Again I will say for the record my issues with DH does not stem from my missing hops that truly is old news and all has been previously explained. To be honest we have butted heads since day one when I got involved in the first BB. Our personalities clash like all hell and I fully admit that.
I have on the most part refrained from commenting on the quality of these hops because of this exact issue and one other which I will talk about soon. There have been several occasions I have attempted to comment on the quality but have failed miserably because I get sucked into a slanging match instead of ignoring the walrus and simply commenting on my experience with these hops. Consequently the mods rightfully, let me say, deleted the posts as they were without a doubt tainted with my absolute distain for DH, his attitude towards fellow AHB members and as well as me being off topic lol. In lots of ways now, I am glad I didn't get my full quota of hops, especially from what I have experienced personally with my own beers and the other brewers beers I have tasted. What Gregs has reported is a deadest worry IMO and is definitely got me worried.
Now to the other issue I mentioned above. The reason I didnt want everyone to do a hop drive donation was because everyone in the hop bulk buy had already paid for my hops once already. It goes completely against my grain to have you guys pay twice for something you already did but without your knowledge as far as I know. That was part of the deal DH set up and thats the way it went down. I am not shy of a dollar, this was not what motivated me to get involved, I was more than happy to pay for them and to do the work without the refund carrot. Now let me state that all those, as far as I am aware, paid for their hops prior to the order being placed with China (it was totally above board). It was refunded after the hops arrived here in Australia and once all the costs were accounted for. Im not sure that everybody was aware of that fact, if you were then great it was all above board to the greater AHB community and Im happy, if not well Im sorry to be the bearer of that news but that is what happened. Hence why I could not accept the kind offers even though I did get some hops which I still feel extremely guilty about having in my brewery. As for the comments about the north being awash with cheap Chinese hops, who actually paid for them and who profited from them I can speculate as I did not want nor did I have anything to do with the money side of things.
What disgruntled me the most over this whole sordid Bulk Buy affair was the constant lies about the quality of the hops and the annoying BS being constantly spruiked by DH especially now on the 2nd BB hop thread. From day one, it started , and it's still going on today. All of it is utter BS without a thread or shred of truth, evidence or fact.
Now I want to comment on the constant BS spruiking and why it gets my knickers in a knot.
Simply DH is a self confessed novice when dealing with businesses and the importation of goods. I have had numerous dealings worth tens of millions of dollars over the years with overseas companies (including China) and it's always been the same deal, even when importing cars from the USA, you have to eye ball them and their operations first before you believe anything that is either offered, said or implied. In lots of ways I am still a complete novice in these dealings myself. I confess that completely. This is why wholesalers make profits, why they stay in business and can guarantee a certain quality of product they sell to the retailers and eventually the end users. This rule of thumb, as far as I'm concerned, is for any and every country not just China.
To be effective in importing goods and to ensure you receive the goods you have paid for you simply cannot do it sitting behind a screen via the internet from some remote corner of the universe. It's just that simple. I have personally been to China twice now and dealt with them face to face and even after that I was still ripped off to a certain degree importing architectural door furniture. Same with my dealings from the USA. I received a completely different car from the one I loaded into a container myself. It was switched out before being picked up by the transport company from the car yard I bought the car off and had been dealing with for 5 years prior.
With my limited past dealings and experience I really do feel that DH is doing a disservice by immediately ordering more hops that have not been fully vetted, commented and tested by the AHB community. He will only perpetuate to them that we are willing to buy 2nd rate goods. If he can't admit the hop failings here on AHB, to those that would have otherwise supported him (had he been more accepting of other brewers opinions), then one can only gather he is not telling them the whole awful truth either. They know the hops are second grade they aren't completely naive to what's happened and what they have supplied us. They will say whatever it takes to secure the deal with a smile on their face and all I see is DH lapping that up hook line and sinker.
