branCHEs
Well-Known Member
I'm looking into buying hops 1 lbs at a time to try and save a little money, but I'm unsure as to how long they stay fresh and how to properly store them. Vac seal?
General idea is u dont lose any AA% until the 6 month mark... As long as they stay sealed (vaccum) u can get a little longer.. for me i have at least 4 pounds in the freezer at a given time and it usually dosent last more than 6 months at a time, so i dont get to truly test it.
Gavagai said:Untrue. Hop varieties vary in how much AA they lose over time (known as Hop Storage index). Cascade, for example, loses 50% of its AAs over 6 months. See http://beersmith.com/hop-list/ for HSI for other hops. However, if you keep hops vacuum sealed and frozen, then there's no downside to buying in bulk. You'll lose AAs, but no more than you would if you bought in ounces, considering hops are only harvested once a year.
Bottom line: Buy in bulk. Vacuum seal and freeze. Buy the freshest hops you can.
Enter your email address to join: