Old hops

[kdbentz]

Ive got a fridge full of while cone hops....some zip locked, some vacuum sealed, some never even opened in sealed 1lb bricks.......that have been in my fridge for 1-2 years.......should I expect these to he usable? Just fine? Less potent? Dkwn Right Nasty?

 

[GuldTuborg]

Read this. Anything properly sealed should be just fine. Anything in ziplock bags might be better saved for a lambic or something similar, but I'm always extra cautious about stuff like that.

Out of curiosity, why are you storing in the fridge instead of a freezer?

 

[kdbentz]

Ive got them in both my fridge and freezer.......wasnt too worried about the stuff in the freezer but the dridge I thought might be problematic.....

 

[GuldTuborg]

Makes sense. I'd be more concerned about if/how they were sealed, than at what temperature, over a 1-2 year timespan.

 

[RM-MN]

Just an aside here but there are hops growing wild here along the edges of my fields and I have harvested a few of them, being careful to pick them while they are still mostly green so I don't get off aromas from them. In December I walked past a hop vine and the cones were all brown so I picked on to see what it would smell like being old. Hmm...I think I should have picked them to dry hop with as they smelled as fresh as the ones I picked and dried.

Now to the point, none of us can tell whether your hops are good, bad, or in between. Grab one of the ziplock bags and open it. Take a whiff. Smell bad? I doubt it but if it does, you should know what to do with it. I'm guessing you can't tell the difference between those and freshly packaged hops. Let us know what you find.

 

[AlfA01]

Makes sense. I'd be more concerned about if/how they were sealed, than at what temperature, over a 1-2 year timespan.

Agreed. I intentionally bought some last year hops from a place in Belgium because they were about 60% off. I am aware of the company and the packaging used to preserve the hops, so I no qualms about buying them. I plan my batches around using those hops and I make sure to use the entire packet in a single brew or back-to-back brews. I don't store them after they are opened.

If you have any questions, there are some other uses for old hops--hop tea and putting a a few under your pillow help with a good night's sleep, especially good for A+ blood types.

Cheers,
AlfA
Dan