Storing hops
- Thread starter jt43
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Not as long as that same zip lock bag in the freezer. Maybe a month or two in the fridge. A year or more in the freezer. I've got hops in the freezer I bought a ton of last July & they're still good as fresh.
Hebby5
Well-Known Member
Beersmith does have a calculator for hop age. You punch in the hop type, age, alpha acids, and it tells you the new alpha acid %. Hope that helps.
Chris
Chris
Bensiff
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2008
- Messages
- 4,835
- Reaction score
- 411
You are really on a downhill slope with hops. The colder and less air the better. Ideally you would flush with an inert gas and vacuum seal in something like mylar. Obviously this isn't a reality for most, but it should be noted that some hops really can change character after being opened (ie centennial) even if returned to a freezer. My routine is to order hops in bulk of 1/2-1lb amounts and then when I get them I vacuum seal them in individual packets of 1-2 oz amounts and put them all into an airtight plastic storage container that sits in my chest freezer. This is as cold and airtight as I can get, it minimizes frostbite, and it protects my other food in the freezer (if you ever have stored fresh hops in a poorly your freezer, such as a ziploc bag, you will have enjoyed everything taking on their character...mmm hoppy butter and bread).
Idk,I keep my sealed hop packets in a zip lock freezer bag on the lil shelf above the ice maker. No off flavors or smells.
But are do they smell as fresh and hoppy as when they were fresh? Probably not. I'm not saying they're not good, but oxygen and heat degrade hops. Keeping them cold is good. Keeping them cold and oxygen-free is even better.
These are commercial packets,not my own food saver type. They're nitrogen purged & I think the freezer bag just helps things along a bit. Plus being frozen def helps. I think they smell about as good as they ever did by the time we get them.
