Elderly Green Bullet Hops

[winkle]

I found a old foil packet of Green Bullet hops loitering in the back of my freezer and think that it has been there for around 4 years at least :blink: . They still smell rather "piney" and was wondering they would still be useful as a bittering addition, and if so in what style, and what sort of AA degradation would have occured?

 

[Adamt]

Vacuum sealed?

Beersmith suggests 13.5% Green Bullet vacuum sealed at -2.2C for 48 months has a new AA% of 9.8%.

Plastic Bag => 7.1%

Whether these figures are right or not, if there's a nice aroma coming off them it can't be that bad

 

[winkle]

Vacuum sealed?

Beersmith suggests 13.5% Green Bullet vacuum sealed at -2.2C for 48 months has a new AA% of 9.8%.

Plastic Bag => 7.1%

Whether these figures are right or not, if there's a nice aroma coming off them it can't be that bad

Well, sealed in a flimsey foil pack with some air. There is still a reasonable aroma from the pellets though.

 

[tangent]

try bittering a mongrel Pils with them. They should be OK.
Some hops don't age well at all, but if they don't smell cheesey they should be OK.

 

[TidalPete]

If they smell ok, allow for a 10% loss & throw them in a Scottish.

:beer:

 

[Batz]

If they smell ok, allow for a 10% loss & throw them in a Scottish.

:beer:

I would not use Green Bullet in a Scottish

Perhaps a Aussie style lager or ale,otherwise just a bittering hop.

Batz

 

[TidalPete]

I would not use Green Bullet in a Scottish

Perhaps a Aussie style lager or ale,otherwise just a bittering hop.

Batz

Winkle,

'Designing Great Beers" --- by Ray Daniels.
Page 296.

:beer:

 

[Batz]

Winkle,

'Designing Great Beers" --- by Ray Daniels.
Page 296.

:beer:

I did say "I" would not use Green Bullet in a Scottish Ale,I really don't care what Ray Daniels wants to use in his beers<_<
Having said this ...in my "Designing Great Beers" Page 296 Ray Daniels make no mention of Green Bullet for a Scottish ale.It does say a good place to use older hops,but hey I am sure he means the hops he states for Scottish ales not a free for all dumping ground of any old crap in the freezer.


Batz

 

[simpletotoro]

It does say a good place to use older hops,but hey I am sure he means the hops he states for Scottish ales not a free for all dumping ground of any old crap in the freezer.
Batz

i'd agree crap is the right word... i recently did a coopers sparkling ale...and against all advice added some green bullet to it ...
5 g @ boiling extract 20 mins
20 g @ boiling extract 10 mins
8 g @ flame out
(...what i know about hops is next to nothing ...i know there green thats about it...tasted it last night ...way out of balance ...maybe still to young to drink...i don't know...i can't say what to use them in as my 2 cents isn't worth it ....all i know is when more experienced brewers say not to use certain hops in certain beers (or use them as bittering hops and not for flavour) i for one will certainly listen to them.

cheers simple

 

[tangent]

it's usually a pils style hop
sparkling ales and scott ales would not spring to mind

 

[Trent]

Simpletotoro
When you say that you did a coopers sparkling ale, and boiled the extract, do you mean that you did an all extract version of CSA, or that you actually boiled a CSA kit? I wouldnt ever recommend boiling a kit. I have never tried green bullet, so cant comment on the flavour, but when you say "way out of balance", do you mean that the flavour isnt right, or that it is too bitter for style? not trying to hang crap on you, just trying to understand what you mean. 13.5%AA seems a little high for a flavour hop, and boiling 20g in a kit (if I have understood correctly) would definitely put it out of balance. If it was an all extract (unhopped) brew, what did you use for bittering?
All the best
Trent

 

[Tony]

Im with batz.

A scottish is suposed to have almost no hop character...... thats where he says "old hops are ok". but they still leave a mark and i wouldnt use anythning like this in a scottish.

Ray daniels book is good but it is an american book and they use cascade in everything. Hell.... they would put cascade in mead if they could.

Id degrade it by 10 or 15% and use it for bittering an an auusi lager of ale.

Or do what i did when i found old hops in the freezer recently.

throw them out and grt fresh ones.

they arnt that expensixe.

cheers

 

[tangent]

hahah top advice Tony!

 

[winkle]

Thats probably what I'll do

 

[Gough]

Just on Green Bullet hops...

If they are old then they are old - chuck 'em out.

As a general rule though, GB are an excellent bittering hop in my experience in dark ales/porters/stouts. Steinlager uses them which is where they get their pale lager reputation, but their raisiny bittering characteristic sees them work really well in beers with a decent percentage of dark malt. Just a thought...

Shawn.