betch
Well-Known Member
Picked up a pound of Fuggles. They do not smell like hops but instead smell stale. Thoughts or comments about using them for bittering or aroma?
Stale Hops
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Picked up a pound of Fuggles. They do not smell like hops but instead smell stale. Thoughts or comments about using them for bittering or aroma?
First off, whole hops are not like pellet hops. Don't expect the same aromatic strength.
What do they smell like that makes you think they are stale?
Have you used Fuggle very much before?
Grab a portion, squeeze the piss out of them and tell me if they smell; herbal, flowery, spicy or grassy...
If you think they smell like cheetos then I would think they are possibly stale. Having a pound on hand I would not immediately think they are bad. Look for brown leaf colors or excessive bad smells, if find this to be the case then I think you are correct.
If you think they are old, and they in fact are truely old you can use them as late additions because they should not affect overall bitterness. This assumes no browness or cheeto smell.
I have whole hops and they need to squeezed hard to smell good.
Tell me how they smell.
