# Hops ...the Latest Batch Or Just The Budget Stuff



## Pumpy (13/6/08)

There appears a significant price variation between the suppliers of the hops .

I like it when they state the year of the hop 

I suppose there is a difference between the quality of the packaging eg some vacuum pack .

some must be old hops . even fresh hops can go stale if incorrectly stored !

Are you a Budget shopper or go for the fresh stuff .


Pumpy


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## bconnery (13/6/08)

What, no poll?  

Both. I buy sometimes for a specific reason and sometimes because something on craftbrewer catches my eye, or I've seen a recipe or a thread. 
Sometimes I buy them because they are on special, usually due to age, but I can trust the storage...
Sometimes I buy because they are fresh...


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## SJW (13/6/08)

Always fresh for me, thanks. Not so fussy with bittering hops but everything else, as fresh as can be.

Steve


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## winkle (13/6/08)

Definately not enough polls on stuff like this h34r: 

Aroma & flavour additions - fresher the better.


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## T.D. (13/6/08)

For years I bought hops in standard plastic bags and to be honest I've never noticed any improvement now that packaging has broadly improved. Of course its great to see retailers going to a bit more trouble with their packaging, but I really don't susbscribe to the idea that if the hops are last year's crop or are not vaccum sealed that they are going to be of inferior quality.

In fact, as an aside, there was a time when the older stock of Amarillo had a much richer flavour/aroma than the new crop, so I don't necessarily think new crop = best. Lots of other factors to consider too.


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## Hutch (13/6/08)

Fresher the better, absolutley. 
It was a revelation to me discovering the improvement in my beer made by fresh hops (from Craftbrewer if I must name names).
I had always been dissapointed with the beers I'd been making with the hops from the LHBS (particularly Spewcraft), and certainly never able to acheive the fine hop aroma of some of the better commercial beers.
It is incredible how much they stale and oxidise without the proper Oxygen-free packaging, and cold-storage.

I had even noticed the difference with hops from G&G (well respected HBS that it is), they never had the same pungent aroma, and always a dull green (pellets). Hopefully that's changed with their recent move to vaccum packing (top stuff John!)


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## newguy (13/6/08)

Airtight packaging and freezer storage means that even 3 or 4 year old hops still smell fresh. If the retailer packaged them correctly and if you make sure they're stored in your freezer then there are no issues. I learned the hard way that ordinary plastic bags just don't cut it, even in the freezer. They were only good for bittering. :angry:


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## Pumpy (13/6/08)

I had never really thought about keeping the old hops for bittering and just use the fresh ones Just for the later aroma /flavour additions thats a good idea 


pumpy


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## blackbock (13/6/08)

...and keep the really old ones to make pLambics!


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## T.D. (13/6/08)

Remember that the effective %aa falls as hops get older, its not just a loss of aroma. So using them for bittering is not necessarily the solution, unless you account for the %aa loss.


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## Sammus (13/6/08)

I've got some old stale POR pellets if anyone wants some for bittering  I can already tell there will be no takers


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## Pumpy (13/6/08)

Sammus said:


> I've got some old stale POR pellets if anyone wants some for bittering  I can already tell there will be no takers




Actually I just used some OLD POR flowers and for Bittering an Oatmeal stout and its Bitter allright, in a nice balanced way 

Pumpy


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## matti (13/6/08)

I freeze all my hops in their vacuum packs.
With open packs I try to get rid of all air and put in plastic screw top containers an freeze.

Not sure if this ideal for aroma hops. 
I don't brew often enough to be able to use freshly purchased hops most of the time.


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## Hutch (13/6/08)

From what little experience I have, it seems that keeping them seeled airtight and frozen are important factors in prolonging "freshness", once the packet is opened. I've used those plastic zip lock bags from Coles once before, and every time I opened the freezer I could smell massive hop aroma. That's freshness going out the door IMHO, from supposed seeled bags.
The snap-lock bags that Ross sells, on the other hand, seem to be completely air-tight, if my nose is any measure.


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## newguy (14/6/08)

T.D. said:


> Remember that the effective %aa falls as hops get older, its not just a loss of aroma. So using them for bittering is not necessarily the solution, unless you account for the %aa loss.



In my experience, the %aa loss, in the freezer (~ -20C), is negligible. Remember that the quoted stability numbers for hops are for storage at +20C. Just this past winter I used the last of some German hops that I originally bought in the summer of 2004. I don't know how long they were in my supplier's freezer before I bought them. I actually overshot my bitterness targets for the beers I brewed with them and I didn't take any loss into account.


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## yardy (14/6/08)

Pumpy said:


> There appears a significant price variation between the suppliers of the hops .
> 
> I like it when they state the year of the hop
> 
> ...



mostly it's the freshest hops but i've used 05 Strisslespalt with good results.

Cheers
Yardy


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## Screwtop (14/6/08)

Keep mine in the freezer, in double ziplock bags after opening. Recently used some from the 06 crop, they had been opened so I used the hop ageing tool in Beersmith to adjust the Alpha. Beer is too hoppy for style so I guess the bags work ok. 

Screwy


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## Batz (14/6/08)

I have a vacuum packer I bought off ebay,I usually buy my hops in bulk split up and pack myself.If I have left overs they are resealed straight away and frozen,I believe hops last for ages stored like this.
BTW the vacuum sealer will reseal craft brewer foil bags as well,a great investment.

Batz


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## Pumpy (14/6/08)

Batz said:


> I have a vacuum packer I bought off ebay,I usually buy my hops in bulk split up and pack myself.If I have left overs they are resealed straight away and frozen,I believe hops last for ages stored like this.
> BTW the vacuum sealer will reseal craft brewer foil bags as well,a great investment.
> 
> Batz




thats a good tip have you a pic of your vacuum sealer Batz 

Pumpy


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