Vacuum storage with mason jars

[mooseMoose]

I see that one common way to store bulk hops is in a vacuum sealed mason jar. I picked up the recommended equipment (below) but now i find that the brake pump's barbed connector is too big for the tubing used for the jar sealer. Anyone know what size barbed connector i need or have another idea of how to connect the vacuum pump to the jar sealer?

https://www.amazon.com/HTOMT-Automo...65&s=gateway&sprefix=brake+ble,aps,155&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FC...=gateway&sprefix=mason+jar+vac,aps,151&sr=8-3

 

[kh54s10]

Send the pump back and get a Food Saver vacuum. I use the bags.

 

[bpinto]

I've been storing hops in Mason jars for years using the Pump-n-Seal

Simple, cheap and effective

 

[IslandLizard]

That pump looks like a cheap toy.
The caps look more like highway robbery. > $10 a piece?

Hops should also be stored frozen. Not sure how much space you have in your freezer, but space wise, mason jars are not very efficient.

I use the original bags the hops come in, snip off a (small) corner, dispense hops, roll the flap over a few times while pushing the air out, then tape the rolled up flap down. Back in the freezer they go.

I sometimes purge/flush them with CO2, before closing them. Hops from 2012 are still performing fine.

 

[kh54s10]

That pump looks like a cheap toy.
The caps look more like highway robbery. > $10 a piece?

Hops should also be stored frozen. Not sure how much space you have in your freezer, but space wise, mason jars are not very efficient.

I use the original bags the hops come in, snip off a (small) corner, dispense hops, roll the flap over a few times while pushing the air out, then tape the rolled up flap down. Back in the freezer they go.

I sometimes purge/flush them with CO2, before closing them. Hops from 2012 are still performing fine.

I like the way bags store too. Food saver bags, I use the rolls and make a bag just big enough. I have a couple of shoe box size plastic totes. I put the bags in them standing up, I put them in alphabetical order so that I can find the one I want easily. 3 boxes 16 varieties of hops. Imagine 16 mason jars - I think not.

 

[Bassman2003]

I use wide mouth mason jars along with the Food Saver hand held battery powered unit. You can get smaller wide mouth jars to save space in the freezer which are plenty big for pellet hops. I roughly separate a recipe per jar so I only expose the pound bag of hops to oxygen on the day I open it.

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FS...ds=foodsaver&qid=1561735857&s=gateway&sr=8-19

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FC...rds=foodsaver&qid=1561735944&s=gateway&sr=8-9

 

[kevink]

Wow, I just watched a few videos of brake bleeder pumps pulling more vacuum than Foodsavers. I did not think they would perform as well, but it looks like the might. Can't say I like the idea of all the pumping or having to use mason jars, though. Bags are much more compact.

 

[kevink]

That pump looks like a cheap toy.
The caps look more like highway robbery. > $10 a piece?

The "cap" is only used for sealing the normal mason lid and can be used over and over. You do not store the jar with the cap on.

 

[IslandLizard]

Wow, I just watched a few videos of brake bleeder pumps pulling more vacuum than Foodsavers. I did not think they would perform as well, but it looks like the might. Can't say I like the idea of all the pumping or having to use mason jars, though. Bags are much more compact.

I'm not surprised, as long as they don't leak. You could probably vacuum your bags with one of those vacuum bleeders. I bet Harbor Freight has them.

I was looking at a (small) vacuum pump for similar usage.

 

[IslandLizard]

The "cap" is only used for sealing the normal mason lid and can be used over and over. You do not store the jar with the cap on.

That eases some of the pain...
But still, for a check valve on a plastic mason jar lid?

 

[kh54s10]

The plastic cap goes over the mason jar lid, sucks out the air, then you tighten the metal mason jar lid to seal it.

 

[mullet6577]

I'll toss a pound of hops in a quart wide mouth jar when I open one and vacuum seal it. I'm not strapped for freezer space so it works pretty well for me.

I already had a FoodSaver from when I started cooking sous vide.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

It's a classic approach: dry yeast in the fridge, hops in the freezer; close them tightly with a rubber band.

I try to match original packaging with recipes amounts - effectively using full packages that don't need to go back to the freezer. For example: buy two 4 oz packages rather than one 8 oz

I also will use unopened packages for late hop additions (aroma / flavor) and use opened packages for early additions.

This

I use the original bags the hops come in, snip off a (small) corner, dispense hops, roll the flap over a few times while pushing the air out, then tape the rolled up flap down. Back in the freezer they go.

with more information here

Brulosophy Podcast Episode 046 | Maintaining Hop Freshness

was a common practice before NEIPAs came along. "Vacuum seal all the things" (hops, dry yeast, DME, crushed malts, ...) seems to be the thing these days. Personally, I have more interesting things to do with my spare time.