LHBS - Hop Quality

[bbohanon]

Pulling the plug on buying any hops from my LHBS..I am dialing in some house recipes and I am just not getting the consistency on hop profile..everything else is dead on with the beers batch to batch with exception to the hop profiles in the beers.

Just ordered about $200 of hops from Yakima as their hops just scream fresh when you open the package as well as in the final product and when I compare those beers with beers that have hops from the LHBS its night and day difference on aroma and taste.

Hate to do it as I love supporting the LHBS, but I just think the guy has gone on the cheap and I really believe he is buying 2-3 year old hops and reselling them as fresh...sad..

 

[Smellyglove]

Age has not soooo much to do with hop quality as storage imho. I work at a LHBS, i smell it all and taste most of it. If it's not vacuum sealed or inert gas purged, before sealing, then stay away. And even if they are, but are not stored in at least a fridge, stay away.

I've had two year old hops which were stored properly which was way better than a 5kg unopened bag of hops which was forgotten in a barn over the summer from the last crop, the second one was just to dump.

And, crop year has also an impact. Some years the crops are just better.

 

[bbohanon]

Age has not soooo much to do with hop quality as storage imho. I work at a LHBS, i smell it all and taste most of it. If it's not vacuum sealed or inert gas purged, before sealing, then stay away. And even if they are, but are not stored in at least a fridge, stay away.

I've had two year old hops which were stored properly which was way better than a 5kg unopened bag of hops which was forgotten in a barn over the summer from the last crop, the second one was just to dump.

And, crop year has also an impact. Some years the crops are just better.

Agreed 100% on the storage of hops..This LHBS in particular when he opens a new 1lb bag of pellets just tosses them into a plastic snap top container and puts then into a fridge so good and bad.

He states the turnover of hops is high enough that the hops dont sit around too long (which I would concur with on the high volume popular hops as he is very busy on the weekends and in the evenings).

I just would not expect to get as much inconsistency on the hop forward beers doing back to back batches with everything the exact same except the hop source though..Its not even close when comparing the 2 batches when brewing or the final product..like 2 totally different beers.

One that is just very bright and aromatic which is awesome, the other just kind of meh..flat on the hop nose but still drinkable. Maybe he is just getting sourced some bad hops..
I know he is sourcing YCH (Hop Union) hops as I am usually one that needs to open a new bag due to my hop purchasing volume, but I never check the dates on the bags (which I guess I should have been checking and will next time I am in there). The large hop pellet bags are NEVER vacuum sealed when I open them. I know that.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I've bought hops from just about everywhere and by far the only ones that smell like you want to eat them out of the bag are Yakima...even if they cost a bit more I think I'm going to stick with them from now on.

 

[ncbrewer]

I started a thread just a few weeks ago about a similar problem. I was buying on-line, but their hops aren't vacuum sealed or nitrogen flushed. I've had some big complaints with the aroma of Fuggle and Willamette hops (in ESB), but not Simcoe or Mosaic (APA). I’ve hypothesized that the oils in some varieties react badly with oxygen, and that some are very resistant. I also plan to start buying hops from Yakima.

 

[Smellyglove]

Agreed 100% on the storage of hops..This LHBS in particular when he opens a new 1lb bag of pellets just tosses them into a plastic snap top container and puts then into a fridge so good and bad.

He states the turnover of hops is high enough that the hops dont sit around too long (which I would concur with on the high volume popular hops as he is very busy on the weekends and in the evenings).

I just would not expect to get as much inconsistency on the hop forward beers doing back to back batches with everything the exact same except the hop source though..Its not even close when comparing the 2 batches when brewing or the final product..like 2 totally different beers.

One that is just very bright and aromatic which is awesome, the other just kind of meh..flat on the hop nose but still drinkable. Maybe he is just getting sourced some bad hops..
I know he is sourcing YCH (Hop Union) hops as I am usually one that needs to open a new bag due to my hop purchasing volume, but I never check the dates on the bags (which I guess I should have been checking and will next time I am in there). The large hop pellet bags are NEVER vacuum sealed when I open them. I know that.

If the large hop bags are the original ones they were packaged in you are good as they are flushed, but they must be stored cold, they can not just sit around. If stored cold they are good for two three years. Once opened the clock starts ticking. Oxygen and light will ruin them and the process is faster the higher the temperature. Even if he tosses them into the fridge.. I wouldn't buy those hops, plastic snap top? Welcome oxygen.

 

[bbohanon]

I've bought hops from just about everywhere and by far the only ones that smell like you want to eat them out of the bag are Yakima...even if they cost a bit more I think I'm going to stick with them from now on.

Same here..Their hops are some of the freshest and best packaged that I have been able to lay my hands on.

I honestly dont think they cost more and actually are cheaper per oz as I usually buy them by the lb from Yakima (I brew ALOT these days as I am getting my house recipes dialed in for a Nano I have been working on starting up over the last year or so)

Some cost save examples:
16oz of one Yakimas most expensive AU hop Galaxy is $30 (minus shipping which is not much if you buy more than 1lb at a time) and my LHBS sells theirs for $3.50 a oz (normally $3.99 but I get a minor discount).

This makes that same 16oz of less than desirable Galaxy hops at the LHBS total $56 ($20 more than Yakima even factoring in shipping). Usually they dont even have that much at my LHBS at one time.

Again..I just bought 5lbs of hops from Yakima (and an Azzaca hat) which with shipping and all came to a grand total of $124 which includes a lb of that expensive AU Galaxy, Amarillo/Warrior/Citra and a lb of Apollo..That same amount of hops alone costing it on the cheap at $2.50 an oz at the LHBS would have cost me $200 (and I would have not gotten the hat..lol)

After all that math, my revelation still holds..stick with Yakima for hops for the foreseeable future. Its cheaper and the hops are just that much better quality/freshness wise.

The rest of you keep buying hops from your LHBS so Yakima keeps their hops well stocked for me. :fro:

 

[kh54s10]

I have never and will never buy hops from a LHBS that opens and repackages. Why are they not selling one ounce packages? At least as an option. I buy most of my hops from Farmhouse Brewing supply in 4 ounce packages and have never had issues. I am not that sensitive to differences and have never tried Yakima so my opinion is not based on close comparisons or a discerning palate......

 

[bbohanon]

I have never and will never buy hops from a LHBS that opens and repackages. Why are they not selling one ounce packages? At least as an option. I buy most of my hops from Farmhouse Brewing supply in 4 ounce packages and have never had issues. I am not that sensitive to differences and have never tried Yakima so my opinion is not based on close comparisons or a discerning palate......

They do carry a very limited amount of 1oz hops but they are usually the less sought after/seasonal hops in that packaging (Tett/Perle/Fuggle/Crystal/Hull Melon/etc.)

Most all of the big popular hops used in most PA/IPAs today are in those plastic snap top containers at this place and have to be weighed out and repackaged for purchase.

 

[kh54s10]

They do carry a very limited amount of 1oz hops but they are usually the less sought after/seasonal hops in that packaging (Tett/Perle/Fuggle/Crystal/Hull Melon/etc.)

I might buy these.

Most all of the big popular hops used in most PA/IPAs today are in those plastic snap top containers at this place and have to be weighed out and repackaged for purchase.

I would NOT buy these. As implied - online for originally packaged hops if your LHBS doesn't have them.... Unless maybe I was there to see them open a new package...