The Great Chinese Hop Buy 2009

[chappo1970]

So how are we going for packing slaves, enough numbers yet?

Thus far we 8 including me Winkle but a few more wouldn't go astray. You know what they say many hands make light work.

Sorry boys for the late update but here goes...

380kgs of hops has filled all 3 of my fridges. I'll take some photo's today. Funny last night I caught myself just staring into a fridge chokers full of hoppy goodness with a huge grin ear to ear feeling like I had won the brewers lotto or something. B)

Now all the baggies arrived in good condition and sealed. Surprising considering the condition of the carboard boxes they came in quite bashed and battered. They have not been vacuumed sealed but I do feel they have been at least flushed nitro or CO2. As for refridgeration during transit I also have my doubts but I'm no where near being an expert in these matters. I haven't cracked any other varieties open yet except for the varieties Ross got and have to say his descriptions on the website are pretty accurate.

The good news is since being at Chappo Manor they have been lovingly cared for and under constant refridgeration.

Delivery with fair weather and good sailing will happen next week. The plan is to break up the hops into 1kg lots in total and then break them up into orders. If you ordered 3kgs of a variety then you will get 3 x 1kg baggis. BribieG has done an awesome job of making up packing slips and labeling postal bags and a big thanks should go to him for doing all this leg work.

While on the subject of postal bags there about 20 of you lot that haven't sent yours yet. I suggest you get your collective arses into gear and pull ya fingers out because I do not want to have your orders hanging around taking up my prescious fermentation space ok?

Any questions feel free to contact via here or PM.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[FNQ Bunyip]

Chappo ,, well done on being host to the hops ,,, I didn't get in on this buy as funds were very tight after the new motor in my ute but if you have hops with no post bag by the end of next week you can send them this way no problems ...

Hows the MOJO now ??

Cheers

 

[chappo1970]

Chappo ,, well done on being host to the hops ,,, I didn't get in on this buy as funds were very tight after the new motor in my ute but if you have hops with no post bag by the end of next week you can send them this way no problems ...

Hows the MOJO now ??

Cheers

I think it only took 380kgs of hops to get it back...

If there are any unclaimed hops Bin Bunyip consider yourself included :icon_cheers:

Chap Chap

 

[Bribie G]

Satchel Alert

There are a few inter-staters who have not sent Aus Post Satchels yet due to having been out of the country, in jail, legally dead for a year for tax reasons etc etc but they are nearly all under control and I'll take the inter-state orders with no Satchels home with me, put them in my big fridge and they should all marry up and get sent out next week.

However the majority of the orders with no satchels are local and the reason the punters didn't send them was that they fully intended to be at the packing day and collect their own so quite understandably didn't send one. Here is the list excluding Chappo, Me, Kram, Mark^******* (kram picking up), Batz (TP picking up) and the other FIRM packers. If your name is on this list and you are not going to make it to the pack then you will need to make arrangements with Chappo pronto to pick up your order from Monday onwards. Not Sunday as that's a 'closed to the public' day at Chateau du Package. B)

I fully appreciate that a couple of the following do intend to get there for the packing, family and work permitting, but haven't firmed up as yet (I'm wearing my housecoat so I'm good in that department right now at 6.30 am ) If you have firmed up since then with Chappo, and who wouldn't, then apologies for slander.

• etbandit
• Stillscottish. Come on doon mon ye knaa ye want tae.
• Mattese
• Turkey Head Brewing
• davewaldo
• Altstart

So things have improved a bit since I last emailed Chappo on the satchel situation.

:icon_chickcheers: Houston, we are all go for hard dock.

 

[FNQ Bunyip]

BribieG ,, I think Stillscotish may be out of the country at this point in time ...

Not 100% on that but I have heard it said ...

Cheers

 

[Bribie G]

BribieG ,, I think Stillscotish may be out of the country at this point in time ...

Not 100% on that but I have heard it said ...

Cheers

That rings a bell. We'll get Chappo to serenade his hops with "Mull of Kintyre" on the bagpipes every morning till his return B)

 

[chappo1970]

That rings a bell. We'll get Chappo to serenade his hops with "Mull of Kintyre" on the bagpipes every morning till his return B)

I'll keep between by arse cheeks to maintain freshness... h34r:

 

[TidalPete]

PM'd you again Chappo.

TP

 

[winkle]

I'll keep between by arse cheeks to maintain freshness... h34r:

Tempting thought the offer is,
I told him I'd look after his hoppy interests whilst he's away for the price of a bottle of Brewdog Paradox
(I hadn't heard of Tactical Nuclear Penguin at the stage obviously).
Joint brewday cumming up in Jan .

 

[chappo1970]

Photo's of the booty boys...

 

[davewaldo]

Wow that does put a grin on your face doesn't it!

 

[winkle]

Phuck, there really is a Santa Claus B) .

 

[Steve]

Theres a couple that actually look inflated with air

Cheers guys and have fun tomorrow.
Steve

 

[rosswill]

Pure beer porn.

 

[chappo1970]

Theres a couple that actually look inflated with air

Cheers guys and have fun tomorrow.
Steve

Yeah Steve they look like it but let me say there is absolutely no hop aroma in those fridges so I suspect that they are sealed they just weren't vacuumed enough maybe? Again I am not an expert here guys. But at least they are being kept cool!

 

[FNQ Bunyip]

Wow ,, looks great ...

Top Effort to all involved ..

cheers

 

[altstart]

Yeah Steve they look like it but let me say there is absolutely no hop aroma in those fridges so I suspect that they are sealed they just weren't vacuumed enough maybe? Again I am not an expert here guys. But at least they are being kept cool!

Well done Chappo Cya tomorrow.
Cheers Altstart

 

[townsville]

Even from NQLD, thats enough to make want to immigrate to SQLD

Craftbrewer

 

[townsville]

Yeah Steve they look like it but let me say there is absolutely no hop aroma in those fridges so I suspect that they are sealed they just weren't vacuumed enough maybe? Again I am not an expert here guys. But at least they are being kept cool!

I understand the bags were first vacumned out, then back flushed with Nitrogen, to give you what they call a soft pack.

You may also notice there are two different types of boxes. Thats because there are two packing plants, on two separte planting farms, one is in Xinjiang, the other in Gansu, the two plants have different package system. The Chinese are serious about the quality of the hops, so much so they grow different varieties at different locations. They pick the location that thru experience gives the best results for each specific variety

Craftbrewer

 

[Ross]

Packed our Chinese hops today & they are up on the site with our initial impressions.

We have sample ziplock packs in the shop of the USA/European varieties with their Chinese varients for comparison - Feel free to drop in & give your opinion.

Cheers

Ross
CraftBrewer

Feedback so far is that all the hops have a musky hay like character. My feeling is that if they are indeed this seasons crop the cone drying conditions may not have been ideal. The Marco Polo have been processed through a smaller die & are moist & highly aromatic (certainly my favourite) but the Saaz & Cascade are pale & dry by comparison.
We have had the same problems with some crops from NZ (eg Styrians in 07) so its not a unique problem.

The real proof will be in the trial beers - Marco Polo Summer ale going down this weekend.

Cheers Ross