Hops turn to bad flavor?

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carsonwarstler

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I've got about 3 oz of some leaf willamette from last winter that have been in the freezer and I don't really want to use them in a boil since I don't know the aa. Was thinking I'd just use them in a secondary and dry hop... Can their flavor go bad or is worst case scenario that I don't end up with as much hop flavor as I expected?
 
OIf they smell fine, they will be OK. Obviously fresh is best, but in the freezer, they might deteriorate about 10% in a year. They will be fine in the boil, just increase the amount by 10%.
 
Calder said:
OIf they smell fine, they will be OK. Obviously fresh is best, but in the freezer, they might deteriorate about 10% in a year. They will be fine in the boil, just increase the amount by 10%.

Good advice. Thanks
 
They can get buttery and blah or funky.Ive requested latest harvest hops but just to be ingnored. So I would have had to use mine fast,but I bought in bulk to save on shipping,so alot/some of the hops ended getting a bit ripe after about six+ months,so I blame some of my beers on that-so much for bulk order buying. Fresh is best really.Also the warm/hot weather shipping may have done them in, I know they killed my rhizomes,so next time I ship in warm weather Im asking for ice packs. Leaf hops wont store as long as pellots,maybe plugs are the way to go doing longer term storage. Really its more about opening them up and smellin(huffing) them yourself,maybe even getting whiffs in the boil from them to get an idea, thats all you can go on really.
 
jonmohno said:
They can get buttery and blah or funky.Ive requested latest harvest hops but just to be ingnored. So I would have had to use mine fast,but I bought in bulk to save on shipping,so alot/some of the hops ended getting a bit ripe after about six+ months,so I blame some of my beers on that-so much for bulk order buying. Fresh is best really.Also the warm/hot weather shipping may have done them in, I know they killed my rhizomes,so next time I ship in warm weather Im asking for ice packs. Leaf hops wont store as long as pellots,maybe plugs are the way to go doing longer term storage. Really its more about opening them up and smellin(huffing) them yourself,maybe even getting whiffs in the boil from them to get an idea, thats all you can go on really.

Good to know. I was thinking about buying in bulk next season. I'm fine w pellets most of the time but like to toss some leaf in a batch every now and then but my shops been running out. Ill just give them a smell on brewday and if no funky smells, I'll dry hop with these willamettes in the freezer.
 
Generally whole leaf/maybe plugs are more liked to do late or dry hop rather than pellot . Assuming they are still good.
 
So I just weighed them out, I've got 4.25oz of 4.3% willamette. Looking at the bag it looks to be a 2007 crop. They smell fine, maybe a little more earthy than normal but not bad by any means (been in a freezer since 2007, an oz and half taken out but bag not vacuumed sealed). Any drop hop suggestions? I was thinking just toss a couple ounces in, not shooting for anything specific... Will I yield any results by this or will I just lose some beer from hop absorption? I normally dry hop this beer w an oz of willamette 4.4-4.5 with good results.
 
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