Old hops

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MashBag
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Old hops

Post by MashBag » Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:38 am

Has anyone got any tips for brewing with older hops? You know the ones you bought with a recipe that never happens.... And they are now vac packed in the freezer.

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Mashman
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Re: Old hops

Post by Mashman » Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:09 am

How old ? Were they fresh when frozen ?
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Fuggled Mind
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Re: Old hops

Post by Fuggled Mind » Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:15 am

I use them for flavour additions in things like porter and stout where the faded taste won't be quite so obvious or a problem.

With really low AA hops that I have failed to use, I first wort hop with them on top of the hops I would normally be using.

I just did this with a pack of minstrel hops I'd had in the freezer for years. Brewed an American style brown ale and first wort hopped with them and added 28g for an aroma addition. Bag was still vacuum packed

Just to be clear though, when I do this, the other hops are normally newish or still fresh.

I should also make it clear, I don't bother if the hops smell cheesey. Not sure if it's a problem but cheesey beer, well...

Cheers

Jason
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MashBag
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Re: Old hops

Post by MashBag » Fri Feb 18, 2022 10:19 am

Mashman wrote:
Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:09 am
How old ? Were they fresh when frozen ?
Yup.

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MashBag
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Re: Old hops

Post by MashBag » Fri Feb 18, 2022 10:21 am

@Jason

Cheesey?

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Mashman
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Re: Old hops

Post by Mashman » Fri Feb 18, 2022 10:53 am

I've used old frozen hops for bittering at an increased level with no problems.
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Hairybiker
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Re: Old hops

Post by Hairybiker » Fri Feb 18, 2022 11:20 am

Many years ago, I came across a pack of gold vacuum packed hops in a drawer.
I thought I would use them in a brew.
I did and added the WHOLE brick instead of 30g
After fermenting and waiting, I ttasted the brew.
WOW IT WAS BITTER!!
I left it for 6 months and it was drinkable.

So do a small taste and and compare it to new ones if it is much the same then use them at face value or add a few % but don't do what I did and add 350% [-X

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Re: Old hops

Post by Cobnut » Fri Feb 18, 2022 11:47 am

IIRC the bittering compounds (the alpha acids) do degrade over time (less so if they are kept cold, i.e. in the freezer), but it is more the flavour and aroma compounds (Myrcene, Humulene, Caryophyllene, Farnesene, etc.) which are prone to degrade over time, leaving hops lacking in those beautiful - sometimes subtle - flavours and aromas that we all love in our beers.

For me this means, if you want loads of hop flavour, your hops need to be super fresh, but for bittering, you can probably get away with adding 10-20% more hops if they are a couple of years old.

I'm sure if you make judicious use of google (other search engines being available too), you could find something which would give you a more precise guide, but as human percpetion of bitterness is not super precise (some people say we can't perceive differences of less than about 5IBU), bittering does not need to be super precise. (or maybe this is heretical? ;-) ).
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Re: Old hops

Post by bitter_dave » Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:56 pm

Sounds like a dark mild would be good for using up older hops?

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Re: Old hops

Post by Fuggled Mind » Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:33 pm

MashBag wrote:
Fri Feb 18, 2022 10:21 am
@Jason

Cheesey?
Somtimes, when hops are old, they take on a cheesey aroma. I've had it with goldings and some others but this was before I was storing them in the freezer. I read if they smell cheesey, don't use them.

Cheers

Jason
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W. C. Fields

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MashBag
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Re: Old hops

Post by MashBag » Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:22 pm

Cheers. Thank you.

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Re: Old hops

Post by MashBag » Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:23 pm

bitter_dave wrote:
Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:56 pm
Sounds like a dark mild would be good for using up older hops?
Yeah & mainly for the bittering of such. Pity I need to make about 80 batches 😱😱

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Re: Old hops

Post by bitter_dave » Sat Feb 19, 2022 11:09 am

MashBag wrote:
Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:23 pm
bitter_dave wrote:
Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:56 pm
Sounds like a dark mild would be good for using up older hops?
Yeah & mainly for the bittering of such. Pity I need to make about 80 batches 😱😱
Ok then, may not :)

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MashBag
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Re: Old hops

Post by MashBag » Sat Feb 19, 2022 11:45 am

To qualify that -- I inherited a bucket of 100 grams packs of frozen hops. I might never win.

Shout up if you fancy a go..

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Re: Old hops

Post by Eric » Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:27 pm

I've visited larger breweries, with pockets of 2 and 3 year old hops standing open by the scales and hop schedule sheets, who brew better beers than some micros that receive hops direct from Faram's for individual brews.

I still have several packets of old hops in stock which I intend to use, but they won't be late additions or used to dry hop.
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