Annual hop buy

[azazel1024]

Now that I finally have a chest freezer and my own basket in it for my "beering" as my oldest son likes to call it (as in "Daddy, you need to stop beering!"*), I can buy bulk hops! I already have a vacuum sealer. I've gotten a couple of 8oz and some 2oz hops from Morebeer when ordering grains from them. Well, I finally went and bought in REAL bulk, from Hops Direct.

From their 2015 crop (pellet) I bought 1lb of Legacy, 1lb of Cascade, 1lb of Millennium, 1lb of First Gold and 1lb of Strisselspalt. They were already out of a couple of varieties that I was looking for, like Centennial and a moderate AA noble german hop. Closest I could come from reading descriptions is the Strisselspalt (they had a few ~2% AA varieties, but, as much as I enjoy the bit of grassiness I get from Hallertau varieties, especially in some wheats, in Oktoberfest and in Pilsner...the amount of grassy I get with sufficient IBUs with a 1.5-2% varietal is too much. Yes I know I could use a tiny bit of a high AA for bittering and a little of the low AA for flavor).

I am most excited to try the Legacy hops. The description and few reviews I have found sound really promising. I was going to brew some Belgian Dubble in a few weeks and instead of using some Sterling hops in it, I think I am going to try using straight legacy hops.

I am also brewing a Chocolate Stout soon and I am torn between using the new Legacy hops and some of the Cluster that I have (which I LOVE in stouts and porters, especially RIS). I might do a bit of both for the chocolate stout to see how it turns out. My English Strong Brown Ale I am going to have to go in on Willamette (running low on that) with a little First gold. English Brown ales always scream Fuggle/Willamette to me.

After that, I have no idea what I am going to brew or with what. But on top of the 5 pounds of those hops, I also have a little left over Hallertau, Sterling, Willamette, Cascade and Cluster (2-6oz of each). I am sure I'll need to get SOMETHING else at some point for all of my brewing for the year, but I might be able to squeeze by only having to get 8-16oz of one other hop for the year. Finally feeling like I have some really good options for a variety of beers on hand (to go with the ~200lbs of grain I have and the 7 varieties of yeast in my fridge, I can now brew almost any kind of beer I'd generally desire without having to run to my LHBS in advance of a brew day. I still buy plenty of stuff from them, like my bulk grains, but occasionally I just don't have time to spend an hour driving there and back just so I can brew a few days later).

This should be a fun brewing year!

*Which is funny, because even though my oldest son complains like crazy every time I brew, my younger two love helping and are very interested in it.

 

[azazel1024]

Oh, only issue I have is if I want more hops, I either need to use some of what I have to make room, or I'll need to hide some elsewhere in the freezer, as my basket is officially full to the brim and I am "cut off" according to my wife.

We shall see about that!!!

My goal is to have at least 8oz of 12-16 varieties to really cover all bases (I'd love to add NB, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Tettnanger, Admiral and Simcoe to my collection. Maybe that is next year's buy?)

 

[dpatrickv]

I have a small problem with hops.

I have too many. I think I have upwards of 20-25lbs in my freezer right now.

First world problems

 

[iijakii]

You guys are crazy. Why do you ever need more hops than Centennial?

 

[aprichman]

I'm a big fan of the combo packs from Yakima Valley Hops. They have some combo packs with 10 different 2oz hop packages that have some fun combos. Also a big fan of the 4 different 8oz hop packages - they have one that comes with Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, and Chinook that is perfect for American ales.

 

[dpatrickv]

You guys are crazy. Why do you ever need more hops than Centennial?

Centennial is actually one of the hops I dont have...


Citra/Mosaic/Cascade/FF 7Cs/Summit/Chinook/Tett/Amarillo/Palisade/Willamette/Bravo/Northern Brewer/Horizon/Glacier just to name a few of the 1lb+ packages that I have.

Id like some centennial and some more columbus and simcoe but Im pretty sure the wife would kill me.

 

[Calder]

Well, I finally went and bought in REAL bulk, from Hops Direct.

