homegrown cascade smell like....the freezer?

[nootay]

so i had some home grown, dried casecade in the freezer. I put them in ziplock bags and got as much air out as possible before freezing. I just got them out and the bag is blown up like a balloon. the hops dont smell like hops at all, more like freezer air, if that makes sense. anyways, think i should use them? i made a pale ale out of these when they were fresh and it made an incredible beer. first time using frozen homegrown hops.

 

[kbuzz]

How old are your plants? If they are first or second year plants, all you can really hope for in those first couple years is flavor/aroma anyway...and if they don't smell good, then it's probably not worth it.

Sounds like freezer burn to me...I wouldn't use them.

 

[Brew_Force]

so i had some home grown, dried casecade in the freezer. I just got them out... the bag is blown up...

That's terrible! It sounds like someone has been messing with your hops!

 

[nootay]

they are second year plants. i took one of the cones out and crushed it up in my hand. this released that wonderful cascade aroma i was looking for. inside the bad they dont smell right, but once out and crushed they smell fine.

 

[kbuzz]

they are second year plants. i took one of the cones out and crushed it up in my hand. this released that wonderful cascade aroma i was looking for. inside the bad they dont smell right, but once out and crushed they smell fine.

hmmm...well, I might give them a shot then...but I wouldn't expect much.

Are there any bags that aren't "blown up?

 

[copyright1997]

For next years crop, buy yourself a vacuum sealer. I was able to pick up a rival sealer for $24 shipped from newegg. Then you can dry and then seal your hops and also take advantage of sales when they arise.


For now, if they have aroma when you crush them, I would use them but also add some other hops into the mix.

 

[nootay]

i ended up using them at 15 5 and 0. i mixed some pellets in with them as well. itll still make beer a vaccum sealer is definitely going to be used next time. by "blow up" i mean that baggies are full of air. to the point the bag is very tense. i used a straw when i sealed them and they were about as tight as you can get without using a vaccum sealer. not sure what happened.