO! but I want to brew them all year round, so after thinking this over - how about if I put them in vaccum bags and deep freeze them ?

My idea is that I could put them in pre-measured bags - freeze, and simply take them out and chuck them in the brew as required. Any thoughts on my master plan ?

Regards

Ump..

[Invalid Stout]

That should be fine, seems like an expensive way of doing it though.

[umpa]

why is that ?