Hops Shelve Life

[Alex Smith]

Quick question from someone who knows nothing about beer, much less hops. How long will whole hops last after I open the bag? I believe they are dried. They are not frozen, and are vacuum sealed in mylar. Thanks in advance!

 

[FloppyKnockers]

In a vacuum sealed bag/container in the freezer they will last several years. In an air-tight container in the fridge, a couple months, maybe. On the counter unsealed - a couple hours.

 

[Alex Smith]

Thanks for the info. What about an airtight container in the freezer? Can I keep what I'm not using in there and just take it out as needed? And do I need to let it thaw before using?

 

[bpgreen]

Is it just airtight or are you also vacuum sealing it? If you're just putting it in an airtight container like a zip lock bag or a plastic tub with a lid, it won't last as long as if you vacuum seal it. If you're growing hops (or buying in bulk), a vacuum sealer is definitely worth the money. I think you'll find a lot of other uses for it, as well.

I've always thawed mine before using them, but they'll thaw pretty quickly if you throw them in hot wort, so it probably doesn't make a lot of difference.

 

[Alex Smith]

I was just thinking of ziplocks for now. I'm a coffee roaster by profession, and I'm just using the hops for experiments such as hopped cold brew for now. So I guess my question would be how do I prolong the life of hops for as long as possible without buying a vacuum sealer. If I decide to start doing hopped cold brew regularly then I'll definitely get a vacuum sealer, but for now I'm just looking for the best solution with what I have on hand. Another question I'd have is if the hops expire in the same way as milk or fruit, or if they expire like coffee beans?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I was just thinking of ziplocks for now. I'm a coffee roaster by profession, and I'm just using the hops for experiments such as hopped cold brew for now. So I guess my question would be how do I prolong the life of hops for as long as possible without buying a vacuum sealer.

The enemies of hops are warmth and oxygen - unsealed at room temperature they will lose up to 80% per year of some of the key flavour compounds. Vacuum sealed or kept cold that goes down to 20%/year, vacuum sealed and cold it might be <10%. So I keep unopened bags in the fridge, and opened ones in the freezer.

You'll know when they're "off" as they start smelling cheesy.