Puddlethumper
Well-Known Member
That is a splendid idea IMO. You ought to send a letter suggesting it to some of the big hops sellers. It would require some re-tooling for them (maybe not worth the expense) but it sure would be nice for us!
How do I store 1 lb of hops
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That is a splendid idea IMO. You ought to send a letter suggesting it to some of the big hops sellers. It would require some re-tooling for them (maybe not worth the expense) but it sure would be nice for us!
"There is a measure of inconsistency there that I was uncomfortable with. So for the additional cost associated with buying my hops in smaller quantities that I can consume within 4-6 weeks of opening I gain the peace of mind that I've done my best to make the best beer I can."
I am a bit anal as well as obsessed with the numbers. I'm OK with the numbers being slightly off, but I want a very good idea of what it is I'm making. Guessing that the AA's are 5-6% just doesn't cut it for me.
Before I knew better I bought a coffee bag from MoreBeer thinking that sealing the ziplock and pressing out the air was good.
http://morebeer.com/products/valved-coffee-bag-1-lb.html?site_id=10
I use it to store whatever hops I may be hanging on to that are opened, but I don't do this unless I'm certain I'll be using them within a month.
I am a bit anal as well as obsessed with the numbers. I'm OK with the numbers being slightly off, but I want a very good idea of what it is I'm making. Guessing that the AA's are 5-6% just doesn't cut it for me.
Before I knew better I bought a coffee bag from MoreBeer thinking that sealing the ziplock and pressing out the air was good.
http://morebeer.com/products/valved-coffee-bag-1-lb.html?site_id=10
I use it to store whatever hops I may be hanging on to that are opened, but I don't do this unless I'm certain I'll be using them within a month.
I personally don't think the O2 is that much of a concern. Empirical evidence found here at HBT and amongst other homebrewers suggest that the act of vacuum sealing and keeping hops frozen is effective enough to preserve our hops long enough to last to the next harvest.
But since we are overthinking this, what about using something like oxygen absorbers?
But since we are overthinking this, what about using something like oxygen absorbers?
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So I've been lurking a while and this is my first post, so apologies if this has been asked elsewhere - thought it may add to this particular topic is all.
Woodworkers use a product call Bloxegyn to purge the O2 out of cans containing finish. Bloxegyn is basically a can full of Argon that you fill the empty part of the can with before closing. As I understand it, Argon is heavier than O2 so it forces it up and out of the can creating an inert layer of preservation giving the finish no chance to oxidize.
So I am left to wonder if Bloxegyn may be useful for hop storage as well, or Argon might have some negative effect on the yum factor of the hops?
Hope that makes sense...
Woodworkers use a product call Bloxegyn to purge the O2 out of cans containing finish. Bloxegyn is basically a can full of Argon that you fill the empty part of the can with before closing. As I understand it, Argon is heavier than O2 so it forces it up and out of the can creating an inert layer of preservation giving the finish no chance to oxidize.
So I am left to wonder if Bloxegyn may be useful for hop storage as well, or Argon might have some negative effect on the yum factor of the hops?
Hope that makes sense...
Puddlethumper
Well-Known Member
The o2 absorbers idea is intriguing. Maybe we should look into that as a possible solution to this problem. Perhaps a few people who are interested could buy some and use them for a while then start another thread (or revisit this one) once some opinions have been formed.
But as far as the concern about o2 degrading our hops, I'm not convinced that vacuum sealing is sufficient for more than a few months of storage. A perfect example of why I am concerned happened yesterday afternoon:
I had a pound of EK Goldings that I had broken down to 4 oz. FoodSaver bags and kept them frozen. I dated the bags Nov. 2013. When I opened a fresh bag to use yesterday the hops were half pellets and half powder. This is a sure sign that the hops' quality had deteriorated substantially in just over 6 months. They had been vacuum sealed, frozen and stored in the dark. I wouldn't have bought those hops if they were on the shelf at the lhbs. If I'd had any other choice I wouldn't have put them in my beer yesterday.
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OP
OP
Well my 1lb of centennial hops arrived today from Ontario Beer Kegs, and to my surprise i have 16 individual one ounce packets. I guess that takes the worry out of storage.
petrolSpice
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I just put mine in 16oz mason jars and store them in the freezer. While I cannot put any numbers to it, smell, taste, and appearance-wise they look great even after 4 months. Vacuum bagging would be ideal however.
I have a bunch of the O2 eaters as well as the desiccant packs as I put them into my Triple 7 muzzleloader powder since many claim it deteriorates after being opened for a while. I have no idea if it works, but it certainly doesn't hurt anything, and does make sense.
I would give it a go, but quite frankly I'm not sure how one would prove anything unless you really let it go for a very long time, and bought an extra that is kept sealed to compare it to.
I do have a Food Saver and have wondered if I were to buy CO2 and purge the original bag if I could heat seal it and keep it long term. But I'd hate to find out using their bags ruins a Food Saver.
I would give it a go, but quite frankly I'm not sure how one would prove anything unless you really let it go for a very long time, and bought an extra that is kept sealed to compare it to.
I do have a Food Saver and have wondered if I were to buy CO2 and purge the original bag if I could heat seal it and keep it long term. But I'd hate to find out using their bags ruins a Food Saver.
To me, the way to really run the experiment would to buy a batch of hops right around harvest time. Brew an IPA with them and send it in for lab IBU testing. Seal up the rest w/ your oxygen scrubber then brew the same IPA right before the next hop harvest with the same recipe/hops and also send that in for lab IBU testing.
You could try using observation-based (or in this case, taste-test-based) experiments, but those depend a lot on the variability of peoples palates. You would have to depend on tasters being able to pick out difference between two beers that were brewed then tasted close to a year apart, when evidence suggests that tasters will score the exact same beer differently when placed twice in the same flight.
Another variable is if you are in-and-out of a jar/bag of hops a lot over a long period and what effect does that have. It is one thing if you open a pound of hops, use some then vacuum seal the jar and leave it for a year vs the much more likely scenario of you getting into that batch of hops a dozen different times over the course of a year, or however long a pound of hops lasts you.
You could try using observation-based (or in this case, taste-test-based) experiments, but those depend a lot on the variability of peoples palates. You would have to depend on tasters being able to pick out difference between two beers that were brewed then tasted close to a year apart, when evidence suggests that tasters will score the exact same beer differently when placed twice in the same flight.
Another variable is if you are in-and-out of a jar/bag of hops a lot over a long period and what effect does that have. It is one thing if you open a pound of hops, use some then vacuum seal the jar and leave it for a year vs the much more likely scenario of you getting into that batch of hops a dozen different times over the course of a year, or however long a pound of hops lasts you.
