frozen hops for dry hopping?

[Col_klink]

Hi All,
I am going to brew an IPA next week. I have some leftover hops in the freezer. I am thinking of using some of the extra frozen hops for dry hopping. However, I am not sure if I would be better off using fresher hops for dry hopping. My gut tells me to use fresh hops although I have no basis for this. Any opinions?

-Klink

 

[j1n]

How old are the ones in the freezer? How are you storing them?

 

[Col_klink]

I would say some of them are as old as 9 months. Each type are in individual sandwich bags and all of those are in a ziplock freezer bag.

 

[SnakeRidge]

If they are 9 months old then they are not as fresh as could be. I would use them for bittering and get some fresher ones to dry hop with

 

[kombat]

I agree with SnakeRidge, they'd probably be fine for bittering, but the way you've stored them, they've likely lost a lot of the freshness that would make them well-suited for dry-hopping. I use frozen hops for dry hopping all the time, but mine are vacuum sealed in pouches with a FoodSaver. I've had hops stored this way for over a year that still impart considerable hoppiness.

 

[Col_klink]

Thanks for the input! Much appreciated.

 

[chickypad]

Realize also that the harvest is only once a year (or once per hemisphere). If by "fresher" hops you mean ones that you just bought at the LHBS, they may or may not taste fresher depending on how they were packaged and stored. Once you buy them storing them in the freezer is best, with as little exposure to oxygen as you can. If you don't have a zacuum sealer you can get oxygen barrier bags and squeeze out as much air as you can.

 

[brewprint]

I'd still use them. Just double up what you were planning on doing and I'm sure it'll be fantastic.

I know vacuum sealing is the best way to go but you've still got them at zero degrees. They couldn't have faded that much.

 

[Calder]

They will be fine to use as normal. Stored in the freezer is good. Vacuum seald would have been better, but you will not loose much in 9 months.

If you go out to get 'fresher' hops, they could be older. You don't know the arvest season, or how they have been stored. There are places selling 2012 hops, as 'fresh'.

 

[Yooper]

They will be fine to use as normal. Stored in the freezer is good. Vacuum seald would have been better, but you will not loose much in 9 months.

If you go out to get 'fresher' hops, they could be older. You don't know the arvest season, or how they have been stored. There are places selling 2012 hops, as 'fresh'.

I agree! I vacuum seal my hops (I buy them by the pound, plus grow 8 varieties). They store for years in the freezer that way.

The harvest is once per year- so the hops at the store now are the same hops you already have, but perhaps they were stored better (or worse). If you froze yours, I assume they are just as good or better than some that are in the stores.