Long Term Hop Storage

[jimi]

Mylar is the packaging that craftbrewer, G & G etc use with their hops, right??

 

[Sammus]

One would assume so. I think all those foil bags are foil lined mylar. Mylar is normally clear.

 

[pdilley]

You just have to ask or find out how thick the foil is. If you get the low density coating of aluminium similar to what the party balloons have then you won't get any long shelf life from the bags as they have pinprick holes in the foil layer.

The mylar alone won't get you anything, so its the thickness of the foil that gets you the protection.

So yes, the hop bags in the shops are commercial foil bags. And nothing stopping you from reusing them if you remember to keep them in a drawer after using them to build up a nice collection.


I now have to find a good source for decently thick foil lined commercial mylar and should be set once have both those and the sealer. One batch to run the imported hops and one to run this years hopeful hop harvest from the garden (almost six times as much money invested in the garden hops in rhizomes and soil amendments, lets hope I can get some yield!)



Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[philipwebb]

Remember you don't always need the bags either, if the cost of the bags is an issue.

You can purchase the canisters that are virtually infintely reusable with the Sunbeam, not sure about other brands.

I have had mine about three years now and going strong, don't only use it for hops but for my fish, crab meat etc.

cheers

Phil

 

[real_beer]

Mylar is the packaging that craftbrewer, G & G etc use with their hops, right??

Here's some info from http://www.sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html website.

Mylar is an industrial trademarked brand name that is often confusing. In its basic form, mylar is a CLEAR material made from polyester resin. IMPAK produces MylarFoil bags used in a wide range of industries which require moisture and oxygen barriers to ensure product integrity. Polyester film, ('mylar') when laminated to aluminum foil provides additional barrier properties and higher puncture resistance than any metallized polyester structure. The ubiquitous "mylar" balloons are actually made from metallized polyester, a very lightweight structure in which the aluminum is deposited onto the surface of the polyester (mylar) film in a thickness measured in angstroms ( 1 angstrom = 1/1000th of a human hair). To compare the properties of MylarFoil, review the specifications for PAKVF4 which has a complete layer ( .00035 ) of aluminum foil with a metallized structure like PAKVF2.5M. An aluminum foil layer actils like a FLEXIBLE can providing the best possible barrier properties. Our PAKVF4PC structure has a .0005 foil layer structure that is 6.0 mils thick. The majority of foil structures use only .00028, a thickness rife with pinhole problems.

We have over 60 films available in stock for custom package production. They range from 2.0 to 10.0 mils in thickness, vary from transparent to opaque and include seven stock colors of aluminum foil. 75% of our work orders are for custom sizes, printing, or materials.