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Old Hops
I just brewed a mash/extract batch of IPA and as I was laying out my ingredients I found 10 ounces of 5 mounths old hops. They were not mouldy or stinky, but the bag was opened and rolled up tight with a rubber band around it in a dark closet. I tasted them and they tasted ok just weak-reduced flavor and bitterness. So hating to waste them I threw them in half way through the wort boiling for hopefully some mid range bitterness.
Did I do wrong?
How will it affect the end results?
Everything else was fresh.
Any helpful thoughts?
Thanks.
garygrump wrote:
hopefully some mid range bitterness.
No, you did no wrong here, unless you are sticking to a recipe, and this added bitterness throws it over the intentions. If it is something that you are fine with just possibly adding a bit more IBUs to, then you are good. Just keep in mind that bitterness is bitterness, if you add it in with less time in the boil, there is just less time for alpha acids to isomerize and become soluble in the wort, so less bitterness will be added than a long term addition. However a midboil addition ALSO adds hop flavor, and this may add a different flavor complexity than what you are looking forward to.
Think of DFH's 60 minute IPA, they continuously hop for a reason. The longer the addition is in, the more intense the oils will be for bitter, but the boil agitation and evaporation will drive off volatile flavor and aroma compounds. As the boil nears midway, the compounds balance and there are all 3: bitterness (but to a lesser degree), flavor (usually the strongest), and aroma (which most will be driven away by boils end). Then at the end of the boil, the oil is not given enough time for the alpha acids to isomerize, so there is no bitterness, very little flavor, but much aroma. DFH's slow and continuous additions ensure that a smooth transition of all of these components exists.
Now with your addition, not knowing the condition of exactly how fresh they are, it will be hard to predict just how much of these contributions you added. Hops lose there bitterness qualities at first, and when oxidized over just a couple of months lose 25-50%. Dosnt mean they will taste bad, just not potent and fresh. As long as there wasnt a "cheesy" smell to them, and if they were wrapped and cool there should not have been. But they were still exposed to oxygen, and that begins the degredation.
If you hate wasting partial bags of hops, and want to use them for future brews, I would keep my eyes on craigslist for a vacuum sealer, I bought mine at the thrift store "Savers" for $6. Well worth it.
thirsty wrote:
garygrump wrote:
hopefully some mid range bitterness.
If you hate wasting partial bags of hops, and want to use them for future brews, I would keep my eyes on craigslist for a vacuum sealer, I bought mine at the thrift store "Savers" for $6. Well worth it.
also, keep your hops in the freezer. they will keep longer.
Hogarthe wrote:
also, keep your hops in the freezer. they will keep longer.
Just be careful doing this with whole/leaf hops. Just like fruit, hops can expand when frozen, and destroy their glands which contain the precious oils. Pelletized hops have already been pulverized and processed, so have at it and freeze them. I still keep whole hops in the fridge though.
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