hops question

[roylee]

A friend that quit homebrewing gave me his ingredients. The unmilled grain was in sealed containers in an unheated garage all winter and seems fine. The hops, though, I'm not sure of. Several one pound bags were opened and then reclosed in plastic bags wrapped with rubber bands. In the garage they'd have frozen and thawed several times. Some smell all right, some have hardly any odor. Is there a way to tell without using them? If they've lost their punch will they produce a foul taste (or no taste at all)? I'll probably throw them away, but wanted a second opinion.

 

[david_42]

You can always make a hop tea from a small quantity. Boil 1/4 oz in a quart of water. Pour off 1/2 cup at 5 minutes, 20 minutes and 60.