Hops life in the freezer

[av8er79]

I purchase hops by the 4 oz vacuum sealed package and store them in the freezer. They seem to store very well in the vacuum package that they come in but once opened I transfer to a zip lock bag and continue to keep in the freezer. So can I tell when hops get too old to use? Does the smell or color change?

 

[Jayhem]

I purchase hops by the 4 oz vacuum sealed package and store them in the freezer. They seem to store very well in the vacuum package that they come in but once opened I transfer to a zip lock bag and continue to keep in the freezer. So can I tell when hops get too old to use? Does the smell or color change?

I've used 2 year old hops with no issues but I keep them tightly sealed in my deep freezer at -5F. There is some data out there on how much aroma and AA% they lose over time. They definitely lose aroma after about 1 year so I always use up my IPA hops within the same year.

 

[unionrdr]

I keep mine in the freezer too, but in their original packet resealed with masking tape. Then into a zip-lock freezer bag on the little shelf above the ice maker. I've used them with good success about a year later, but try to use them as soon as possible. They keep well, virtually as good as new for a couple months.