How do you store Pelleted hops?

[Twotaureanbrewing]

I just bought 6.5lbs of various pelleted hops. Ive read articles that in home "experiments" that pelleted far outlast whole hops in a sealed container in the freezer. I hope so because it may take almost a yr to go through them.

Also what have you found as a good container that will hold up to 1 lb of pelleted hops minimizing head space?

 

[Firewalker11]

My wife grabbed my last haul and vacuum bagged them all into little 1 oz packages then they went into the deep freezer (-10° F) and they seem to be holding up very well a year later.

 

[brewprint]

Vacuum seal is going to work the best hands down.

The thing about pellet hops is that they're compressed. Oxygen is what kills anything in the freezer. By compressing everything and reducing the chances of oxidation it will last longer.

That being said, at minimum I keep my pellet hops in the freezer. Normally if I buy a 1lb vacuum sealed pack; if I use some hops out of it I will put them in a ziplock and back in the freezer.

If I'm not feeling lazy I will put them in 4oz packs and vacuum seal those since I use 4oz most of the time for a brew anyway. 1oz packs is tedious but is the best for smaller amounts.

 

[carvetop]

You can find information on the hop storage index which will tell you how much AA% loss to expect over a given time. Anecdotally, I've found that vacuum sealing and freezing pelletized hops seems to be an excellent way to store for extended periods of time.

 

[Firewalker11]

I used Dry Nitrogen to purge the packs before she sealed them, I am sure most of it escaped but it made me feel better.

 

[thenugsmoustache]

I store my pellet hops in vacuum sealed quart Mason jars in the freezer. I can fit almost a whole pound in one. Whenever I get a new pound of hops I'll leave them in their mylar type bag until I need to use some, then the rest usually fits inside a jar.

 

[carvetop]

https://gregdwulet.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/hop-storage-index-hsi-explained/

This article is great if you like the chemistry side of all things brewing. Essentially, under a vacuum and freezing temperatures, little to no degradation in both alpha and beta acids was measured over a 12 month period. I would highly recommend a Food Saver.

 

[TravelingLight]

+1 for vacuum sealing and putting in the freezer. That's what I do too. Well, when I have leftover hops!

 

[moreb33rplz]

I got a seal-a-meal refurbed on amazon for like $20 a couple years ago, and a $8 pack of quart baggies to go with. I just finished off my 2014 crop a month ago, and they were delish!

 

[GHBWNY]

My wife grabbed my last haul and vacuum bagged them all into little 1 oz packages then they went into the deep freezer (-10° F) and they seem to be holding up very well a year later.

This ^^^ Vacuum-sealing is the key to long-term storage. Somehow freezing may help, but nowhere near as much as keeping air from getting to them. Even with putting them into plastic bags and tying them shut and keeping them in the freezer, there is still air (O2) in contact with them. I have inadvertently used "cheesy" (old) hops and I don't recommend it. More than the taste issue, my beer got infected from them!

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

Vacuum sealer. Only way to fly. Just re-label the new bag each time. Can re-use them almost indefinitely and buy in bulk.

 

[MikeSkril]

Thats all you need! Vacuum seal it and freeze.

FoodSaver T03-0006-02P Regular-Mouth Jar Sealer

Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 1-Pump

Mason Jar

 

[Bulls Beers]

Right now I'm only making a few different style beers, so I break the one pound bags of hops into batch quantities, vacuum seal and then freezer.

 

[DemonsRun]

Thats all you need! Vacuum seal it and freeze.

FoodSaver T03-0006-02P Regular-Mouth Jar Sealer

I currently do this as well, but the jars do take up space The vacuum sealed bags may be better if space is an issue.

Although now I no longer eat frozen foods as I only have room for Hops.

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't have a vacuum sealer, and have no need for one.

All hops are stored in deep freeze between -4 and 0°F in their original mylar foil bags. To use I snip off a top corner of the new bag, pour out on the scale how much I need. To store, I fold the open corner/flap over a few times, while squeezing out as much air as I can. Then seal the folded over flap against the bag with some packing tape. It should be a pretty tight package, which means there's very little air in it. And then back into the freezer.

