How do you know when hops are old?

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MaynardX

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I just got an ounce of leaf east kent golding hops from the brew store yesterday. It is the first time I've worked with both golding and leaf hops. I noticed that they don't seem to have the fresh floral scent that the plug and pellets I've used in the past. They kinda smell like a very faint scent of dry grass. Is this common with east kent goldings and/or leaf hops? I was about to throw them in as my bittering hop, but I have a fuggle plug in the freezer if needed.
 
Smells like cheese...;)

Old hops are used in some brews so all is not lost if you like those types of brews...like lambics, I believe.

Open up some of the leaves on the cone. Look for the yellowish pollen inside. If this sticks to your finger and smells OK then you're good. Nothing wrong with smelling grassy.
 
Well, since I'm using it for the bittering, I'm more concerned with alfa-acid content. I heard it deteriorates over time. Should i worry about this?
 
Unless you know the storage conditions, you can't calculate the AA% loss. However, EKG has a very good retention rate even at room temperature.
 
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