Drying hops

We planted two kinds of hops rhizomes this spring, Willamette and Cascade. They grew the entire height of the deck - probably about 20 feet. The hops themselves started to develop by mid-July but we waited to harvest until the pollen grains were clearly visible and fragrant. To dry them, Conor knocked the bottoms out of the drawers of a small bureau and stapled a screen to hold the hops. By keeping the top drawer cracked and the bottom one removed with a fan blowing into it, plenty of air circulated up through the hops while reducing light entry. It took just under three days and the hops was bagged and frozen, waiting for the first estate brew.