2017 Hops on Sale

[EthanH]

I'm noticing a few vendors having pretty great deals on their 2017 hops. I would think since these should all be vacuum-sealed, etc, they'd be fine. Is there any reason to think otherwise?

For instance: $5/lbs for Centennial

 

[couchsending]

Plenty of deals on 2018 hops too if you look, especially leaf. Just bought 5lbs if 2018 leaf for $2-$3/LB each. If they turn out to be junk... oh well.

 

[EthanH]

Plenty of deals on 2018 hops too if you look, especially leaf. Just bought 5lbs if 2018 leaf for $2-$3/LB each. If they turn out to be junk... oh well.

Where'd you find those deals?

 

[shoreman]

I like hops direct, but the shipping always kills the deal. I get it, it's pricey to ship but $14 for lb of hops doesn't make it a great deal.

 

[EthanH]

I like hops direct, but the shipping always kills the deal. I get it, it's pricey to ship but $14 for lb of hops doesn't make it a great deal.

I hear you. I think I'll go with 2018 hops from Yakima Valley. With shipping, 33 bucks is still pretty good for 3 lbs of hops.

 

[couchsending]

Where'd you find those deals?

Hop's Direct.

Best part is they always send way more than a pound. Just opened a bag and I got 23oz for $2.

I've been really disappointed in the hops I've gotten from YVH lately. The aussie stuff has been great.
Sabro I got was really good. Mosaic, Citra were not horrible but definitely not great. Amarillo and
Columbus were unusable. Probably bout 12-15lbs of stuff from them since last fall and was stoked on
maybe 3 of those lbs.

 

[Mer-man]

YVH also had for a Long time (dunno if still have) packaging that would puncture itself.

I told them I wouldn’t buy more because I got punctured orders twice.

So now I buy from Hops Direct. Good Amarillo last year!

 

[kingmatt]

I've been really disappointed in the hops I've gotten from YVH lately. The aussie stuff has been great.
Sabro I got was really good. Mosaic, Citra were not horrible but definitely not great. Amarillo and
Columbus were unusable. Probably bout 12-15lbs of stuff from them since last fall and was stoked on
maybe 3 of those lbs.

This is my biggest gripe as a homebrewer, that we have no way to quality check hops before we buy them. As someone who prefers to buy their hops by the pound, this makes it an especially big gamble.

Lately I have been buying "select" hops from Bell's website, as they claim to be from their hand selected lots that they use in their own beers. I obviously have no way of knowing if that is true, but the hops I have used from them, especially their Centennial, have been excellent. They cost a little more but I am willing to pay for quality...if only they had a bigger selection!

 

[DVCNick]

How do you determine quality after you receive them?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

They could a tad weaker, but as long as they aren’t cheesy oniony they fine to use.

 

[kingmatt]

How do you determine quality after you receive them?

Mostly by smell. I personally take a pellet or two and rub them between my fingers to see how they smell and their consistency. They should be pungent and fresh smelling and usually have a malleable sticky/resiny consistency.

If the aroma is muted/off (oniony, overly catty etc) and/or the pellet is dried out and hard as a rock, it probably won't make good beer.

 

[couchsending]

How do you determine quality after you receive them?

Smell them... when you open the bag and it smells like a tire fire it’s pretty obvious that you don’t want to put that in your beer. The Mosaic and Citra I got from them this year were both really catty/onion. A lot of the US varieties are just not that potent or pleasant in general.

The Bell’s Select hops on the other hand...