How well do hops survive shipping?

[msarro]

Just curious about this one. Our local HBS seems to never have certain hops in stock, and a recipe I'm working on requires several of them. I was considering ordering them online, but I've always been told that hops need to be more or less constantly refrigerated. What has everyone's experience been?

 

[enkamania]

They'll probably be vacuum sealed, so there shouldn't be an issue.

 

[kh54s10]

They are usually vacuum sealed and maybe purged. I don't think they suffer too much from temperature changes during shipping. After that keeping them vacuum sealed, and refrigerated or better, frozen will make them last longer.

I have never gotten hops at my LHBS's since buying them online is way cheaper. About the only things I get at my LHBS is bulk grains, (save on shipping) yeast in the summer, and things I can't wait for by mail.

 

[kaconga]

I believe temp + time = degradation. the higher temps cause the acids to break down faster than colder temps. If they are stored cold and only warm for the trip then I can see no serious loss and they might even be better than your LHBS depending on how they are stored.

 

[eqttrdr]

do they always have to be vacuum sealed?

 

[kaconga]

Most are either vacuum sealed or flushed with nitrogen. Oxygen harms hops so any reputable supplier limits O2 in the package.

 

[n240sxguy]

If you brew very much try to find larger bags of hops. That will cut down in what you spend on them. I bought a pound of cascade pellets from graintoglass.com for $12.99. There's also several hop growers selling on eBay.