Fresh hops conservation?

[stormridersp]

Hi guys, a few months ago, me and wife decided to move to the UK where I had the chance to buy a rhizome and grow it in the garden. Originally from Brasil, Im a very first timer and Im amazed by how fast its growing but I still dont know how I will managed the hops cones once harvested.

I will probably brew a batch or 2 with fresh hops but even then Im afraid that Ill have more hops than I can keep.

My question is: I have easy access to a vaccuum machine at work. Can I just pop some in a bag and vaccuum them for freezing? How long will them conserve this way?

Would they survive during a month's trip by mail to Brasil if I decide to gift my brewer friends there with fresh hops? Or should I take the time to dry them before storing and or mailing them?

Is it possible to turn them into pellets with household equipments?

Cheers

 

[cswis86]

Vacuum sealing them and keeping them in the freezer is a great way to store your hops. You will have to dry them first. They will easily keep for a year if they are dried, vacuum sealed and frozen.

Also, I think for a first year plant you may only get enough hops for 1-2 batches of beer. You may not have to worry about storing them until next year.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

You will have less than you think. Hop cones weight nothing. A 1oz (30g,+/-) bag of dry leaf hops is about the size of a snack-bag of potato chips. I pulled 12oz (less than 0.5kg) of dried ounces out six cascade vines last year (year 3). Expecting maybe 1 to 1.5kg (2-3 pounds) this year, but one vine did not do so well so we will see.

Dry leaf hops are used ounce for ounce against pellets; wet hops are more like five to one by weight.

You can dry hops by putting them on stacked furnace filters and blowing through them with a box fan for a couple of days. Then vacuum seal and freeze.

 

[GVH_Dan]

If you don't dry them first, even the best vacuum sealer will not prevent them from turning to mush before arriving in brazil. Dry first, vacuum pack and you have a shot.

 

[gometz]

I've used vacuum sealed fresh hops about 2 months old, but they were frozen at all times. Still tasted great. I can't imagine they would be any good without freezing them though.