hopsdirect.com

[The Pol]

FWIW, my vaccuum sealer has paid for itself about 4x over in the past 6 months on HOPS alone. Not to mention regular food purchases. I saved about $288 on hops this year buying them bulk. My FoodSaver cost me $70 new.

 

[Homercidal]

My seal-a-meal got some good use last week. the kids and I sealed up the left overs of a one pound purchase. It's so nice to have a supply of hops all packaged in 1 ounce bags for the price of bulk! Plus, I use it for dehydrated foods, leftover grain, malt extract, etc. neat and useful toy!

 

[The Pol]

I have been using glass mason jars with my lid sealer on my FoodSaver. It is nice because I no longer have to go through bags, I just pop open the labeled jar, measure out my hops, then reseal the jar and stack in the freezer. I have about 9 pounds of 15 varieties in the brew fridge.

 

[netjunk1e]

How does the lid sealer work? I was under the impression that you had to use special food saver jars.

 

[The Pol]

How does the lid sealer work? I was under the impression that you had to use special food saver jars.

Nope, just use a mason jar, a wide mouth jar. Place the lid on it, place the adapter over it and start the vaccuum. It vaccuum seals the jar lid on. I do have a couple FoodSaver canisters, but the wide mouth mason jar adapter is the best!

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I just received my tracking number from them! They'll be here (VT) next Friday! This is my second time using them and I'm stoked on getting in my next order. I guess a vacuum sealer needs to go onto my list.

 

[janzik]

I have been using glass mason jars with my lid sealer on my FoodSaver. It is nice because I no longer have to go through bags, I just pop open the labeled jar, measure out my hops, then reseal the jar and stack in the freezer. I have about 9 pounds of 15 varieties in the brew fridge.

This is quite awesome and deserved to be re-seen... even if it was only a few posts down...

 

[BADS197]

I just ordered an assortment of 4 lbs from them.

I don't have any canning jars or vacume sealer bags much less a scale. I don't think my scale for reloading bullets will work for measuring hops so I'll need a scale too.

This hobby just gets more expensive each day... and I would have thought it was from drinking tons of beer (which I dont).... it's from all the equipment.

 

[jldc]

I have been using glass mason jars with my lid sealer on my FoodSaver. It is nice because I no longer have to go through bags, I just pop open the labeled jar, measure out my hops, then reseal the jar and stack in the freezer. I have about 9 pounds of 15 varieties in the brew fridge.

I'm guessing that these are wide-mouth mason jars, because the regular ones I bought will not fit the food saver jar attachment. However, I just put the mason jar into a large food saver canister and turned on the vacuum. When you release the vacuum on the canister, the jar inside remains sealed. Worked fine and I didn't have to go back and buy more jars.

It's worth pointing out that a dozen mason jars cost about as much as a single foodsaver canister.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I just sealed mine with the Reynolds zacuum sealed zip locks.

Step 1: Put remaining hops into regular ziploc bag.
Step 2: Squeeze out as much air as possible from ziploc
Step 3: Seal all but 1/2" of the ziploc
Step 4: Place regular ziploc filled with hops into vacuum ziplock bag
Step 5: Seal vacuum ziploc
Step 6: Pump out all the air from the vaccum ziplock, making sure the air from the regular ziploc is sucked out too
Step 7: Place ziploc set into foil package from hops direct
Step 8: Squeeze out as much air as possible from foil bag
Step 9: Iron the foil bag closed

You should now have a totally sealed bag with an oxy barrier (foil) and an air free inner bag. I think this is a good way to do it and you do not need a food saver. I think the Reynolds pump was ~$5...

 

[The Pol]

That seems like a lot of bags and a lot of work to me.

 

[The Pol]

I'm guessing that these are wide-mouth mason jars, because the regular ones I bought will not fit the food saver jar attachment. However, I just put the mason jar into a large food saver canister and turned on the vacuum. When you release the vacuum on the canister, the jar inside remains sealed. Worked fine and I didn't have to go back and buy more jars.

It's worth pointing out that a dozen mason jars cost about as much as a single foodsaver canister.

Yes these are wide mouth jars, the FoodSaver attachment is called a Wide Mouth Jar Sealer. I bought some extra lids (cheap) but have not had to use them yet... the original ones dont get bent when I pop them open.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

It took all of 2 minutes and cost maybe $1.50 plus the pump which will work forever. I don't have the money for a foodsaver right now.

 

[passedpawn]

I just ordered an assortment of 4 lbs from them.

I don't have any canning jars or vacume sealer bags much less a scale. I don't think my scale for reloading bullets will work for measuring hops so I'll need a scale too.

This hobby just gets more expensive each day... and I would have thought it was from drinking tons of beer (which I dont).... it's from all the equipment.

Reynolds (yes, the reynolds wrap people) has a < $10 vacuum sealer that is sold at many large grocery stores. Quart bags (which hold 1/2 # of pellets) come in a box of 14 for $3.50. This system works great for me. You will be very impressed with the quality of the vacuum, although I had a bag that did lose its vacuum. The vacuum thingy is battery operated, but comes with batteries.

Reynolds Vacuum Sealer

Ziploc also sells a manual pump for their vacuum bags. It is only $2. I haven't used this.

All the above is sold in the aisle with the baggies and such.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

whoop... I have the ziploc brand stuff.

