Great HOP pricing going on!

[agusus]

Does anyone feel a little bad (maybe a little) for the micro farmers who invested in setting up an acre or two with trellises based on hop prices of recent history? At current prices those producers will never recoup investment.
....

Not really (I don't feel bad). That's the nature of the beast if you're going to get into the agriculture business. Crop prices can swing wildly from year to year.
For a moment I felt bad for Puterbaugh farms for having to sell their hops at such cheap prices but then I realized there's no reason to feel bad because they got a larger harvest this year and the increased volume probably makes up for some of the price drop.

Anyway, are there really that many micro hop farmers? That's the first I've heard of such a thing.

Also, this could be good for the beer industry. High hop prices in past years have pushed beer prices higher and/or made margins slimmer, especially at microbreweries that make high IBU beers.

The only ones I do feel bad for are my LHBS's. There are three within 20 miles of me and all are selling hops at $4/oz rates. They're going to need to either adapt to the new supply/demand point or they're going to lose business. I'm willing to pay a small premium for convenience and to support them, but $64 per pound when I could get it at $10 per pound is simply crazy.

 

[Bobby_M]

Frankly even the online places need to adjust. I'm sure it sucks for them having to sell at a break even point due to what they paid but the market is in flux. I mean, even if you were just buying enough cascade for an IPA, you'd be into $20 if bought by the ounce. We're paying about half and getting twice as much. Even if you threw out the other 8 ounces, you'd be ahead.

 

[Zen_Brew]

The small frmers will adjust. The hop prices needed to come down. There were som micros that had to take high hop beers off the brewing list due to prices. Just imagine how we cringe at the high prices for a couple ounces, and then imagine you want to brew several hundred gallons and needed 50 lbs or more at those higher prices. There were beers they just couldn't make money on anymore.

 

[dontman]

I was looking on ebay last night and hop prices there have not come into line with Puterbaugh Farms. The Buy it Now prices were all up in the $25 range and as high as $40.

I got my hops today. This is actually the first time I've purchased leaf hops by the pound. Big bag. 3 more pounds to add to the 4 in the freezer already and the wife is starting to get miffed. Especially since I have a 90 cubic foot fridge in the basement. I have half the basement filled with grain and equipment and now this fridge and she can't squeeze a pint of ice cream into our freezer. Oh well. I guess I need to do a couple IPAs to get that volume down a bit.

 

[chefmike]

I would think the LHBS prices will come down slowly... I would not expect them to drop immediatly, only as there is public outcry. I think the population here is a little more informed than the average.

And I do not fault them for slowly dropping prices, they need to recoup what they have in them. I would expect to see people hitting $2/oz over the next few monthes. I would wait for the christmas rush myself. Drop it to $2.50 and then bring it down again after January.

But I am not a retailer... I think more like a consumer I guess!

 

[cuinrearview]

Finished up the home/wild grown season last week when I shut the freezer door on 40oz. of hops. I still couldn't resist a lb. of Amarillo, especially after they had '09 crop for $13.50. My wheat pale demands it! I expect to see stable LHBS hop prices in our area because they never got near the $4/oz. mark. I'd like to say we had it good but in the big picture it was a pretty significant spike. Barring a weather disaster hops will be back to being an insignificant ingredient cost-wise about this time next year for bulk buyers. I'm still going to hedge my brewing with home growing.

These reports of hops being left to decay on the bine are bringing a tear to my eye.

 

[Bobby_M]

Think of it like a commodity or stock. If you try selling at a price above market value because it's what you paid, those looking to buy will go to the people selling the same exact item for the actual market price.

 

[EuBrew]

Haven't decided if I'm pulling the trigger yet or not, but what I do know is there's no chance in hell one of the 2 LHBS here in Columbus will ever see another dime from me. Her hop prices START at 3.99 an ounce.

I'll probably talk myself into a couple pounds of some staples for IPA's

 

[dontman]

Haven't decided if I'm pulling the trigger yet or not, but what I do know is there's no chance in hell one of the 2 LHBS here in Columbus will ever see another dime from me. Her hop prices START at 3.99 an ounce.

I'll probably talk myself into a couple pounds of some staples for IPA's

This past Winter when I bought my first bulk order from Puterbaugh I did so because I had just come home from my LHBS and he was charging $6 per oz. I knew this was expensive but wasn't sure how much. An hour later I had four pounds on the way for $1.25 / oz shipped.

It actually pissed me off. Like someone else said I am willing to pay a premium for the convenience of shopping down the road but there is a point where he is just insulting my intelligence.

 

[EuBrew]

I don't mind paying a little extra for convenience, but there are 2 LBHS here, both the same distance from me. One charges 2.99 for everything and is a great place to shop and ask questions, everyone is very nice and interested in helping you out. The other charges an extra buck an ounce, I guess it's so she doesn't feel bad about acting like such a *****, ignoring you or acting like you're interruting her silence when you ask questions.

