Hop Storage

[BPH87]

After doing a few all grain BIAB's I have a lot of left over hops. I have been sealing them up in zip lock bags. Is this the best way to store them or would I be better off cyrovacing??

 

[Wolfy]

Exposure to air does the most to cause the hops to deteriorate, so if you have a vacuum sealer, that's the bet way to go.

 

[Bats]

There are other threads on here with website deals.

If you often have leftover hops and aren't going to use them anytime soon, I'd look at getting a Vacuum sealer.

I got mine last week from betterbequick.com. See LINK

$49 well spent.

 

[QldKev]

Zip lock bags still breath, they are ok for your sandwiches for lunch but not for hop storage for more than a week or two.

Vac sealer and if you can get them for your sealer foil bags are the best, if not the clear bags are great.
Then store as cold as you can, fridge is good but I think the freezer is better.

Sealed properly and frozen they will keep years with minimal degradation.


QldKev

 

[sgw86]

Is there alternatives if someone doesn't have access to vacumm seal? such as an airtight container etc.?

 

[Yob]

Is there alternatives if someone doesn't have access to vacumm seal? such as an airtight container etc.?

airtight containers still seal air in with them... Vac sealers really are the bomb.. That said, before I got mine I used double Zip Lock bags and airtight containers... I was really only buying 50g at a time then and I was using them all pretty quickly..

With a Vac sealer you can buy in bulk (which makes hops VERY cheap) and split into convenient sizes for your brews..

Yob

 

[Northside Novice]

After doing a few all grain BIAB's I have a lot of left over hops. I have been sealing them up in zip lock bags. Is this the best way to store them or would I be better off cyrovacing??

befor i got a vac sealer i just used cliplock bags . i just sqeezed the shit out of it to get out most of the air and then kept them in the freezer. i didnt notice any major problem. but hops were used within a few month, i think clip lock is ok for a few months but any longer term storage seems to need vac sealing . sealers are cheap , $50 and bulk hops are cheap $10 per 450 gm . if your going to brew for a while i would recomend bulk hops and vac sealer for longer term storage

 

[QldKev]

Once you've got your vac sealer don't forget to marinate a couple of stakes and seal them up :icon_cheers:


and that fresh fish, mmmm



QldKev

 

[Nossil]

bulk hops are cheap $10 per 450 gm .

Where do you get hops for $10 per $450 grams!?

 

[Muscovy_333]

Where do you get hops for $10 per $450 grams!?

From overseas.
Hops Direct to name one

 

[QldKev]

Where do you get hops for $10 per $450 grams!?

Read here, starting from $8 a pound

QldKev

 

[BPH87]

Food sealer sorted! Now to buy truck loads of hops.

QLDKev we slaughter our own beasts, so there will be plenty of marinating steaks getting sealed up!!

Cheers

 

[Northside Novice]

Where do you get hops for $10 per $450 grams!?

niko brew had a sale on several hops at $10 a pound which is about 450 grm but seems the sale is over, still got pound of cascade for $14
http://www.nikobrew.com/products/Cascade-P...e-Pound%29.html




yakima valley hops has quite a few at $10 per pound , cascade at $10 per pound
http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/product_p/cascade1.htm


i have used both niko and yakima and both took about two weeks from order to my door , search the forum there are several threads on these hops .

 

[3cl3ctic]

Zip lock bags still breath, they are ok for your sandwiches for lunch but not for hop storage for more than a week or two.

Vac sealer and if you can get them for your sealer foil bags are the best, if not the clear bags are great.
Then store as cold as you can, fridge is good but I think the freezer is better.

Sealed properly and frozen they will keep years with minimal degradation.


QldKev

Quite right - although you may want to think ahead if using the hops multiple times in the future. Freezing will fracture the lupulin glands, and multiple freezing/thawing will help all the goodies inside oxidise very quickly imparting that cheesy character. Measure them out into your brewing quantities before cryoing so you freeze once/thaw once for best results. Otherwise the fridge will do just fine without damaging the glands and bracteoles.

3cl3ctic

 

[Yob]

more than the grinder when they were made into pellet? :blink: bollox..

flowers, possibly... pellets? Id like to see whatever article supports this.

 

[manticle]

Did my head in too Yob but when we had Mick Jontef from CUB deliver a presentation to a BJCP study group, he suggested the same.

It's the thawing from the freezing that does it. He seemed to suggest that taking hops out of the freezer and chucking straight in would be fine - just allowing them to thaw naturally would not. I too would be interested in literature but I've heard it from more than one reputable source so my inclination is to believe until I know otherwise.

 

[QldKev]

I just treat them like any other frozen food, once defrosted do not refreeze. I find it doesn't take that long to grab a bag, weigh out the required hops and get them back in the freezer. I doubt they would actually be out for more than 30secs.

QldKev

 

[manticle]

Exactly what I do Kev. I'm interested in the science but I'm not likely to change my practice unless I notice an issue.

 

[breakbeer]

Once you've got your vac sealer don't forget to marinate a couple of stakes and seal them up :icon_cheers:


and that fresh fish, mmmm



QldKev

:icon_offtopic:

I didn't realise vac sealers (the cheap ones) could handle any liquid in the bag

I've got one of the Eurolab ones from one of those deal websites, but was hesitant to use it if there was any kind of liquid (oil, marinade etc) in the bag

If it CAN handle it, my newly built vessel can double as a water bath for cooking!

 

[Batz]

I just treat them like any other frozen food, once defrosted do not refreeze. I find it doesn't take that long to grab a bag, weigh out the required hops and get them back in the freezer. I doubt they would actually be out for more than 30secs.

QldKev

Just what I do Kev, once frozen my main stash never thaws out. I'm not about to change my practice either.