Dark_Ale

Recipes 

How can you be sure that the hops you get from the local homebrew shop are fresh? I have heard that if you cant break up the pellets by rolling them between your fingers that they are old. I know they put the crop date on the pack but how can you be for sure. I'm thinking that if they are old you might not get desired aroma or flavor, but it proably wont have much to do with bittering unless they are very old. I have been to the brewshop recently and bought cascade pellets that were 2005 crop?

david_42

Recipes 

Considering the 2006 crop harvest hasn't started, 2005 hops is the best available. The real concern is storage conditions. When hops start oxidizing, they turn brown. Pellets are the most stable form, followed by plugs then vaccum packed whole, but they all have to be kept cool.

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