Old hops, how old is too old?

[Guysmiley54]

Hi fellas,

I'm getting ready for my first brew day in nearly a year and a half (back injury put a sharp halt to brewing for a while... that's another story all together!)

I have a few kilos of hops in the freezer but I'm a little worried that they might be lacking in the freshness department and not give me the aromatic punch I'm looking for.

All hops are pellets and have been vacuum sealed and kept in a commercial deep freezer (-18) undisturbed since purchase.

I have:

Cascade 2012
Summit 2011
Citra 2012
Summer 2012
EKG 2011
Galaxy 2010
Styrian Goldings 2011

I really want my first brew back to be great, I have considered buying some fresh gear for the first brew too. 2012 should be fine but the others I'm a bit sketchy on...

Any feedback would be appreciated

 

[QldKev]

Stored correctly, as you have done, I would not hesitate to use the 2010 hops. You could always keep the older ones for bittering and even flavor additions and use the newer ones for aroma.

 

[manticle]

As per kev. You should be able to discern if they have a fragrant, fresh aroma or a stale cheesy/vomit type smell. IBU calcs are estimates only so use your nose to guide you.

 

[Guysmiley54]

Thanks guys, your feedback is appreciated. I'm excited to be back on the forum and can't wait for the first brew on my new system!