hops from 2011 still good?

[timcook]

I know this is off topic for a forum about growing, but.....

I got 2 lbs of Cascades from 2011 (vacuum sealed & kept in a freezer) and a lb from 2012. The generous brewer said to use 2-3 times what the recipe calls for bc they are a little "weak". Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[djonesax]

How does he know they are weak? Did he have some from the same lot or has this bag been opened before? I would think that if they were vacuum packed and kept in the freezer all this time and not freezer burnt, they are probably fine but I wouldn't triple them just because they are old. If it were me and they are weaker because of age, I night add 50% more and see how the batch turns out.

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

I wouldn't sweat it too much. If they've been vacuum packed and kept in a freezer, I'd think that they're perfectly fine. I'd try the normal amount you would use in a recipe, and if the aroma or bittering seems lacking, bump it up the next time around. No sense in using more hops than you need and ending up with a hop bomb, unless you enjoy that sort of thing.

 

[IslandLizard]

If always stored deep frozen in original sealed packages or used and sealed tight, without excess air, they should be fine. I add 10% extra per year of age. Works great. Quite a few of my hops are 2012, and some 2011. Never had an issue with them.

 

[timcook]

thanks for the replies. I'm going to make a Smash brew to check them out.

Tim

 

[IslandLizard]

You could dissolve a few pellets in a bottle of light ale (Miller Lite is great for that, Coors Lite, or a Kolsch). Recap, invert a few times, let it be for a couple days, inverting a few times each day. Then taste. Filter out the hop pieces through a mesh filter when pouring.

If you want to test bittering potential, boil a few pellets in some wort for 15-30 minutes, let cool and taste. You'll get a pretty good idea.