Hop Storage Length

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rehab

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Hi all,

I have amassed quite the haul of hops since picking up the hobby around sept last year I believe. I haven't brewed as much as hoped (spent mucho di niro on buying up hardware to get into AG) and so some of these hops have been left unopened and unused of course to this very date. I am sure those are still fine to carry on with. I have however also had some hops that were opened then cello taped up and put into a glad container and frozen.... Those hops have been in the freezer that whole time so I ask should I throw those yet? Or give them a nudge?


Pretty relaxed if they need to go. I would rather make a nice beer than use stale hops that could ruin batch loads.

Also have some in plastic baggys frozen and unused since around feb/march.

Cheers


Chris
 
Dump em. Using old hops will lead to a lot of problems when it comes to conditioning your beer. Again 100's with disagree with me and give countless examples of award winning beers made with old hops stored in the shed. Saying that I do have some hops in the freezer but they are plugs. Slightly different storage implications compared with pellets.
Old hops.....Not for me.
In future just buy enough fresh hops to use in your brew.

Steve
 
But haven't the 2011 hops you'd buy from craftbrewer and the like just been in the freezer at the shop for a similar amount of time? Whats the difference between them storing them in the freezer until you order them, and you leaving yours in the freezer?

Hops lose their potency, but I've always thought that if you open them up and they still give you good aroma, they are still usable - if they smell stale, they are.
 
I keep them for up to a year but vacuum seal them. Your hops should still be fine. If they still look nice and green go for it
 
You can still buy 2010 and 2011 hops so why would you not use them provided they are stored in good condition. Obviously fresher hops are better but if you can still use old hops then what is the difference? (unless they smell stale etc of course)
 
Do they smell and look nice? If so, still use them. I just brewed a dubbel and schwarzbier with cb bought 2006 hallertau plugs. Obviously vac sealed but smelt and looked great.
 
I recently brewed a bacth of Alt with Hallertau pellets, they had been in the freezer in a vac sealed bag but for some reason the bag kept filling up with air? Opened them up the other day and smelt as fresh as I bought them. I'd imagine they wouldnt be over exposed opened up and sealed in that container.

My opinion, give em a nudge
 
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