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Post by gusso on Aug 27, 2021 13:11:24 GMT -6
2oz can? What did you use, 8.5 cans? Had to save half a can? Seriously, tho, I guess an unopened can would stay fresh longer than a bag. I don't see why. The bags from Yakima Chief, for instance, have excellent storage qualities. Really? I guess I always assumed they should be kept in a freezer for optimum freshness. Thanks for the information in case I need some last minute hops.
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Post by denny on Aug 27, 2021 13:43:53 GMT -6
I don't see why. The bags from Yakima Chief, for instance, have excellent storage qualities. Really? I guess I always assumed they should be kept in a freezer for optimum freshness. Thanks for the information in case I need some last minute hops. Whether bagged or canned, they still need to be kept in a freezer for optimal condition.
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Post by Ken on Aug 27, 2021 13:52:36 GMT -6
At some point I would close a partial bag and tape it shut or clip it shut. I might have put some into my own ziploc bags too. But that's nowhere close to putting them into a vac-sealed bag. I've had hops that were already 2-3 harvest years back stay super fresh for another 2-3 years just by vac-sealing them. But if the hops are already in poor shape when you get them, control is already out of your hands. So we need to get them fresh. A local LHBS that divides one-pound bags into sixteen 1-oz bags might do it okay but might mishandle them. These Artisan hops I got from MoreBeer were of marginal quality. I received numerous varieties of hops from Farmhouse in Wisconsin that were poorly handled as well. At the moment, the two places I have the most faith in (IME) are Hop Heaven and YVH. Their records are unblemished for me. There may be others as well but it would be out of my experience. Artisan, Farmhouse and local places where the packaging looks questionable... that's a no for me. I once went into a LHBS near a customer of mine. When I went in there they had a pound of Columbus opened and on the counter and there was a bowl on a scale and pellets all over the counter. Someone was dividing them up. Cool. But I forgot something and ended up in the same shop the very next day and those hops were all just sitting there opened as they were the day before. Seems like they would suffer from that. Then someone would buy them and their beer would suffer too.
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Post by gusso on Aug 27, 2021 16:11:21 GMT -6
Really? I guess I always assumed they should be kept in a freezer for optimum freshness. Thanks for the information in case I need some last minute hops. Whether bagged or canned, they still need to be kept in a freezer for optimal condition. I get that. I was saying didn't purchase hops from my LHBS because they're stored at room temp.
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Post by Ken on Aug 27, 2021 16:27:16 GMT -6
Whether bagged or canned, they still need to be kept in a freezer for optimal condition. I get that. I was saying didn't purchase hops from my LHBS because they're stored at room temp. Yeah, room temp hops? No sir. I had some Northern Brewer hops that I bought in 2020 and I believe they were a 2017 harvest. I was mildly concerned about that but they were in an O2-purged, vac-sealed bag from YVH. When I opened them I could tell how good they were right away. Every batch I made with them, I looked forward to opening that bag. I vac-sealed it back up each time. As long as they get to us fresh, we can use them fresh and keep them fresh.
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Post by drez on Aug 27, 2021 20:17:10 GMT -6
Felt the same, I got some on black Friday last year and open the can to use what I need and the rest goes in the food saver bag. I do not see the point of the can. 2oz can? What did you use, 8.5 cans? Had to save half a can? Seriously, tho, I guess an unopened can would stay fresh longer than a bag. Sorry, my cans were 8oz. I should have clarified.
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Post by brewbama on Oct 27, 2021 12:31:32 GMT -6
Speaking of fresh hops. I received a note from YVH this AM saying that their Citra and Mosaic pellets are ready now and the others are soon to follow. I imagine YCH is on about the same harvest/process timeline. That’s a clear sign to start getting your 2021 season hop wish list together for the upcoming brew year.
Let’s see…. I think I will need some Willamette, Cryo Centennial, Cryo Cascade, Cryo Amarillo, Cryo Citra, and Liberty this yr.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Post by Ken on Oct 27, 2021 16:25:54 GMT -6
Speaking of fresh hops. I received a note from YVH this AM saying that their Citra and Mosaic pellets are ready now and the others are soon to follow. I imagine YCH is on about the same harvest/process timeline. That’s a clear sign to start getting your 2021 season hop wish list together for the upcoming brew year. Let’s see…. I think I will need some Willamette, Cryo Centennial, Cryo Cascade, Cryo Amarillo, Cryo Citra, and Liberty this yr. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Fresh Willamette + Cascade is righteous. I believe that's the combo in Lagunitas IPA.
