This is not true at all. I use whole coffee beans in secondary all the time and get excellent flavor. I soak 1-3 oz of beans in whiskey or vodka and let it sit for a week. I then add to the beer and allow 1-3 weeks of ageing depending on the flavor I'm looking for.
I have done this with no problems. My oven only goes down to 170 but my temp holds over the hour mash. I use a 5 gallon kettle and mash about 10lbs of grain.
Not alot of brewpubs in DC. There are Capital City and The Chop house which are ok but not great. You should go ti the Churchkey which is a fantastic beer bar. The metro will get you within walking distance of anywhere you need to go.
The package is air tight. It was normal when I bought it and it went directly into the freezer. there is no wet slush inside the pellets are still intact.
I have a 1 oz. package of galaxy pellets from hop union that has swelled like a smack pack. Has anyone ever seen this? Can they still be used? I searched but couldn't find anything. Thanks.