# Hop suppliers



## Hopsta (3/7/18)

Hi all, are there any retail specialist hop suppliers around anymore? And by specialist i mean they only stock hops, therefore can trade at a better price point than a homebrew store, they have a bigger range and fresh stock.

I see "Simply Hops" website doesnt work.. any others out there you know of?

Cheers,
Hopsta


----------



## yochris77 (3/7/18)

https://www.whitehousenursery.com.au/hops/


----------



## Roosterboy (3/7/18)

Hopsta said:


> Hi all, are there any retail specialist hop suppliers around anymore? And by specialist i mean they only stock hops, therefore can trade at a better price point than a homebrew store, they have a bigger range and fresh stock.
> 
> I see "Simply Hops" website doesnt work.. any others out there you know of?
> 
> ...


They probably had such a small margin it wasn't worth the effort. When Barleyman closed up he crunched the numbers and worked out he hadn't made anything , pretty much came out even.


----------



## Redreuben (10/10/18)

Hi Guys,
haven't brewed for 13 years or so, so a bit out of the loop, I'm in WA so even further ! Ventured into my LHBS the other day and was surprised to see all pellets not a whole hop in sight ! Anybody have a favourite supplier they would like to plug local or overseas I don't mind, for European hops its almost essential.


----------



## altone (10/10/18)

Actually hop cones are harder to come by now. Even G&G here in Melb only occasionally have them.
Most of the popular online hop guys only do pellets or occasionally plugs.
Fresh pellets should do the job fairly well though. things have changed for the better there for sure over the past few years.
edit: eg freshness, cool storage and vacuum sealed bags that don't leak

I hope someone can provide a supplier for you.

Personally wouldn't try obtaining them from OS as after the stress of transport and being dribbled on by sniffer dogs at customs I think they'd be pretty poor quality.

(Are whole hops ok to import? I know pelletised ones are)


PS. beerbelly.com.au sell some hop flowers but only a few varieties I think


----------



## Redreuben (10/10/18)

I've imported Saaz and Styrian Goldings as flowers and plugs no problem but yeah times have changed. Way back when I bought a shitload of hop pellets from a Melbourne shop and sent the whole lot back, they were brown powder, the whole lot. 
I see vacuum packaging and refrigeration everywhere now, its all good, but I still prefer flowers or plugs if I can get them.


----------



## Belgrave Brewer (10/10/18)

Redreuben said:


> Hi Guys,
> haven't brewed for 13 years or so, so a bit out of the loop, I'm in WA so even further ! Ventured into my LHBS the other day and was surprised to see all pellets not a whole hop in sight ! Anybody have a favourite supplier they would like to plug local or overseas I don't mind, for European hops its almost essential.


You can try:

South West Hops
https://www.facebook.com/SouthWestHops/

WestHops
https://www.facebook.com/groups/963794440342334/

Both are small scale commercial hop growers in WA and may have cones available as they don't pelletise.


----------



## markp (10/10/18)

Redreuben said:


> I've imported Saaz and Styrian Goldings as flowers and plugs no problem but yeah times have changed. Way back when I bought a shitload of hop pellets from a Melbourne shop and sent the whole lot back, they were brown powder, the whole lot.
> I see vacuum packaging and refrigeration everywhere now, its all good, but I still prefer flowers or plugs if I can get them.



Try twoc in Bibra lake, he regularly has plugs available, apparently because of our laws in wa you can’t import flowers but there is a loophole that allows plugs. 
Cheers


----------



## Redreuben (11/10/18)

TWOC is my local.


----------



## Tony M (11/10/18)

Belgrave Brewer said:


> You can try:
> 
> South West Hops
> https://www.facebook.com/SouthWestHops/
> ...



It is great that I may be able to keep my lousy few bob here in WA. Many years ago AHB members found a Tasmanian hop farmer prepared to sell to us direct at very good prices. He was close to setting it all up when he had to cancel. he apologised on this forum ,saying that the hop wholesalers threatened to stop buying from him, which would have ruined him. That was the day I decided that hop wholesalers were the enemy and since 2011, I place an order with a direct supplier in the US every couple of years. I keep my hops frozen under vacuum and they remain bright and wonderfully aromatic for the duration.


----------

