Using "Old and Open" Pellets?

[frenchbrewer]

Hi,

A quick question. I brewed my first batch 40 days ago. I had remaining pellets of fuggles.

I put it in the fridge in the original packaged that I just closed again.

On Sunday I'm planning a new brew but I realized that the hops (Styrian Goldings) are particularly low on the AA side so when I update the recipe I'm below the expected IBU.

Can I use old pellets just for bittering? Will they be totally useless? Is there a visual test?

Thanks for your help,

 

[McKnuckle]

You can certainly do it. Save the freshest, most aromatic hops for flavor and aroma. Older stuff is perfect for bittering.

 

[madscientist451]

I usually buy 4oz or 8oz packs of hops. I use Gorilla Glue brand duct tape to close the package, place it in a ziplock, then in an airtight container in the freezer.
40 days is not old for hops, unless they were sitting out in the open.
If you are brewing a NEIPA with all whirlpool hops, you probably want to use the freshest hops you can get. But beers that aren't so hop-centered, its not as critical.
Hops that have a funky "cheesy" smell should probably get tossed out.

 

[RM-MN]

Use the sniff test. If the hops smell good, the will be fine. If they smell off, pitch them in the trash.

Anecdote: Hops ripen in the fall, probably in September this far north. I discovered some that were growing wild on my place...in April. They had been on the vines all winter, covered in snow for part of that time so I didn't expect much but I had to pull a couple off the vine and sniff. WOW, they smelled just as fresh as the ones I had pulled early in the fall but the cones that were on the vines over winter would fall apart instead of holding together.

 

[balrog]

I second the sniff test, per @RM-MN . Your nose is a pretty decent instrument. Side-note: always smell things to know what "good" or "baseline" is, so you'll know when you smell something "different".

 

[dwhite60]

I've got some Centennial in the freezer going on 2 years old. Still brewing with them. They smell fine and provide good flavor and aroma.

I'll never buy another pound of high-alpha hops again. Brewing 2.5 gallon batches it doesn't take much to achieve what you want so they stay around a long time.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[mashpaddled]

Yeah no problem using those hops.

 

[frenchbrewer]

Thanks guys!
I re-open the packet. It looked and smelled fine.

I brewed on Sunday with "old" fuggles as bittering kind of hops ( @60minutes).

The wort "tasted" good let's see how it goes after fermentation

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I have 3 year old open hops in the freezer. Still makes a fine beer