I have some Chinook hop plugs that I’m thinking about using. They’re unopened and completely vacuum packed (no space for air inside), and they’ve been in my freezer since I bought them.
They’re the 2006 crop, packaged in October of 2007. I wouldn’t use leaf hops that were this old, but I feel like the plugs keep much better. Any opinions?
Open them up and smell them…if they smell good…use them. If they are vacuum sealed they are protected from most of the dehydration and oxidation that would have damaged them if they weren’t properly packaged. The key is in the aroma.
How long do hops last? I have some whole leaf hops from my hop harvest last year (2009) that have been sitting in my freezer. Would these still be good for brewing? What should I look for to see if the hops are “past their expiration date”?
If O2 is removed from the packaging and the hops are stored in a freezer, you can easily keep them good for several years. To judge iof they’re still good, smell them. Typically, if they smell “cheesy”, they’re no good.
Vacuum packed hops in an O2 barrier bag will last 2 years with not much degradation. The AA is going down, but in a freezer you are keeping this to a minimum.
If the hops are not vacuum packed, and in a ZipLoc, they might only last a month according to the guys at Gorst Valley hops. ZipLocs are not barrier bags, O2 difusses through.
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Also, the utilization may have degraded a little too. But if they have been in the freezer the whole time probably not by much. I have used hops that were 1+ years old and stored in the freezer for an IPA which turned out as a Pale Ale.
FWIW, I keep my pellet hops in the original vacuum bag and a ziploc. I’ll press out as much air as I can and wrap them tight, then put them in ziplocs in the freezer. Not as good as original packaging, but better than nothing. It seems they last quite a while this way. That being said, I need to clean out and toss some old hops in the freezer. Another reason for kitting it - no hop leftovers!