Storing hop pellets
- Thread starter bsyoung
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You'll get the most longevity from vacuum sealing and freezing. The fridge will be ok if you can't freeze them, but I would freeze them as soon as you can. If you choose to vacuum seal, make sure you get a quality vacuum sealer. I've tried two different products, Ziploc Vacuum Bag System and the equivalent from FoodSaver, and they're both crap, at least for hops. I'm not speaking ill of FoodSaver in general, but they're little handheld vacuum and zippered bag are crap. I'm sure their higher end system works well, but I don't know from experience.
The Ziploc's and Foodsaver type zip bags are not good for freezing but are OK for the fridge and pantry.
If you go the freezer route, get a prototypical Foodsaver that heat seals and use it to store your hops in the freezer. It also has a thousand other uses to seal and save money - especially with food.
The problem I had with both of them is that they kept losing their seal and filling back up with air. I'm definitely going the quality route and getting the kind that heat seals. I've got 6.5 pounds of hops that need to be prepared for long term storage. They've been in the freezer since I got them, but I want to seal them to minimize the degradation of the alpha acids.
Get wide-mouth mason jars.
Get one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Get one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-92474.html
The brake bleeder cone fits into the hole in the jar sealer. Use whatever size mason jars you want. Use hops, reseal, repeat.
Get one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Get one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-92474.html
The brake bleeder cone fits into the hole in the jar sealer. Use whatever size mason jars you want. Use hops, reseal, repeat.
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Get some plastic soda bottles, install a tire stem in the top. Fill a bottle with hops and pressurize with CO2. Purge twice and freeze. I use a tire nozzle hooked up to my main tank. So easy and works so well.
Make buying steak or seafood in bulk worthwhile? Vacuum seal fruit for freezing for later batches? Seal a vacuum seal container for marinating meat?
Oh and also seal your hops for long term storage. Plus I find it much easier to store hops in bags than mason jars as far as freezer space goes.
nate456789
Well-Known Member
I know this is an older thread but I wanted to share my long term storage results.
I used some Willamette pellet hops this weekend that have been stored in my freezer at -2 deg for 18 months.
1 ounce that I used was stored in a vacume packed Milar bag.
The the rest were stored in a mason / Ball jar using the wide mouth sealer listed above.
The Milar bagged ones had very little aroma but the ones vacume packed in the glass jar smelled fresh still - probably no different than the ones I could purchase at my local home brew store. They were not as fresh as a new 2012 crop from hop union but still surprisingly very fresh.
I also dry hopped another beer this weekend using Amarillo hops stored using the mason jar method. They are around 12 months old and were still very fresh smelling.
I am sold on the Glass jar storage.
I used some Willamette pellet hops this weekend that have been stored in my freezer at -2 deg for 18 months.
1 ounce that I used was stored in a vacume packed Milar bag.
The the rest were stored in a mason / Ball jar using the wide mouth sealer listed above.
The Milar bagged ones had very little aroma but the ones vacume packed in the glass jar smelled fresh still - probably no different than the ones I could purchase at my local home brew store. They were not as fresh as a new 2012 crop from hop union but still surprisingly very fresh.
I also dry hopped another beer this weekend using Amarillo hops stored using the mason jar method. They are around 12 months old and were still very fresh smelling.
I am sold on the Glass jar storage.
