Should I wait to by from hopsdirect?

[ekjohns]

I was looking into ordering 4 lbs of hops knowing they will last me atleast a year. Hops direct says pellet hops for the 2010 season should become available in mid Oct. Would it be worth holding off and buying hops at $3 an oz for a brew next weekend and try and get the fresher hops for later use instead of just buying the 2009 harvest? I am also assuming the price will be a few dollars higher for each lb.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

If you don't need them right away, waiting could have its benefits. The price on the 2009 leftovers could drop considerably, allowing you to buy a lot more than you planned for the same price...

 

[carrotmalt]

I posted a similar question back in early August. I decided to go ahead and buy 2009s but then never did. Since we're so close now, I'm waiting a bit longer to get 'em a bit fresher. I'd probably brew something not too hoppy and buy 'em by the ounce for your next brew.

 

[dleonard]

I was looking into ordering 4 lbs of hops knowing they will last me atleast a year. Hops direct says pellet hops for the 2010 season should become available in mid Oct. Would it be worth holding off and buying hops at $3 an oz for a brew next weekend and try and get the fresher hops for later use instead of just buying the 2009 harvest? I am also assuming the price will be a few dollars higher for each lb.

When I ordered from hopsdirect I got some great hops, but they were in transit for close to 2 weeks. I'm in Knoxville TN. The shipping time really bothered me. 2 weeks for something in the states? Even if it's UPS ground that seemed like a long time.
Anyway, my point is that if you're buying hops to last for a long time, wait and get the new ones. Even frozen hops have a shelf life, so I'd hate to buy something already old. Not to mention it'll be later in the year, so hopefully your hops won't get caught in a truck on a hot day!
Also, 3 dollars an ounce???
Where are you paying that much?

 

[HickoryMike]

I have decided that keeping hops in the freezer for a year isn't a good fit for me. I don't have a vacuum sealer and I felt that my hops were getting weaker after the 6 month point.

I now order with the goal of keeping hops for only 6 months and place two major orders a year.

My $.02

 

[phatuna]

My local is around $3 per lb too. I buy from hops direct. I have found that HD ships out within a day. UPS is a different company and HD cannot be to blame for slow ground shipping.
HD gives you the opportunity to upgrade shipping for an additional cost. I am in CA and typically get my hops within 3 days w/ UPS ground.

I would wait a couple of weeks to order if I was you. get the fresh stuff. the 09 is at least a year old now...

 

[dleonard]

My local is around $3 per lb too. I buy from hops direct. I have found that HD ships out within a day. UPS is a different company and HD cannot be to blame for slow ground shipping.
HD gives you the opportunity to upgrade shipping for an additional cost. I am in CA and typically get my hops within 3 days w/ UPS ground.

I would wait a couple of weeks to order if I was you. get the fresh stuff. the 09 is at least a year old now...

When I ordered last year I didn't see (the problem could have been between the chair and the keyboard...) an upgraded shipping option. If they have that now (or then), then my complaint is null. That was my problem, the couple weeks of waiting.
And did you mean that your LHBS is selling an OUNCE of hops for 3 bucks, not a pound right??

 

[Sacdan]

Just ordered 3lbs from HD. I recommend that you buy the 2010 crop and use a food saver. I usually have at least 12 varieties on hand at all times.

 

[skeeordye11]

Order a few ozs from steelers77 while you're waiting. His prices are right around $1/oz or less for the most part. Just a thought.

 

[cimirie]

My LHBS charges $3/oz as well. Not a pound. I bought three pounds last year from hops direct and unfortunately didn't do much brewing. I have more than half still left. Even if they are all throw-away at this point (which they're not. I'm not a hop head and they're vacuum-sealed), I still made out. At $3 an ounce, I usually spend almost $10 per brew on hops. That pays for one pound at HD.

 

[vandeg]

If you live in the right place you can usually look at craigslist for local growers of hops. I seen a guy selling cascade, centennial, and chinook for about a $1.20 an oz and said he had several pounds to sell.


Its amazing what you find, HBwise, on cl..

edit: he was selling them in 1/2lb bags tho...