Suggestions for use of old hops

[timedwards80]

I have a large quantity of hops now, partially through laziness in not keeping check of stock control properly. But also drunken visits to the new Brewdog bottle bars and buying up new hops I don't need but they're too good to resist.

So now I'm thinking I'm going to try and use up some of the old hops. Not expecting anything amazing from a brew with them in but maybe in combination I could make an interesting enough beer and hide the age of the hops.

Old hops I have are:

Amarillo 100g
Cascade 115g
Perle 85g
Challenger 100g
Columbus 100g
Warrior 15g

These are mostly 2012/2013 crop but have been sealed and in the freezer pretty much all the time.

I also have newer hops which I could combine:

Willamette
Hallertauer Aroma (Wakatu)
Nelson Sauvin
Galaxy
Nugget
Hallertauer Mittelfruh
Blanc

Does anyone have any suggestions for a pale ale or IPA (or any other style) which I could try and use up lots of the older hops?

Would it might send to use some of the older hops more for bittering and the newer for flavor and aroma?

Suggestions would be gratefully received!

 

[GHBWNY]

Use them for whatever you want, but I'd be careful about putting them in beer! Case in point, I used some old hops --- opened partial packs of pellets that were folded closed and stuck in the freezer --- and used them to dry hop a beer. The beer got infected, bottle bombs and all. And by all means, don't use any that are 'cheesy'-smelling.

 

[brewshki]

If they are really old, you could always use them in a lambic or other sour. Otherwise, I have heard some people make a session strength pale beer and use these hops as big flavor/aroma additions or to dry hop with.

I guess it kinda depends on the direction you want to take the beer. If it were me, I would make a 4-5% ish beer just of two row (maybe a little bit of this that or the other) with very little bittering and mounds of flavor and aroma. If it comes out good, then I have an easy drinking hoppy beer that didn't cost a lot if it doesn't come out well.

 

[alexnova]

If they are really old, you could always use them in a lambic or other sour. Otherwise, I have heard some people make a session strength pale beer and use these hops as big flavor/aroma additions or to dry hop with.

I guess it kinda depends on the direction you want to take the beer. If it were me, I would make a 4-5% ish beer just of two row (maybe a little bit of this that or the other) with very little bittering and mounds of flavor and aroma. If it comes out good, then I have an easy drinking hoppy beer that didn't cost a lot if it doesn't come out well.

This is good advice. I'd give em a whiff first. The AA has certainly decreased - 10% (not percentage points) a year is the rule of thumb - but hard to say if the aroma has faded at the same rate. If they still smell good, drop em in late.