Exploding hops?

[mac_1103]

Trapped in a pressurised cylinder of nitrogen

Guinness hops?

 

[McMullan]

Trapped in a pressurised cylinder of nitrogen that then develops a slow leak when exposed to freezer temperature.
Concealed in the packet of hops.
Seems likely!!

More like pockets of liquid nitrogen trapped inside highly resinous hop pellets. Kind of like a ‘pressurised cylinder of nitrogen’, but more likely.

 

[DuncB]

More like pockets of liquid nitrogen trapped inside highly resinous hop pellets. Kind of like a ‘pressurised cylinder of nitrogen’, but more likely.

Using liquid nitrogen every work day it boils off in seconds.
No way would a hop pellet insulate a drop of it. It's boiling off in the thermos flask when you peer in the top.

 

[McMullan]

Using liquid nitrogen every work day it boils off in seconds.
No way would a hop pellet insulate a drop of it. It's boiling off in the thermos flask when you peer in the top.

I guess it depends on how liquid nitrogen gets used in the process. Whether there’s any present during pellet formation, for instance. Not necessarily comparable with your observations for your procedure. It doesn't all evaporate instantaneously, does it? It wouldn’t be of much use if it did. A small volume poured into a mortar, for example, takes a minute or so to evaporate completely. Is it that impossible to imagine highly resinous hop pellets might contain some entrapped nitrogen due to a glitch in processing? Regardless, I suspect entrapped nitrogen pockets under pressure are more likely than a little N2 cylinder inside the hop bag. I pretty certain of that.

 

[AmarikinBrew]

Skull crawlers. They crap liquid nitrogen. You open the bag to smell the hops and they shoot thru your nostrils directly to your brain. Don't ask me how I know this.... I forget how I know this.

 

[wetmk]

What’s the long version? Did they have an explanation?

Here's the long version. Also I sent them the lot # yesterday. Haven't heard anything yet.

Good afternoon Mark,
My name is Wade Brummett, Business Development Coordinator here at Yakima Chief Hops. Thank you very much for sending your inquiry across! We do see bag inflation at times due to transportion lanes and changes in elevation/pressure as well as temps. Do you happen to have the lot numbers available for the stock you have with impact? I can cross check that lot number against our quality records as well as our lot lookup tools. Attached is a bit of a Quality statement specifically aligned to bag inflation. In short, as long as hops have maintained cold temps and factory seals, it is likely the case that your hops will make a great beer without issue! Let me know what you see on your end and I will verify from our end. Thank you,Wade

The following is their official YCH bag inflation document:

Yakima Chief Hops is committed to producing the highest quality hop products in the industry.
With this commitment in mind we are working diligently to solve customers’ concerns when foil
inflation occurs. The residual head space of sealed foil bags, like the ones used for hops and hop
pellets, can inflate beyond the confines of box dimensions. This is commonly referred to as bag
inflation or ballooning. Bag inflation does not cause any product quality issues if the foil seal
remains intact. Bag inflation can become a safety issue if the box integrity has been
compromised, where boxes can’t be stacked on top of one another without falling.
The most common reasons for bag inflation and our improvements are outlined below:
• At time of packaging there is a lack of removal of the residual headspace.
o When the headspace is not removed at time of packaging, the bag volume can exceed
the box volume, causing the package to appear bloated.
At time of packaging, YCH is reducing bag volume and increasing box volume.
This does not prevent bag inflation but maintains packaging integrity.

• Storage temperature of product.
o Ideal gas laws (Charle’s Law) state that temperature is directly proportional to the
pressure of a gas. When temperature increases pressure increases. When the
storage temperature of the hop products exceeds 30-410F the gas volume inside the
bag increases, so the residual head space can expand beyond the dimensions of the
box.
YCH recommends that hops and hop pellets be stored and shipped at
temperatures of 30-410F. Storage/transport temperature does not only assist
with bag inflation, but also maintains product quality.

• Atmospheric pressure at storage facilities or transport
o Ideal gas laws (Boyle’s Law) state that pressure is inversely proportional to the volume
of a gas. When pressure decreases volume increases. YCH products are packaged
in Yakima WA, or Sunnyside WA the atmospheric pressure in these areas is about
~950-1030 mbar. In areas of high elevation, the average atmospheric pressure
decreases, so the gas volume inside the bag will increase.
The reduction in bag volume and increase of box volume at packaging will
improve package integrity, but bag inflation may still occur.

Yakima Chief Hops understands the concerns with bag inflation. Although bag inflation can cause
safety issues with storage from package integrity, the product quality still meets specifications.
Bag inflation is generally a sign of warm temperature handling or high elevation transport. Yakima
Chief Hops will continue to improve packaging techniques and packaging materials to contain the
bag inflation within the box dimensions.
November 21, 2019 – Produced by YCH Quality Team

 

[PCABrewing]

Here's the long version. Also I sent them the lot # yesterday. Haven't heard anything yet.


Bag inflation is generally a sign of warm temperature handling or high elevation transport. Yakima
Chief Hops will continue to improve packaging techniques and packaging materials to contain the
bag inflation within the box dimensions.
November 21, 2019 – Produced by YCH Quality Team

I still wouldn't open them in the house, just in case a foul odor is emitted.
Otherwise I'd be inclined to inspect closely and repackage once satisfied there is nothing nasty in there.

 

[DuncB]

"
When the
storage temperature of the hop products exceeds 30-410F the gas volume inside the
bag increases."

Seems unlikely that you would exceed 410F !!

 

[day_trippr]

That was a serious attempt to boggle the reader going on right there

 

[mac_1103]

And nothing that explains the bag inflating in the freezer.

 

[ba-brewer]

earwig farts

 

[Alan Reginato]

Open and smell/taste how it is. Might just some kind of weird gas physics occurring.

Weird gas physics was their answer... I knew it!

Just not sure if I'm right... Ask for a "friend" to open it...

 

[Want2Brew]

I’d certainly use caution when opening, could definitely give a new meaning to “hop bomb”!

 

[user 337943]

I have a pound of Cascade from Yakima Chief. It's been in the freezer unopened since I got it. It's also blown up like a fresh yeast smack pack. Anyone ever see something like this?

Yes very strange indeed. My best guess is that you left the bags near a sunny window or something and the heat caused the moisture particles inside of the hops to expand; very similar to a bag of popcorn but on a small scale.

 

[DuncB]

The window sill theory seems unlikely in this case.
"It's been in the freezer unopened since I got it. It's also blown up like a fresh yeast smack pack"

Even if the very low level of moisture in hop pellets was driven out on a window sill in the sun the liquid would have to turn to gas " steam " to have any significant volume change.
Packets of crisps do swell a lot going from sea level to the altitude set in aircraft cabins. Set to around 4000 feet I heard. Popcorn packets would do the same.
It's the gas in the packet expanding in the heat on the hot window sill.