Hop Supply

[tagz]

So last year I joined the masses in the great hop hoard. I bought quite a few packs of hops during the fall release, worried that I wouldn't be able to find varieties like citra later in the year. Well, it turned out that you could pick up most of the high demand varieties throughout the year if you kept your eyes open. Since I have quite a few hops left in the freezer, I'm thinking that I won't need to pre-order or wait by the computer for the initial releases. Am I right in thinking that ill be able to grab most of what I need throughout the winter?

 

[Epimetheus]

Last year in January there were all the hop types. By late February some places were out of the more desired types. Hey, if you grab it now you don't have to be concerned later. Hops Direct announced they had a bad year for Centennial and will not be releasing any, nada, but that is just one farm.

 

[Yooper]

I bought two pounds (one leaf, one pellet) of amarillo today, as that will go fast and be unavailable soon. Centennial may not be available at all.

Normally, hops are available most of the time at a higher price. The price for amarillo from hopsdirect today is $18. Citra is $17/pound. When you buy them from a homebrew store, they are as much as $3/oz. Willemette hops are really cheap right now at $10/pound, but I paid $8 last year.

It really depends on how many hops you use, and how much you can save. I make a lot of IPAs and APAs and do 10 gallon batches- it's not unusual for me to use 8-10 ozs of hops in one batch, so they go fast. My freezer is stuffed full of US hops right now. If I made a lot of lagers or cream ales, or brown ales, I"d probably buy them by the ounce.

I have pounds of cascade, centennial, and chinook from my own yard, so I buy only simcoe (have three pounds),amarillo, bittering hops (magnum, have two pounds), and a few English or German hops by the ounce. I really save money on hops. Most people probably don't have a "hops freezer" like I do, though!

 

[bethebrew]

I don't quite have a dedicated hops freezer, but close. 1/3 buffalo, 2/3 hops from Hops Direct. Want to buy latest Amarillo, but must be strong and break into the untried but looked interesting pounds that need IPA homes.

 

[grathan]

Hop market seems completely unpredictable. Though you are right about being able to buy at anytime. It seems there is quite a stash that gets piecemealed to homebrewers throughout the year.

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

I need to make a trip to yoopers. I'm sitting here in a tractor drooling over what must be your setup.

 

[eltorrente]

Always a good idea to just stock up on commonly used ones. Hops are just so expensive buying by the ounce. My freezer has lots of hops in it, all vacuum packed and sorted - it's a good feeling..

I have:

Leaf hops:
1lb Cascade
1lb Columbus
1lb Chinook

Pellets:
1lb Cascade
1lb Columbus
1lb Chinook
1lb Warrior
1lb Centennial
1lb Simcoe
8oz Galaxy
8oz Green Bullet
8oz Horizon
8oz Summit

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Ill buy my "C's" thruout the year (cascade, cenn, chinook, columbus) and usually 2pds each of amarillo/citra/simcoe at harvest time.
Easier to have than to worry about finding them l ater on.
If you plan it right you should have a continous hop supply while signing up for the presales.
Usually they offer at a discounted rate if you preorder also.

 

[Yooper]

I need to make a trip to yoopers. I'm sitting here in a tractor drooling over what must be your setup.

You're always welcome!

It's not fancy, but it's pretty cool and I always offer a beer or three.