As for the quality of the 2nd BB hops I am certain they will be as good as the first from past experiences? Thats why I kept hammering that thread. They will simply continue to send poor quality because we or rather DH accepted them before and got away with it so we can do it again. What DH is failing to understand is they do not have the governing laws that we have here in Australia which amongst other things protect the end user no matter where in the world they are exported to. Do you really think any economic harm will come to China from a bunch of Aussie home brewers getting sick from the cheap hops they imported? Hell no and dont kid yourself! Maybe if we were very young children and there was some worldwide media hype behind it but certainly not for a bunch of busted arsed brewers trying to save a buck.
They full well know, as well as we do, that there can be absolutely no damaging recourse to them what so ever. They don't care if you don't come back for more or you drop dead from ingesting a gut full of e-coli. Now that is the truth. The Chinese business that supplied the hops couldn't give two hoots about the size of the order or the quality supplied to us that keeps getting banged on about. NONE! As for all the BS with growing regions, production techniques, better quality to come, blah, blah, blah. All I can say is if you believe that then I have a Harbour Bridge in Sydney with good turn over and high profits to sell you which is going dirt cheap.
Now before you pull the racist tag on me and brand me anti-chinese for my comments. I'll give you the heads up, to save you putting your foot in it with me, that my mother in law is native Chinese. I have a half Chinese/Aussie step sister and my wife is also 1/8th Chinese hence her almond shaped eyes. I'll give you fare warning I love all of them dearly so don't try to insult me with baseless accusations because I will take offence and I will strike back.
Now for some suggestions in how to deal with people. If DH had just come out with something resembling the truth on the state of the hop quality from the first BB I wouldn't have an issue I would let all things be water under the bridge. All it would have taken is, for example, something along these lines "well it looks like the first batch of hops wasn't overly fantastic by all reports. I dont really agree as the beers I have produced have been more than acceptable and not just by me but other brewers up here. PM me if you want my secrets to proper hop aroma and flavour extraction. However even I have to admit it looks like they lied to me about the freshness and quality. Which was to be expected really? I'm still interested in conducting another BB to see if we can be taken more seriously and get a better quality hop for all of us at the same price. Maybe from a different company this time? I honestly don't think they are too bad but it was a risk we all knew was there. Hey guys at the very least they are cheap bittering hops and good enough quality that you can at least make a very decent quaffing beer with. Here are some recipes I and others have had some reasonable success with so far up north here."
Now if that approach was taken then I, and I am guessing others, would have settled on that comfortably. I wouldn't be here typing this crazy essay. I would be saying fair enough DH. I might have even put my hand up again. Hmm maybe not on second thoughts.
Instead all I saw was any AHB brewer that spoke out about the hop quality were immediately dismissed, belittled or shot down with more BS than a politician. Whilst almost simultaneous the same hops were being spruiked it up on the 2nd hop buy thread. Respected brewers comments, who regularly contribute information and solid advice to this forum freely, were completely ignored or discredited or both. And remember this distain was given to the guys that trusted him on his word and supported him in the first BB. What will he do when simular reports start rolling in about the second BB especially when there is no room to move?
My guess he will disappear back into thin air without a care. I can only imagine what would happen if it was discovered that these hops were in fact some way harmful to peoples health? Its hard to sue a beggar or so they say.
What AHBers need to wary of is, DH is only doing these BB's to stroke and massage his large over active ego. He has no interest in telling you the truth about the quality of these hops nor in providing brewers with a cheaper but quality alternative. DH is purely self interested, he has no respect for his fellow brewer or their abilities. He just wants to stick one up the retailers. Its all about ego and free hops to him. Until he starts telling the truth and admitting that the brewers commenting on the hops know what they are talking about I will be avoiding anything to do with him, his pathetic podcast and especially his BB's. Im fully expecting him to try every which way he can to discredit me in a vain attempt to keep a little credibility.
This is the very last time I will be drawn into this. But I guess I'm telling you guys nothing you didn't already know.
Cheers Chappo
DH = Dick Head
h34r: 
