todd_k

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I cut open 2 1 oz packs of UK fuggles whole hops today, both were vaccum sealed. They have a yellowish green color to them and compared to the columbus pellets, smell nothing like hops.

I have never worked were whole hops before. I expected them to be green. I kept them in the fridge for 2 weeks after buying them. Are these ok to use? Should they have been in the freezer?

EDIT: now that I've thought about it for a few minutes, they kinda smell like Lipton Onion Soup Mix

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Sasquatch

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Whole hops can be yellowy because they are full of the little globbets of resin that we are after. And no, they don't smell like pellets, they smell like hops. You won't ever go to pellets again, I would betcha.

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todd_k

Recipes 

I remember one of Dude's threads (Old Leghumper maybe?) where he had some yellow hops that smelled like cheese. What you're saying is that these are ok to use?

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alemonkey

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I think Fuggles tend to be a little bit more yellow looking than other hops.

If hops don't smell like hops (i.e., like cheese) it usually means they've gone bad. Not good for regular beer, good if you're brewing a lambic. Crazy Belgians.

OTOH, Fuggles and East Kent Goldings tend to have a very earthy, woody smell, unlike many newer varieties. I love them, but I have a friend who calls them dirt hops. He can't stand them.

todd_k

Recipes 

Well this is just f'n great. I've got my brew in the primary and was suppose to add 2 oz of fuggles at 0 minutes and these fuggles have obviously gone bad. (I was also suppose to dry hop w/ .7 oz of fuggles.)

Will it affect the brew too much if I don't add these hops for a few days? Or at least until I can get my hands on some new hops?

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Biermann

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I doubt the fuggles have gone bad. Fuggles tend not to be "hoppy" sharp like other hops, and the yellowish color is not unusual for fuggles. I have used fuggles many a time, and I almost exclusively use whole hops, and almost every batch of fuggles I ever bought were yellowish and smelled kinda dry and earthy when I opened them.

Don't worry, and have a homebrew.

alemonkey

Recipes 

You could probably just up the amount of dry hops. More is better, right?

It's possible you're just not used to the smell of Fuggles - I always think they smell a little like a cross between nice freshly turned earth and cut wood, but I would guess if they smell like onion soup mix that they're probably bad.

Biermann

Recipes 

You won't get much bitterness unless you make a hop tea and add it later. If you're going to dry hop, I'd do it in the secondary--give the yeast a chance to build up the alcohol content so you aren't as apt to get an infection from non-sterile hops.

Dude

Recipes 

floyd...you'll know they are bad. If they are earthy I'd still use 'em. If they smell like cheese I'd go to plan B.

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todd_k

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I have decided not to add the fuggles, I just don't want to risk the batch with cheesey-smelling hops.

Thanks for the hop tea suggestion, I wasn't even thinking about that.

EDIT: How do I make a hop tea?

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