While sorting through the hops stored in my basement deep freezer I came across a few packs that are 5 years old at this juncture. What say yee: Toss them or use them?
Give them a sniff. I’ve used hops close to that old that were perfectly fine. They were unopened in original vacuum sealed Mylar for most of that time. I do age them to reflect a more realistic AA%. BeerSmith has a hop aging tool and I’ve seen one somewhere else, but not sure of the site.
Hops are cheap and life it too short to take risks on hop freshness imo.
Are they still in original packaging?
Yes, but some were previously opened. They have always been frozen though.
If they weren’t vacuum sealed they may be questionable. Give them a sniff.
Is there a telltale odor that indicates they are no longer usable?
Cheese or dirty socks…seriously. They should smell like hops. Break up a few pellets.
Had some opened Centennial hops that were in the freezer for 6 months. Cheesy describes it perfectly. There wasn’t any “hop smell” left.
Assuming they smell OK, perhaps only use them for IBUs, not flavor or aroma.
ProMash used to have an age calculator for hops as well.