Hop life

[Marotte Brewery]

I posted this in the Equpiment forum after Brad's request for his '08 hops, but I fugured I would ask again in the right place... with a bit more detail...

How long do you keep hops around before you toss them for fresh stock?

I was told a few years ago by a pro brewer (not related to this forum) that hops can get a bit "cheesy" after while. How long have you kept hops (and at what temp) without ill effects?

I have a few ounces in the freezer left over from previous batches, and I want to know if I need to "use them or lose them".

Thanks!
Jeremy

[brahn]

I keep them in the freezer and try to remove as much air as I can. Left sealed in a nitrogen flushed foil pouch I think they'll last several years. The oldest I've used have probably been about 2 years old, they weren't cheesy but the alpha acids and volatile oils will degrade so you just don't get as much bitterness or flavor out of them.

[oc eric]

I have a few ounces in the freezer left over from previous batches, and I want to know if I need to "use them or lose them".
Jeremy

That sounds like a good enough reason to brew!

[BrewMasterBrad]

Like all food products, hops will keep much longer if protected from oxygen and kept cold. I store my hops in vacuum sealed bags in the freezer. I buy fresh hops every year (I just bought 5 pounds from hopsdirect.com) but I keep using the previous year's hops until they are gone. As long as they still smell good, they are good for brewing. I don't think hops that are sealed and frozen will go cheesy, but the alpha acids will still degrade over time, so you won't get as much bitterness out of them, but even this degradation can be slowed with proper storage.

Edit: I just checked, and I used 6.45 lbs. of hops last year.

[lexuschris]

So, I notice that BeerSmith and some hop labels show a 'Hop Stability Index', which is the % of AA% loss in 6 months of storage.

Should we use this or any other formulas to estimated true AA% when brewing?

e.g. I got this 16oz bag of 2008 Warrior hops from a relocating brewer. When I brew, do I take the 14% labeled AA%, and figure that crop is at least 12 mo. of storage, and come up with 7% AA%??

--LexusChris

[BrewMasterBrad]

That's a good question Chris. I think volatility index is just a guideline since much depends on how the hops were stored during that time. The only way to know for sure would be to have them analyzed. You make a hop tea with them to see how bitter they might still be and compare them with fresh hops that about the % AA.