From their 2015 crop (pellet) I bought 1lb of Legacy, 1lb of Cascade, 1lb of Millennium, 1lb of First Gold and 1lb of Strisselspalt. They were already out of a couple of varieties that I was looking for, like Centennial and a moderate AA noble german hop. Closest I could come from reading descriptions is the Strisselspalt (they had a few ~2% AA varieties, but, as much as I enjoy the bit of grassiness I get from Hallertau varieties, especially in some wheats, in Oktoberfest and in Pilsner...the amount of grassy I get with sufficient IBUs with a 1.5-2% varietal is too much.

I'm not sure they have any 2015 pellet yet. They have just finished processing their leaf, which go on sale first. Most of the ones they are out of should start appearing soon as the 2015 pellets become available.

I have a small problem with hops.

I have too many. I think I have upwards of 20-25lbs in my freezer right now.

I have that problem too. I think I have about 30 lbs. I bought 5 lbs last month in the sale Hops Direct had, and put a pound of Simcoe in an order I made on other 'stuff' yesterday.

I really didn't need anything, but there were a few interesting hops I haven't tried before, and I love Simcoe.

 

[dpatrickv]

I'm not sure they have any 2015 pellet yet. They have just finished processing their leaf, which go on sale first. Most of the ones they are out of should start appearing soon as the 2015 pellets become available.



I have that problem too. I think I have about 30 lbs. I bought 5 lbs last month in the sale Hops Direct had, and put a pound of Simcoe in an order I made on other 'stuff' yesterday.

I really didn't need anything, but there were a few interesting hops I haven't tried before, and I love Simcoe.

Yep, in the last month or so I have bought around 10 lbs. I was basically out of a lot of the tropical fruit type hops I love to use.

 

[Roadie]

That's the way to buy hops, not this oz at a time stuff. I have an entire side-by-side fridge with one side for hops and the other for beers people bring over when we brew. I think our first hop order was around 19 lbs and we've never looked back. We've also done the can of hop extract into syringes project and had a drawer full of those in the fridge.

 

[azazel1024]

You guys are crazy. Why do you ever need more hops than Centennial?

I am sorry, I can't hear the sound of how awesome my Cluster RIS is. :cross:

 

[azazel1024]

I'm not sure they have any 2015 pellet yet. They have just finished processing their leaf, which go on sale first. Most of the ones they are out of should start appearing soon as the 2015 pellets become available.



I have that problem too. I think I have about 30 lbs. I bought 5 lbs last month in the sale Hops Direct had, and put a pound of Simcoe in an order I made on other 'stuff' yesterday.

I really didn't need anything, but there were a few interesting hops I haven't tried before, and I love Simcoe.

Their website seems to indicate they were 2015 pellets, with a couple in the domestic and import hops being specifically listed as 2014 left overs.

I've had simcoe beers a few times, but never brewed with it. I've heard of a lot of love for Simcoe RIS...and I'd really like to get a few ounces to try one with it in there.

Simcoe is up there with Centennial on hops I need to have in bulk at some point. I did my manful best not to change the drop down on my order to 5lbs or more on some of the hops when ordering. They make it too easy to buy a legitimate divorce reason.

I think if I am careful I could probably make a false bottom for my chest freezer and repackage in to 2-4oz vacuum bags and fit another 5-6lbs at the bottom of the freezer.

I also need some NB hops. I mostly like steam beers, but I also do love a little NB in a wee heavy and in double pilsners, just not 100% NB. Just a little mint to go with a little earthy or grassy (depending if Wee or DP).

At some point I want to change my packaging from vacuum sealing plastic to mason jars with vacuum sealed lids.

I have heard of Yakima's variety packs.

If you guys aren't careful you are going to get me to do another hop buy. Already in the dog house on other stuff, I don't need that kind of marital stress.

 

[kh54s10]

Oh, only issue I have is if I want more hops, I either need to use some of what I have to make room, or I'll need to hide some elsewhere in the freezer, as my basket is officially full to the brim and I am "cut off" according to my wife.

We shall see about that!!!