The tighter they are, the more you can store and pack 'em in.

I have hops from the 2011 harvest and they are as potent and fragrant as the day I got them. No cheesiness. I've compensated for age by adding 10% per year after harvest, but that has proven to be too liberal. I now only add 5% per year.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Vacuum sealed. My wife got me one for Christmas. How many dudes can say that!?

 

[Calder]

I don't have a vacuum sealer, and have no need for one.

All hops are stored in deep freeze between -4 and 0°F in their original mylar foil bags. To use I snip off a top corner of the new bag, pour out on the scale how much I need. To store, I fold the open corner/flap over a few times, while squeezing out as much air as I can. Then seal the folded over flap against the bag with some packing tape. It should be a pretty tight package, which means there's very little air in it. And then back into the freezer.

I have hops from the 2011 harvest and they are as potent and fragrant as the day I got them.

Nice to know they stay Ok. but I would highly recommend getting a vacuum sealer. Whilst I have no data to say vacuum sealing is a great benefit, there is a lot of literature that says that it helps maintain the quality of the hope. With your method you are allowing the hops to be in an O2 environment.

Have you ever seen freezer burn on meat? That is what is happening to your hops with the O2. It doesn't show up in the same way, but there is going to be degradation with O2 exposure.

 

[Braufessor]

I store my pellet hops in vacuum sealed quart Mason jars in the freezer. I can fit almost a whole pound in one. Whenever I get a new pound of hops I'll leave them in their mylar type bag until I need to use some, then the rest usually fits inside a jar.

This is what I do as well.

 

[sd_brewbie]

I got the food saver vacuum zip lock bags and a cheap pump. Seems to be working.

 

[Elkobrewer]

+1 vacuum seal in a food savor works for me

 

[IslandLizard]

Nice to know they stay Ok. but I would highly recommend getting a vacuum sealer. Whilst I have no data to say vacuum sealing is a great benefit, there is a lot of literature that says that it helps maintain the quality of the hope. With your method you are allowing the hops to be in an O2 environment.

Have you ever seen freezer burn on meat? That is what is happening to your hops with the O2. It doesn't show up in the same way, but there is going to be degradation with O2 exposure.

It's a valid point to use a vacuum sealer, I've been looking at them, just haven't seen the need for one. I sometimes flush the bag out with CO2. If I had Nitrogen I'd use that.

I think using Ziplock bags is a mistake as I'm quite sure they're not O2 impermeable.

Aside from being deep frozen, it may not affect the hops as much since they contain very low moisture. I do like the thick silver barrier bags like you get from HopsDirect, and I reuse those. At any time I have around 30 pounds of various hops in the freezer, most in 1 lb bags. I really never noticed any degradation, even ones that are 4-5 years old.

Now the baggies at the homebrew stores are not frozen, just refrigerated. They will suffer more from aging. And who knows how long some have been there.

 

[radwizard]

I use Labeled Mason jars. It is super easy to deal with, and I rarely sit on hops for over 6 months. Those vacum seal bags are a rip off, and I dont think they're nessesary unless storing for over a year for pellets. If Whole Cones were my thing id probably go vacum sealer...

 

[Firewalker11]

I use Labeled Mason jars. It is super easy to deal with, and I rarely sit on hops for over 6 months. Those vacum seal bags are a rip off, and I dont think they're nessesary unless storing for over a year for pellets. If Whole Cones were my thing id probably go vacum sealer...

I agree that they are a ripoff if you buy them retail, I get them bulk through http://www.webstaurantstore.com. The wife cuts them down to size so she can make about 300 sealed baggies for $8.00. That's cheaper than zip-locks from COSTCO.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Like most here I just use my suck-n-seal and throw them in the fridge.

 

[beskone]

I usually dump them into a mason jar and vacuum seal the jar, then into the freezer they go. Works great. Easy access and they seem to stay fresh.

