Using old hops. How old is too old?

I was helping my friend move some brewing equipment a while back and we found some old hops. Lots of them. He told me he had received them from Samual Adams. All you had to do was call them and they would send you a sample. I'm not sure what he told them, be they ended up sending him a large box of loose leaf hops. Some of them were in the form of bricks, others were in airtight bags.

These hops had been sitting in his garage since 1999/2000. The hops packaged in the brick form were just wrapped in paper and were very dry (can you imagine that) and had no smell. I believe they are halla. mittlefurh. The hops in the airtight bags are spalt. I told him we need to use them for a lambic or sour beer.

My question is are these hops too old?

There really isn't a limit for lambic beers...

i would be hesitant to use them, as the oil is what flavors, and that old, it would be dried out and too weak

I say use them...you dont want any flavor or aroma from them, thats why you age them so you could add more with out imparting any flavor or aroma.

King of Cascade said:

I say use them...you dont want any flavor or aroma from them, thats why you age them so you could add more with out imparting any flavor or aroma.

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Correct, what you want from old hops is their anti-bacterial activity which helps to control the "wildness" of wild brews. One can add a lot of old hops for their ant-bacterial activity and not get an overwhelming bitterness or hop flavor that would mask the funk flavors from the wild yeast.