My goal is to have at least 8oz of 12-16 varieties to really cover all bases (I'd love to add NB, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Tettnanger, Admiral and Simcoe to my collection. Maybe that is next year's buy?)

Do up a super hoppy Quad IPA....

Try http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/ They have 4 ounce packages. I like having a lot of variety on hand so I only by pounds of a couple that I use most often then 4 ounce packs of a lot of different types, plus a few one ounce packs bought on a whim at the LHBS.

I have 20 different ones right now.

I NEED MORE HOPS!!!

 

[azazel1024]

Oh, also if they were 2014 hops, eh. I trust their storage and looking at a couple of tests with several year old vacuum repackaged cold stored hops versus very fresh ones seeing no taster ability to discern between them...a year or two old doesn't bother me if they were stored right.

That is good and also troublesome (for my marriage) news that they might be in stock of a lot of the hops they are out of soon. There are at least 2-3 varieties I still badly want to pick up. Half my problem is I am sure my LHBS will also probably be carrying them, at probably no more than a $1-3 markup over Hops Direct/Yakima and then no shipping costs. So I may just have to visit them in a few weeks and see if they have Centennial and Hallertau/Hallertau Hersbrucker. Will probably be $3-5 cheaper overall without the shipping cost.

Other than varieties that my LHBS doesn't carry, Yakima and Hops Direct only seem to be appreciably cheaper or on par if I am buying 3 pounds (but my LHBS also only typically carries 5-9 types in pellets in pound bags. About 30 types in 1oz pellets, maybe 15-20 types in 1oz leaf bags and about 8-12 types in 1lb leaf bags).

Or Morebeer if I am ordering >$69 and getting other things for the free shipping. The one thing I don't like about Morebeer with the hops is no idea of the AA until you get it. I've gotten some hops that have an AA range of 4-7%, that ended up being 8.7% and some that were 3-5% that ended up being 2.3%. It is often nice to get only 4 or 8oz of something, but still have some kind of bulk discount. If it is a type I know I am probably going to brew with once and then not again for possibly several years...I don't need a full pound of hops taking up my tiny allotted freezer space.

 

[azazel1024]

Do up a super hoppy Quad IPA....

Try http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/ They have 4 ounce packages. I like having a lot of variety on hand so I only by pounds of a couple that I use most often then 4 ounce packs of a lot of different types, plus a few one ounce packs bought on a whim at the LHBS.

I have 20 different ones right now.

I NEED MORE HOPS!!!

Hehehehe. Yeah, I was kind of saying that at the end of my post after yours. A few varieties I just know I am going to be brewing with enough that it makes sense for me to get in 16oz amounts.

A good German noble hop or two, Saaz/Sterling, Fuggle/Willamette, Cascade, Centennial, a clean bittering and Cluster are definitely types I need a pound of, because I'll be using an easy 4-12oz a year in my brewing probably. Some others, like Chinook, Amarillo, Admiral, Goldings (even though I just bought a pound) and a couple of others, 8oz is plenty. Because I'll probably use it just once in a year, but I know I'll be using 2-4oz every year.

Others 4oz is probably fine. Because I either have never used them, or I have and frankly I'll probably use 1-4oz every couple of years and I just don't need them cluttering things up.

Probably my next Morebeer order is going to have 3-4 8oz hops and 3-4 4oz hops in the order. Along with the last few orders of 5# specialty malts I need to round out my malt collection (could use 5# Special B, Victory, Biscuit and Carfa 2).

That is probably safer than me trying to order any more pounds of pellets. For this year.

 

[Roadie]

If you're into getting 1/2 or more of your IBU's at whirlpool the hops go fast, especially on IPA's.

 

[signpost]

A couple comments.

1) I love the whole leaf Legacy hops I got from Hops Direct last year. I did a couple single hopped pale ales with them and they were delicious and the keg kicked quick. Not citrusy and pine like a lot of people aim for. But they had some awesome stonefruit and melon favors that went well with a slightly maltier pale ale.

2) I am so glad I went the vacuum sealed mason jar route for hops. So easy to reveal. The only problem is that it is hard to fit whole leaf hops into jars. Great for pellets though.