New harvest or last years bargain hops?

How important is it to get the freshest hops?

With the barrier packaging, is it a big deal to buy 2012 Citra now instead of the new harvest? How about hops like EKG and Hallertauer?

Looking to stock up and just wondering peoples opinions.

Thanks

fresh is best of course. it really depends how they're kept. for long term storage freezers are best. considering it's been a year and the new stuff is coming out i'd probably pass on them.

check northern brewer. they flip product so fast you'll end up with the best quality stuff.

I am buying in bulk to save, so looking at Hopsdirect Yakima valley fresh hops and label peelers. I am just trying to see if it is a huge difference. I vacuum bag and freeze all my hops and want to buy once a year for my regulars.

Get fresh when at all possible because in a year they'll be a year old (unless the cost difference is ridiculous). A few extra dollars on a pound is worth it in my book.

Buying in bulk is the way to do it. Keep in mind that hops are harvested once a year and packaged. When you buy bulk you know how they were stored, because you stored them. When next June rolls around and people insist on buying ounces because they are the freshest have no idea how they were stored the last 8 months or so. If you kept yours in the freezer in barrier bags / vacuum sealed mason jars, you will have fresher hops. I've purchased year old hops that were properly stored and had great success with them. Even after I had them a year myself. Which made them 2 years old.

Well I went with 2013 crop for all my C hops, but found a pound of Simcoe 2012 for $14 and couldn't pass it up. I will just use more!

Feurhund said:

Well I went with 2013 crop for all my C hops, but found a pound of Simcoe 2012 for $14 and couldn't pass it up. I will just use more!

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It makes it painless at that price!!! Good score!

Does it break forum rules to say where I got it from. $14.49 lb Simcoe 2012. It is one of the sites I listed earlier.

I recently bought some hops from my LHBS that sells hops online so they get bulk and break it down to repackage it. They have their hops in the back so I asked for an ounce of cascade, I was sold 3.25 oz for $2. I was blown away with the price! I think the price was so good because they were 2012 hops they were trying to get rid of. However I used them in my IPA and it had a grassy/vegetal taste to it which I feel is from old hops that weren't stored properly. Buy fresh, commercial breweries don't buy 2012 hops once the new harvest hits hop processors to save money

Feurhund said:

Does it break forum rules to say where I got it from. $14.49 lb Simcoe 2012. It is one of the sites I listed earlier.

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as long as you're not affiliated with the merchant i think it's ok. i thought there was a specific forum for bargains and deals.

No affiliation.it was label peelers. They also had galaxy which was pricy, I think $24 lb but couldn't find elsewhere for less.