 

[radwizard]

@firewalker -- good to know. that is a great tip. I have noted they're price at the supermarket and was shocked.. maybe ill give it a whirl some day, but ive always just loved mason jars for brewing and kitchen use.

 

[Calder]

At any time I have around 30 pounds of various hops in the freezer, most in 1 lb bags. I really never noticed any degradation, even ones that are 4-5 years old.

If you have that many hops, you need to get a vacuum sealer. I have about that many hops too.

While I can't say if the calculator is correct, using the hop age calculator in BeerSmith, on cascade hops (which is not the best for storing):

- 2 years at 0 F (vacuum packed) = 21% loss of AAs
- 2 years at 0 F (Barrier package/jar) = 30% loss of AAs
- 2 years at 0 F (plastic bag) = 38% loss of AAs

Every little bit I can do to help preserve my hops is a +. Vacuum packaging can almost reduce the AA loss by half. And if you are keeping them for a long time, that can be significant.

Like most here I just use my suck-n-seal and throw them in the fridge.

I not sure most here do that; if I exclude people with less than a pound of hops that is. I think most with any significant amount of hops store them in the freezer.

Same calculator as above (Cascade hop: 50% HSI):

Freezer Temp
- 1 year at 0 F (vacuum sealed) =11.5% loss of AAs
- 1 year at 0 F (Barrier package/jar) = 16.5% loss of AAs
- 1 year at 0 F (plastic bag) = 21.5% loss of AAs

Fridge Temp
- 1 year at 38 F (vacuum sealed) =27.5% loss of AAs
- 1 year at 38 F (Barrier package/jar) = 38% loss of AAs
- 1 year at 38 F (plastic bag) = 47.5% loss of AAs

Looks like the losses are more than 2X you would get in the freezer. I think you should start using the freezer and not the fridge. And seriously think about getting a vacuum sealer.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I not sure most here do that; if I exclude people with less than a pound of hops that is. I think most with any significant amount of hops store them in the freezer.

Pardon my vagueness... The suck-n-seal is what we can all agree upon. When I said fridge, I just meant a cold storage facility. Personally I will freeze hops I probably won't use soon. Other ones like Cascade, Chinook, Galena, etc., ones that won't stick around long go on the butter shelf.

 

[Natdavis777]

I vacuum seal and store in the freezer as well. I purchase ~6lbs at a time so a vacuum sealer is my friend. I first tried the bags that could be vacuum suctioned with an electric suction tool. Not a fan. Only 1/4 of the bags kept their seal. So the heat sealer is my go to now.

 

[IronBall]

I vacuum seal in the original packaging. I put it in a little larger bag than needed and then I cut off a little piece of the bag each time I use them in a recipe. Then I re-seal in the same bag. This has worked great for me.

 

[Twotaureanbrewing]

https://gregdwulet.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/hop-storage-index-hsi-explained/

This article is great if you like the chemistry side of all things brewing. Essentially, under a vacuum and freezing temperatures, little to no degradation in both alpha and beta acids was measured over a 12 month period. I would highly recommend a Food Saver.

Found this article helpful and interesting.

Good to hear all the feedback and what you all use. It seems key to long term storage or reduction in AA and humulones, is vacuum seal first temp secondary.

I was going to just toss them in mason jars and freeze but that doesnt look good enough for me. I like the idea of taking lbs and sealing in individual ounces.

 

[jmark]

I do what IronBall does except I pour the contents of the 1lb bag into an oversized vacuum seal bag so I can cut off a piece at a time as I use them. Seems to work well and you can pick up a couple of really long rolls of sealing bags off of Amazon for peanuts.

 

[pablosbrewing]

The type of freezer may matter.

The frost free freezer compartment of your refrigerator - the thaw/freeze cycles seem to break pellets into powder over time.

The traditional deep freeze chest freezers don't appear to do that.

If you have the choice, I'd pick the chest freezer for your hops.