 

[samc]

Reynolds (yes, the reynolds wrap people) has a < $10 vacuum sealer that is sold at many large grocery stores. Quart bags (which hold 1/2 # of pellets) come in a box of 14 for $3.50. This system works great for me. You will be very impressed with the quality of the vacuum, although I had a bag that did lose its vacuum. The vacuum thingy is battery operated, but comes with batteries.

Reynolds Vacuum Sealer

Ziploc also sells a manual pump for their vacuum bags. It is only $2. I haven't used this.

All the above is sold in the aisle with the baggies and such.

I get a massive failure rate on resealing those bags. I now treat them as seal once and forget about it. Sometimes you can reseal and put tape over the hole but it is a hassle to use. One of these days I will upgrade to a real system.

 

[The Pol]

I get a massive failure rate on resealing those bags. I now treat them as seal once and forget about it. Sometimes you can reseal and put tape over the hole but it is a hassle to use. One of these days I will upgrade to a real system.

That sentiment has been echoed a lot on HBT.

 

[dave73ok]

For those looking into Foodsavers...if you have a KOHL'S nearby, keep an eye out on their sales. I got mine at 70% off (was $120, I paid just under $40). I've seen them on sale a few times since then.

 

[BADS197]

I just got my tracking information for my 4lb order.

The UPS tracking says the shipment weights 6lbs.

Last time I checked, a carbboard box didn't weight 2lbs, not for the size necessary to send 4lbs. Do you think they tossed in anything extra?

I won't be heart broken if they don't but it gets me to wondering... and it wont be here till friday excited... my first hop order.

 

[brewjunky]

got mine in last week and received 1lb of cascade and 1 lb of Willamette in all was about 3.2 ounces over

 

[springer]

I just got my tracking information for my 4lb order.

The UPS tracking says the shipment weights 6lbs.

Last time I checked, a carbboard box didn't weight 2lbs, not for the size necessary to send 4lbs. Do you think they tossed in anything extra?

I won't be heart broken if they don't but it gets me to wondering... and it wont be here till friday excited... my first hop order.

mine was the same 4lbs ordered shipping said 6 pounds. I think I ended up with about 1/2 pound extra some were less than 2 oz over one was close 4 oz over

 

[passedpawn]

I ordered 4 1# bags. Each was an ounce over.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I just received my second order ever from them. I called in my order and asked if I could possibly get 2lbs Centennial, because the website wasnt letting me add more than one. She said no, because they were trying to make sure there was enough for everyone, which I told her was fine with me, and I proceeded to buy the 3 other types of hops I needed as well.

I received my order today, each bag 1oz over AND, wait for it..... a second 1lb bag of Centennial. The packing slip was correct, only 4lbs of hops ordered...but I received 5! I'm ecstatic, Centennial is the hop I used the most!

 

[jldc]

Yes these are wide mouth jars, the FoodSaver attachment is called a Wide Mouth Jar Sealer. I bought some extra lids (cheap) but have not had to use them yet... the original ones dont get bent when I pop them open.

They sell a "regular mouth jar sealer" on Amazon for $9.99 that works nicely on regular Mason Jars, too.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I've found that I didnt need to buy the regular mouth jar sealer. If you have any of the foodsaver jars, you can take any mason jar that will fit in them, seal the foodsaver jar which seals anything inside of it. Pull it out, screw the collar on!

 

[hayabusa]

I just received my second order ever from them. I called in my order and asked if I could possibly get 2lbs Centennial, because the website wasnt letting me add more than one. She said no, because they were trying to make sure there was enough for everyone, which I told her was fine with me, and I proceeded to buy the 3 other types of hops I needed as well.

I received my order today, each bag 1oz over AND, wait for it..... a second 1lb bag of Centennial. The packing slip was correct, only 4lbs of hops ordered...but I received 5! I'm ecstatic, Centennial is the hop I used the most!

They are a great company and do a great job getting us our hops and sometimes use a heavy hand, presumably to be sure we get what we ordered.... in this case there was a clear error and you might consider letting them know and at least offer to return and/or pay for them. Clearly this wasn't on purpose.

 

[The Pol]

They are a great company and do a great job getting us our hops and sometimes use a heavy hand, presumably to be sure we get what we ordered.... in this case there was a clear error and you might consider letting them know and at least offer to return and/or pay for them. Clearly this wasn't on purpose.

+1000

Honesty pays off...

 

[hoppysailor]

Just a quick plug for Hops Direct. I ordered 5 pounds of hops from them mid-day Monday. They arrived here in Montana via UPS ground on Wednesday morning. Very impressive. We ordered a mixture of pellets and leaf and the bags contained between 18 and 21 ounces of hops. Very nice! We'll be brewing tonight.

 

[Indiana Red]

So, since this is only July, that was last years harvest, right?
And they still have some? Sweet.
This late in the year, would you be tempted to hang on another couple months and get the fresh '09?
Or was it just a "need some now" "don't care" thing?

I will be buying quite a bit this fall and packing individual 2-4 oz "servings" for the coming years brews.

 

[hoppysailor]

It was definitely need some now and maybe noob ignorance on my part about when the 2009 harvest will be available. The pricing through Hops Direct was good enough that I got each pound of hops for about half of what I could get it for at the LHBS. When will the 2009 harvest be on the market? Will the price be higher than for 2008 crop?