My friend and I were recently at Yakima Valley Hops (YVH) to discuss hop storage best practices. This is a topic I want to dive into as there is quite a bit of information missing. I figured I’d just go to my hop supplier and ask all my fun questions.
From Neipa’s passion to create and rely heavily on dry hops to deliver the perfect beer experience. I want to make sure I do my best to get the best out of the hops. I’m glad I got to buy and use the hops. From the bar to the market, it’s eye-catching. I found information on how to save it.
Jump up to the top
A quick primer on why this is important. The main factors affecting the decomposition of hops are oxygen, temperature, light and time. The combination of these factors will quickly break your thighs. Pay more attention to the science When alpha and beta acids and hops oxidize, the final beer can have less flavor and aroma. causing great bitterness
However, the jump is more stable than you think. The main advantage of T-90 bullets is their longevity. Due to the compact nature of hops, 5% of the total surface area is exposed to the environment. Whole pimples are delicate and can spoil for a few months. This is one of the few reasons why the retail industry depends on cereal rather than all summer.
Unopened bag of hops last?
YVH ships all of its hops in mylar packaging, which contains less than 1% oxygen, which keeps your hops fresh in their original packaging for up to 5 years. Unopened, yes 5 years, but must be stored. Hop into the cool, dark space to freshen up. (Which you should.) You have about 5 years to work for the room. It doesn’t hurt if you ask me.
When the drawer is open
I always feel that the hops are not the same when I open a new bag. This is not entirely true. I am a small hop buyer who intends to use whatever I discover in batches. Sometimes I throw the hops back in the fridge and in my opinion it spoils them forever. I won’t use that last half ounce and may buy fresher hops later.
The reality is that you have about a 6 month window when the company brand breaks. This assumes the bag has not been reopened. Trying to squeeze out the oxygen and put the hops back in the freezer between batches. From what I’ve gathered, if you plan to use the package of hops within 6 months of opening it, that’s all you need to do. Suppose a brewer buys 1 pound of hops and brews beer regularly. it may be important to remember that. And if you’re looking for long-lasting protection, please keep reading
Long storage of hops
YVH gave good advice on aging hops. The main focus here is tissue protection and oxygen management.
Carbon dioxide jumps
Washing with carbon dioxide is a simple solution. This reduces oxygen for transfer between groups. This works better than manually moving the air. If you have a CO2/kegging setup, it’s easy to do with the equipment you already have. If you don’t have one, YVH recommends a wine bottle. These hand sprayers contain carbon dioxide and nitrogen to quickly clean containers or containers that previously closed hops.
This option can be purchased several months before the start of the campaign.
Vacuum seal hops
Many home baristas use food wrapping paper to package fresh hops in small batches. Conventional vacuum cleaners come with plastic bags and often work well, but mylar material is better. Thick myla bags are not as breathable as plastic. It also provides excellent protection from odor and light. Myla is rather expensive and hard to find.
This method is the most effective. But of course, you will need to invest in a vacuum packer and storage bags. This offsets some of the cost savings of buying bulk hops. It may not be 100% cost-effective for the average homeowner, but vacuum sealing is the industry standard and the best option for repacking, especially when storage temperatures are low.
This method will have a fermentation period of one to two years. That’s plenty of time (possibly longer) to show any noticeable signs of decay or oxidation.
Storage container ideas
As mentioned earlier, Myla is better than plastic because it is less transparent to air and UV rays. And the fatty acids in hops, which are less likely to absorb odors from the outside, absorb freezer odors if not properly sealed. YVH also recommends using a glass jar with an air- and odor-proof lid. This is not a bad option with flash CO2 for long-term storage.
What I personally like about the YVH Jumbo Bags is that they are reusable. Just flush with CO2, seal, and put back in the freezer with minimal effort. Let’s say you do it regularly. This is probably 99% of the actual needs for a home builder.
If you want to dive deeper into the technical documentation. Check out this article. This paper shows the degradation of alpha and beta acids under different conditions over 12 months.
Reasons to buy bulk hops
Now knowing what I know about hop selection it doesn’t seem smart to buy so many hops. There are also savings associated with the purchase. If you are a professional brewer but still use too much. The feeling of buying a lot of hops.
It’s really good for me. You don’t have to think about buying the ingredients for a brew every day. I have another fridge/freezer that holds 5 pounds of hops
This led to some interesting ideas about commercial fermentation. The same goes for grapes for wine. Not all hops are created equal and change from year to year. It’s not uncommon for breweries to buy specialty hops in large quantities and use them for fermentation over multiple years/batches.
This surprised me a little. But it means a lot when you hear how commercial brewers talk about their beers and how they use hops. If a brewery likes the exceptional quality of a particular year’s batch of hops they may end up buying them for years. Just read Trillium’s Instagram post and you’ll see what I mean. Very interesting and a different perspective on beer and brewing.
Do some hops break down faster than others?
Technically yes, but the analogy is more complex and more scientific than we delve into. Jumps are made up of thousands of different compounds. Each jump also has its own Jump Storage Index (HSI). HSI indicates loss of alpha and beta acids during storage and handling. Of course, the jump changes every year, so it’s hard to track it. The moral of this story may not be what I care about.
Hop concentrate products such as Lupomax™ hops are subject to similar storage and handling guidelines. And it doesn’t necessarily have to break faster than conventional T-90 bullets.