 

[oswegan]

When I paid $3.50 an ounce for four ounces of Hallertau at a LBHS on Monday I told the owner lady about the directhops prices and she gave me a really pissed off look - like I had totally blown her cover.

I bought five pounds today so I guess she won't see me for a while.

 

[mac1jw]

You're all a bunch of hop hoarders!.

I emailed hopsdirect to have them drop a pound of Cascades from my order. They sent me an email saying they are running behind on their internet orders as they have had a HUGE increase of internet purchases the last two weeks. Go figure!

 

[JoMarky]

You're all a bunch of hop horders!.

I emailed hopsdirect to have them drop a pound of Cascades from my order. They sent me an email saying they are running behind on their internet orders as they have had a HUGE increase of internet purchases the last two weeks. Go figure!

After reading the two or three recent threads about hops direct I placed an order (like everyone else) and made sure to mention HBT in the comments section. Now they will know where all the business is coming from instead of thinking its some global scheme to hoard hops and drive up the prices again like the speculators did with oil.

 

[samc]

Received my order and noticed the bags were not at all vacuum sealed. Does anyone know if they flush the bags with gas after filling or are they just rushing things a bit here? I am guessing I need to repackage these for long term stability.

 

[magnj]

And here they are. Waiting on a foodsaver before I open them up.

 

[dontman]

Received my order and noticed the bags were not at all vacuum sealed. Does anyone know if they flush the bags with gas after filling or are they just rushing things a bit here? I am guessing I need to repackage these for long term stability.

The leaf hops are nitrogen washed. The pellets are vacuum sealed. If you are seeing different from that (i.e. a pellet bag that has not maintained a vacuum seal or a leaf hop bag that is vac sealed) I'd be interested to know.

Nitrogen packaging is a great way to preserve hops. Don't be so quick to open that package up if you don't need to.

 

[stevea1210]

4 of my pellet bags are vacuumed good and tight. However one of them either has a hole in it, or had a poor vacuum seal to begin with.

I haven't opened it yet. When I do, if they smell cheasy, I'll contact them. However I think they are probably going to be fine.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

When I paid $3.50 an ounce for four ounces of Hallertau at a LBHS on Monday I told the owner lady about the directhops prices and she gave me a really pissed off look - like I had totally blown her cover.

I bought five pounds today so I guess she won't see me for a while.

Hahaha..... Did you make sure to yell it really loud so everyone else in the store heard.

P.S. Why did you buy them from her when you could have got a full pound plus some from hopsdirect for cheaper? Perhaps you needed them ASAP.

 

[JKoravos]

My guess is that very few homebrewers would think to buy hops in bulk, people who are spending their time on homebrewing forums are not your average homebrewer. So, while HD is cutting into some LHBS profit, it's still a small amount is my guess.

The person at the LHBS is probably pissed off for two reasons, one, that you know where to get hops at a fraction of their price, and two, their distributor is probably still charging them more than HD is selling for. All these LHBS's are buying through distributors (LD Carlson, CrosbyBaker) and the distributors are taking their cut as well. So when you buy hops (or anything) from your LHBS there are likely at least two people taking a profit between you and the manufacturer. With HopsDirect, we're getting these hops right from the source. No middle men.

 

[Ksosh]

I also bought hops from my LHBS, only a couple ounces of 2 varieties that I only use 1/2 oz on a single recipe. Couldn't justify another $30 for 2 pounds when I already have 9 here/on the way.

One of my packs from my original order of 4 pounds (pellets) seemed to have lost it's seal, so I simply put them in another handi-vac package. The other 3 pounds were fine.

I also mentioned the hopsdirect prices to my LHBS, but as a "hey, in case you need to stock up...." and he sortof blew me off and said he already had some suppliers, and then told me about the hail storm in europe and how some varieties like northern brewer are getting hard to find. I just smiled and nodded, knowing I have 2 pounds of NB hops sitting in my freezer, and that I paid < $1/ounce for them.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

My guess is that very few homebrewers would think to buy hops in bulk, people who are spending their time on homebrewing forums are not your average homebrewer. So, while HD is cutting into some LHBS profit, it's still a small amount is my guess.

The person at the LHBS is probably pissed off for two reasons, one, that you know where to get hops at a fraction of their price, and two, their distributor is probably still charging them more than HD is selling for. All these LHBS's are buying through distributors (LD Carlson, CrosbyBaker) and the distributors are taking their cut as well. So when you buy hops (or anything) from your LHBS there are likely at least two people taking a profit between you and the manufacturer. With HopsDirect, we're getting these hops right from the source. No middle men.

My LHBS in VT is a small food cooperative. They charge a decent mark up (~50%) on their hops, and they order from hops direct. Its amusing to look at the $2.5-3 oz of hops and to know I"m paying about 15-20 bucks less per lb. Of course they have to factor in costs for weighing them out/packing them, etc etc. But still...

