hard to not go overboard when bulk ordering hops

[bobbrewedit]

Maybe outrageous was the wrong word. I did see that their shipping price did go up with quantity, and when you are ordering less than 5lbs the shipping is not insignificant.

Hmmm, I was just on their site today and shipping was $12.00 for 2 pounds. Granted, it stays at 12 pounds until u buy a ton, but $12 for 2 is quite a bit percentage wise.

 

[inhousebrew]

Maybe outrageous was the wrong word. I did see that their shipping price did go up with quantity, and when you are ordering less than 5lbs the shipping is not insignificant.

It's not insignificant but when I was looking around online a lot of the stuff was comparable to buying at Northern Brewer (in store, which I have the ability to do) even when accounting for shipping. For example, East Kent Golding's was $15 at hopsdirect but $11 shipping bumped it up to $26 total when it's $25 to get at Northern Brewer.

 

[Norie_]

Overboard is relative...I'd say I use 1-2lbs of hops a month on average. Some hops are worth buying more of because come spring and summer they will not be available, especially in bulk. Other hops are always available.

After my next order gets here today ill probably be sitting around the low 20's of lbs of hops. I don't have a LHBS, especially not one with bulk pricing so I always buy in bulk and keep an inventory for off the cuff brews. It's liberating, and once you outlay some capital to get it going you can go months without spending money on brewing.


Just a word of warning to the people repackaging hops. The nitrogen flushed hop union bags are the best possible storage for hops and you can't replicate it at home. Let them stay in those bags as long as possible and then when you break into it for brewing repackage.

With your experience, which hops do you find are not available the most during the spring and summer?

 

[Xpertskir]

It's basically as far as US hops go simcoe, citra, Amarillo, and maybe centenial. I don't use many English hops, so I can't speak to them. You can still get most of the Southern Hemisphere hops now and that harvest will happen in a few months with the US getting them in mid summer.

If you can find Amarillo in bulk this crop buy it, there was a drought that wiped out most of the crop.

The general rule of thumb is if it is a proprietary hop cultivar it can and usually is hard to get, especially ones with cult followings.