Hop Storage

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

You sir are a genius. My 50L mash tun plus herms coil equals one big a$$ sous vide......
 
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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!

Not sure about the real cheap ones, I got one from the packaging centre and I'm just careful not to suck the juice up into the intake.


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

Exactly the same here, even use the same vac sealer :icon_cheers:
 
agree with qldkev once frozen should stay frozen. I recently went away for the weekend and took some HG Hersbrucker flowers for the beer jug. they were out of the freezer about 12hrs before breaking the vacuum. they still had aroma and taste :icon_drool2: . those left in the packet had no aroma and were soggy after 24hrs.
 
To be clear here, I bust my lb's down to 50g baggies and store in clip lock boxes in the freezer, like Kev and many others, I weigh out a hop bill quickly but if a baggie needs resealing and throwing back in the freezer Ive never really noticed an issue.. (and I shouldnt think that at this time of year it would thaw either)

shit it's probably only open for a minute at most, probably less, then into the vac sealer, sealed and back in the box..

never noticed an issue but hay.. maybe thats where my 'sour aftertaste' is coming from ;)

Id still be interested in seeing any literature on this.. :unsure: (especially with regard to pellets)

Yob.
 
Looks like I need to grab myself one of those vacumm sealers. Until I have a chance to get one I currently just fold up and then peg the hops in the original foil vacumm sealed bags that I buy them in, trying to squeeze out as much air as I can. I then place this foil bag inside a glad wrap bag in the freezer.

How long can I expect the hops to remain fresh doing it this way? I would probably have them in the freezer for no longer than 4 months. Is this probably too long without vacumm sealing the bag? What would be the maximum time doing it this way?
 
let your nose be the judge, if you open them and they dont smell 'fresh', bin em.. if they still give off good aroma then they are probably be fine.

least thats what I always did

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

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

My bad..., I mistook the reference to "bulk hops" as being flowers...., you're quite right - the hammer mill completely destroys the lupulin glands in preparation for pelleting, and there are a number of articles supporting this....,

To expand on the point I was trying to outline - (and the conversation has gotten there anyways) - portion control is a good thing. Pellets have slightly different issues when thawing and these are two-fold.
Firstly - the pellet is very dense, which is part of its appeal when protecting against oxidation, so upon removing from a fridge or freezer, they begin to absorb moisture until the temp of the pellet reaches the dew point (about 12 degrees or so). The moisture contains dissolved oxygen, which over time and with continual thawing and freezing will speed up the oxidation process.

Secondly - and what Mr Jontef was alluding to, is that slow thawing is akin to low temperature fractional distillation. For any budding chef's out there it is like the technique of ice filtration of stock to achieve a brilliantly clear consomme, as the aromatics and flavour molecules melt first with the water, leaving behind the fats and gelatins. The first compounds to "melt" as the pellet thaws are the volatiles and aromatics, which are physically released into the atmosphere, as the heavier compounds and organics to which the volatiles are normally bound are still defrosting and changing state. Here, rather than faster oxidation due to higher temperatures, it is physical changes in the chemistry due to the delta T. This is also important for coffee fanatics and why you should never freeze your beans...,

I'm not suggesting that any of this would be noticeable from a short term organoleptic perspective, and it seems that everyone has their heads around what is good practice (get em cold and keep em cold) for longevity.
 
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