Oh, I haven't ordered... and I dont think I will. Moving back to school has put a major curb on my brewing and I would love to order 5 pounds of hops and start making the 20 gallons of Bigfoot I want to someday have on tap....

 

[xumbi]

Does anyone know how long it takes them to ship?

I put an order in for 2 lbs on monday, and have yet to get a tracking number.

 

[moti_mo]

it took me 5 days to get a tracking number from UPS and then another 5 days for the package to arrive (yesterday, finally!). I'm in CO, so your wait will probably vary accordingly. Just picked up the Food Saver from Costco yesterday, so the weekend will be full of packing up my new 10 pounds of hops.

 

[annasdadhockey]

I ordered my second 3 lb order last Monday, and I just got it today(10 days)

 

[humann_brewing]

Does anyone know how long it takes them to ship?

I put an order in for 2 lbs on monday, and have yet to get a tracking number.

I ordered last Friday and haven't heard a peep yet

 

[Benny Blanco]

They are swamped. Relax people!

 

[oswegan]

Hahaha..... Did you make sure to yell it really loud so everyone else in the store heard.

P.S. Why did you buy them from her when you could have got a full pound plus some from hopsdirect for cheaper? Perhaps you needed them ASAP.

I had a Wee Heavy that I was burning to brew and that was the only night I could do it. Now I have a pound coming so the next batch won't be so "Wee"

 

[oswegan]

Moving back to school has put a major curb on my brewing and I would love to order 5 pounds of hops and start making the 20 gallons of Bigfoot I want to someday have on tap....

If was was back in school, knowing what I know now about brewing, I woundn't need to take any student loans and I'd be the most popular guy on campus, know what I mean, "wink, wink" nod, nod"

 

[bhs668]

I ordered last Tuesday 9/8 and have not received shipping notification. Another individual on the thread ordered 45 minutes before me on the same day and his order shipped Monday. I called today, and apparently they now have some sort of answering service. This in addition to an email yesterday and this morning with no response as to when my order might ship.

 

[The Pol]

Puterbaugh is an excellent supplier.

If you want your hops fast, then go pay $4 an ounce somewhere else.

They are slammed with orders because thier hops are 75% less than anyone else, and they are harvesting now.

Chillax, or go buy them for $4 an ounce and have them fast.

Brewers are like pilots, they always have to complain about something. Whenever a great supplier has an excellent sale and gets slammed with orders, people start complaining because they are getting a deal.

 

[oswegan]

I just got a pound of Simco on ebay. Paid 20 bucks plus shipping but I had to have em - they're my fave and HD doesn't get em.

I don't care too much when my five pounds from HD gets here. All six of my carboys are full anyway.

 

[humann_brewing]

They are swamped. Relax people!

I am not complaining here, I was just saying when I ordered for comparison. I have not made a single inquiry to Puterbaugh as to where my hops are. Their prices are worth the wait and I am waiting

 

[bhs668]

I'm not complaining. I have a batch I can brew without their order. People in the previous few responses were looking for a time line and I was supplying it.

I've seen many a people post on this thread they received their order but didn't supply when they ordered. I was trying to provide some info to my shipping circumstance.

I'm not in a hurry. I know I got a deal. I am Chillaxed!

 

[humann_brewing]

So it must help to talk about it because my hops were just delivered :rockin:

7 lbs for $76.40 including shipping which was only 7.65 that deserves another rockin :rockin:

.68c/oz delivered and that is if they only gave me 16oz in a lb which I hear they don't do.

 

[Ksosh]

Just got my second order in, 5 "pounds" (each between 17.5 and 18 ounces).
One of the vacuum packs was a little 'loose', so I dumped the hops into a ziplock gallon vacuum bag and used my renolds vac on it. Ta da!
(BTW, to get the ziplock vacuum bags to work with the renolds vac, just remove the sticky plastic over the hole in the bag, vac out the air (might need to tip vac at a slight angle), then replace the plastic over the hole).

 

[bkov]

my pellets were about a oz over each, the 1 pound of leafs was probably 20oz's

 

[oldschool]

ordered from hops direct 4 days ago. they told me the order would ship 1-2 buisness days. I called them after not recieving an email and they told me it would be 8 days until ti shipped.

 

[Chester]

its harvest season, its gotta be madness around there. Be patient, you will be in hop heaven soon enough!

 

[dontman]

So who here has repackaged a bunch of hops, spendung a couple hours wrist deep in the stuff, and been really sick of the smell of hops at day's end.

Yesterday I packaged up 3 pounds plus brewed a batch and I could still smell hops on my skin late into the night. I'm sure this sounds fine to most people until you actually experience it.

Can't imagine being a farmer who is waist deep in it for a working shift. They must be stained from head to foot.

 

[isleofman]

it has been 4 days since i ordered. called to inquire and they "didnt have access to that information at the moment". took a message for a call back... no response yet.

i dont mind waiting, but please let me know ill be waiting