Artificially Aging Hops

**spearko520** · 01-19-2012, 04:27 AM

So i'm back on trying to brew lambics. Artificially aging hops. Spent a lot of dough at shangy's on great beers for many years because i couldn't stand the wait- but now i've got the space and the pace, so i figured i'd go at it again- put a half pound of crushed crystal pellets in the oven for 3 hours at 150 dg, and all it did was smell heavenly. and i don't care for flowers. put in a ziplock and flooded with oxy three times (shook and let set - reoxyed evry 8 hours) for a day, and put back in the oven for 3 hours at 200 dg. i am not getting a house filling stench that i am reading about (maybe it's my over abundant use of the cologne my wifey hooked me for xmas) but back in the bag for another days dose of o2. Does anyone have any dirt on the short term expectations of what one should see? (mine still smell like god's armpits and i think i am off tettnang and hallertau for my pilsii, though they are a bit less green) and long term results of what one gets from a quickened process? I know the answer is to take the long road, but my last lambic took three years to hit (it was worth it, but i had a VERY small batch left to celebrate with) so i am definitely looking for short term advice. results oriented and thanks in advance to the gurus. i've got a batch going the long road- but i have to justify costs to that same wifey, and i'd like to know what to expect- she orders lou pepe's at monk's. Thanks twice

**smokinghole** · 01-19-2012, 11:01 AM

I haven't tried aging like you have but I have taken some hops and stuck them in a container that's open. I've left them open to the air for about a year now. I keep them in my crawl space above my garage during the summer. I figure the heat will destroy the AA and the oxygen exposure. That reminds me I should buy a pound or two and do some more.

You do know you can just buy aged hops from hopsdirect right? Unless you're just using up old hops you won't be brewing with otherwise, I'd just buy some. What's the point of going through all the effort when you can just pay $8.40/lb? In case you didn't know they're under the domestic leaf hop section of hopsdirect.

ReverseApacheMaster · 01-19-2012, 02:38 PM

It's really not necessary to use aged hops. Just use low AA hops at around 8-10 IBUs.

JustLooking · 01-19-2012, 02:48 PM

spearko. I have what might be a half pound of American Tett that's been in the back of my freezer for a few years or more. PM me your address and I'll mail them out to you. Consider it a pay-it-forward thing.

**spearko520** · 01-19-2012, 07:13 PM

awesome.- thanks for the help guys -smoking hole - i did not know that they had aged ones - and i just got a shipment from them today- oh well. The hops i went with were low AA, and they did seem to "age" a little from what i did- i think i got the bitterness okay, i thought the reason aged hops were used was so that a lot of them could be put in the boil and not overbitter while at the same time providing a lot of protection for the long haul ahead- maybe that is incorrect. Either way- it's in the fermenter and i guess we'll know someday. The wort tasted pretty clean- definitely not too bitter (for wort). Just Looking - i will PM -that is great!

elproducto · 01-20-2012, 01:48 PM

Some people say you can put them in the oven for like 5 hours at really low, say 150 degrees and it will dry up the oils.

BryanThompson · 01-20-2012, 05:35 PM

Two hours at 175 did it for me.

JustLooking · 01-21-2012, 04:03 PM

Hey spearko, my wife just called from the PO. I had given her a copy of the PM you sent, but didn't realize that it didn't have your actual name. Told her to use your username along with the address. Hope it makes it. Let me know.

(Probably should have PMed this, but the HBT 5 message limit is a pain.)

**spearko520** · 01-21-2012, 08:56 PM

thanks man! - that's all good - they know me around these here parts...