Hops may be stuck unrefrigerated in quarantine...how bad is this?

[tyrub42]

Hey all,

So I am back in Taiwan, but a hop order didn't make it to me in NY (FedEx....). Luckily yvh is amazing and resent the order to a coworker who has them, but she's in quarantine in a hotel without a refrigerator or freezer. I'm trying to arrange a pickup from a friend who can get them frozen but the hotel said they may not let it happen.

If I can't get them until after her quarantine, that means they'll have spent a total of 22 days at room temperature since leaving the warehouse (average of 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit).

I know this can't be goooooood but my question is, how bad is this likely to be? These are all IPA hops so definitely want them to be in their prime. All pellets as well. I'm guessing even if I get em frozen immediately, it'll basically take a year off their life (I give hops 3-5 years in the freezer before they're no longer suitable dry hops). Any experience with this?

Best,
Tyler

 

[VikeMan]

You could apply the rule of thumb that chemical reactions tend to happen about 2-3 times faster for every 10C (or 18F) increase in temperture.

Let's say freezer temp is 3F. 75F is 72F higher (i.e. 4 x 18F).

With an assumption that staling will happen two times faster for each 18F increase, you're looking at...
22 days x 2^4 = 352 days freezer equivalent

With an assumption that staling will happen three times faster for each 18F increase, you're looking at...
22 days x 3^4 = 1782 days freezer equivalent

 

[Dland]

I don't doubt above calculations on one level, but if well sealed, probably will be fine, I'm sure a lot of hops spend similar time at room temp and they make good beer. If they seem a little weak, use a little more.

I wonder if home brew places keep their hops refiderated or frozen, would not be surprised if they don't.

 

[VikeMan]

I wonder if home brew places keep their hops refiderated or frozen, would not be surprised if they don't.

Some keep them frozen. Some keep them refrigerated. I've only ever seen one that didn't do either. It was a fire protection store that also had a small homebrew section. Those hops were quite pungent, and not in a good way. Think parmesan cheese. OTOH, they were always willing to do a CO2 fill on the spot, so there's that.

 

[TechFanMD]

I'm not doubting @VikeMan but this has not been my experience. I've purposely left hops at room temp for a year to see if I could tell and I have a pretty good nose and palate. The differences in sealed, purged hops seemed very subtle to me. That said.....just keep them as cool as you can for as much time as you can....that's the best you can do.

(to contradict my own observation - if it didn't matter homebrew stores wouldn't take up extra floor space with expensive freezers/refrigerators to store them if it didn't matter at all)

 

[Dland]

Some keep them frozen. Some keep them refrigerated. I've only ever seen one that didn't do either. It was a fire protection store that also had a small homebrew section. Those hops were quite pungent, and not in a good way. Think parmesan cheese. OTOH, they were always willing to do a CO2 fill on the spot, so there's that.

Last time I was in a actual home brew store was around 1994, all the grain in bulk bins, no refrigeration except maybe some of the brand new Wyeast packs.

 

[hout17]

I don't doubt above calculations on one level, but if well sealed, probably will be fine, I'm sure a lot of hops spend similar time at room temp and they make good beer. If they seem a little weak, use a little more.

I wonder if home brew places keep their hops refiderated or frozen, would not be surprised if they don't.

My LHBS keeps them in a very cold walk in cooler packaged in double mylar oxygen barrier bags.

I've used hops that have been at room temp for about a month or so before I understood the importance of keeping them in the fridge or freezer (I keep them in the freezer) and they were barely a shadow of their former selves. You'll know when you open them if they are still decent or not.

 

[Beernik]

Can the quarantinee have the hops left at the desk for the friend’s pick-up?

I assume food is being delivered to the quarantinee & plates are being picked up afterwards. So they must have a drop off & pick-up procedure in place.

 

[TechFanMD]

I am willing to bet that by the time you buy hops at the local homebrew store they have been unrefrigerated in warehouse or transport for several weeks total. If you buy online, unless it's winter and you're in the north, same thing. Refrigerated transport is expensive and it is doubtful they are doing it for hop quantities being shipped to most LHBS

 

[tyrub42]

Can the quarantinee have the hops left at the desk for the friend’s pick-up?

I assume food is being delivered to the quarantinee & plates are being picked up afterwards. So they must have a drop off & pick-up procedure in place.

That was my plan but they refused at first. However, I haven't called and yelled at them yet haha.

I got in touch with YVH and they said that amount of time wouldn't be a big deal.

Interesting that @VikeMan posted a calculation that said a month unrefrigerated would equal almost a year in the freezer, as that was my gut instinct for what the 22 days would do to them. And that's not a big deal, as these will be used relatively quickly...but hey if it's preventable, I'm gonna do my best to prevent it and get those bad boys in a freezer. I also suggested telling the hotel to out them in their freezer but I doubt they'll do that either.

Thanks everyone

 

[hout17]

Here's a really good read on hop storage and deterioration by Mark Garetz (Brewing Techniques) on morebeer's website. LINK to Article

Good luck and I hope you get your hops before too long.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

FWIW: there was a magazine published in the mid 1990s called Brewing Techniques.

Brewing Techniques Magazine was published from 1993 to 1999. It was full of great articles on homebrewing. Unfortunately it is now defunct.


In 2012, MoreBeer purchased the entire back stock of printed magazines. Those are available in the Homebrewing Books & Magazines section of MoreBeer’s website. They are mostly on page 2 of that section.


MoreBeer has kindly made a number of the articles from Brewing Techniques available in the articles section of this website for free. Homebrewing Articles at MoreBeer

Brewing Techniques Magazine & Back Articles

 

[Beermeister32]

It doesn’t sound like you have any other options, so I say plow forward and brew your batch. It will probably be fine. Maybe up the flavor and aroma hops 10% for good measure.

Save the extras and use them for bittering hops in future batches.

Make a replacement order for next time, and hope for shorter quarantine times!

 

[tyrub42]

Just to update, the hotel delivered a mini fridge and the hops have been in there, so they're still in their prime

FWIW I got into a conversation with a pro brewer friend last weekend about my feelings that the general consensus that hop oils degrade at a similar rate to AA doesn't really make sense. These feelings were based on both anecdotal personal experience, and also the fact that hop oils are very volitile, so would be likely to break down faster than AA or BA.

He said that there was a recent study he was aware of that pretty much confirmed my hunch 100 percent but with an additional interesting twist. Apparently hop oils' real detriment is oxygen in addition to heat, and if stored unsealed, oils can be severely degraded within days in a fridge and hours at room temp (iirc). I'll post more if I can get the specifics, but for now it's just a reminder to do what we've already been doing: vac seal and freeze our hops