loads of hops!!

[sam c]

im getting my AG gear and ingredience togther at the moment and brought my first batch of hops from the hogs back brewery today.

i was meant to get 250g fuggles for £2.90 and 250g of Goldings for £2.8 however their scales were not working so i ended up with about 400g of Goldings and 670g of Fuggles for the same price.

now im not complaining but what should i do with them all? currently they are in plastic bags. i have read on hear that to keep hops fresh for long periods of time you can put them in the fridge or even freezer however the guy in the shop wasn't so sure but he wasn't actually a brewer himself.

i was thinking about putting them into empty ice cream tubs and sticking them in the fridge/freezer or some place cool. is this ok?

also how long should i expect them to last if they were kept at room temp? not sure if they will all go in the fridge or freezer.

cheers

[Garth]

put them in a small plastic bag, squash as much air out as you can, seal the bag then stick them in the freezer, in the bag they should fit into some small space, if needed put them in several different bags, just make sure you write on them what type they are.

[sam c]

ok thanks for that.

but if they wont all fit in or im not aloud to put them all in are they ok in the fridge?

and if they dont all go in there how long will they last at room temp?

[adm]

Freezer = best
Fridge = good
Room temp = not so good - although if you have to, put them somewhere cool and dark.

They'll last a good month or so i'd imagine at room temp - in fact, they'll "last" for quite a while indeed - but will lose bittering power, flavour and aroma as they age.

[sam c]

thank you very much.

[Graham]

...just make sure you write on them what type they are.

Yep, been there and won the tea-shirt.

Good idea to use an indelible, laundry-marker type pen too.

[pantsmachine]

Make a huge IIPA with some of them?

[sam c]

think i will start with a basic pale ale to start as it will be my first brew. maybe a huge IIPA later down the line would be fun

[adm]

You might also want to call the brewery and ask them what the AA% is on the hops - if they haven't already told you (and write that on the bag too).

FYI...the last lot of Goldings I got from them were 6.2%

[sam c]

yer i forgot to ask when i was there but have just sent them an email so hopefully i will hear back later today.