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Post by cliffs on Dec 1, 2021 15:07:15 GMT -6
I know I sound like a broken record, but fresh american "noble" hops are every bit as good, maybe even better than their euro counterparts.
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Post by Ken on Dec 1, 2021 15:38:17 GMT -6
I know I sound like a broken record, but fresh american "noble" hops are every bit as good, maybe even better than their euro counterparts. I had a "Mexican Amber Lager" on tap recently and as an experiment I decided to use Fresh Liberty in it. The flavor of the hops was really fresh, bright and crisp and the beer came out really nicely. My kids were home during thanksgiving week and they were all drinking that one until it kicked. Had I used Hallertau or something from Europe in it, the flavor would be good but not quite as good IMO. Edelweiss has been really nice in recent beers too.
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Post by tommymorris on Dec 1, 2021 16:18:20 GMT -6
I know I sound like a broken record, but fresh american "noble" hops are every bit as good, maybe even better than their euro counterparts. I had a "Mexican Amber Lager" on tap recently and as an experiment I decided to use Fresh Liberty in it. The flavor of the hops was really fresh, bright and crisp and the beer came out really nicely. My kids were home during thanksgiving week and they were all drinking that one until it kicked. Had I used Hallertau or something from Europe in it, the flavor would be good but not quite as good IMO. Edelweiss has been really nice in recent beers too. Do you increase the Edelweiss dosage? I like the flavor but find it subtle.
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Post by cliffs on Dec 1, 2021 17:24:36 GMT -6
I know I sound like a broken record, but fresh american "noble" hops are every bit as good, maybe even better than their euro counterparts. I had a "Mexican Amber Lager" on tap recently and as an experiment I decided to use Fresh Liberty in it. The flavor of the hops was really fresh, bright and crisp and the beer came out really nicely. My kids were home during thanksgiving week and they were all drinking that one until it kicked. Had I used Hallertau or something from Europe in it, the flavor would be good but not quite as good IMO. Edelweiss has been really nice in recent beers too. just used the last of my Liberty on a saison I fermented with a sacch yeast I plated and isolated from the skin of a plum. About time to reorder.
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Post by cliffs on Dec 1, 2021 17:45:33 GMT -6
I had a "Mexican Amber Lager" on tap recently and as an experiment I decided to use Fresh Liberty in it. The flavor of the hops was really fresh, bright and crisp and the beer came out really nicely. My kids were home during thanksgiving week and they were all drinking that one until it kicked. Had I used Hallertau or something from Europe in it, the flavor would be good but not quite as good IMO. Edelweiss has been really nice in recent beers too. Do you increase the Edelweiss dosage? I like the flavor but find it subtle. as odd of a descriptor it is for a hop, "smooth" comes to mind when I describe Edelweiss. Its got the herbal punch that HMF does and some of the spice of Saaz, but neither are over the top.
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Post by Ken on Dec 1, 2021 18:04:14 GMT -6
I had a "Mexican Amber Lager" on tap recently and as an experiment I decided to use Fresh Liberty in it. The flavor of the hops was really fresh, bright and crisp and the beer came out really nicely. My kids were home during thanksgiving week and they were all drinking that one until it kicked. Had I used Hallertau or something from Europe in it, the flavor would be good but not quite as good IMO. Edelweiss has been really nice in recent beers too. Do you increase the Edelweiss dosage? I like the flavor but find it subtle. Probably not. I have not had Edelweiss beers and thought "where are the hops?" so I will focus on that next time. I have an all-Edelweiss gold lager in my on-deck fridge and I'll have my senses overly alert to see if the hops are subtle or just right.
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Post by tommymorris on Dec 1, 2021 20:27:09 GMT -6
I think smooth is a good descriptor. I like the flavors and I recognize several contributors like the spice from Saaz. I’ve always thought it has a little of a lot of things but not a lot of anything.
I have always thought Edelweiss is a great hop for a lighter beer like a Helles or I am actually planning a light American Lager with Edelweiss for my soon to be 21 year old son.
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