Ask Mr. Wizard

Hop Shelf Life

TroubleShooting

Liz Park — Boston, Massachusetts asks,
Q

I often find myself buying hops by the pound . . . of last year’s crop. I find these hops still to have plenty of aroma and character and often can find them discounted. I vacuum seal my hops and will use for another year, sometimes two. Is there a reason I should be buying the new crops or are last year’s crops “good nuff” in your opinion? Also, how long can properly stored hops remain fairly fresh?

A
This is a great question and brings up several things that need to be considered because hops do age when stored, and using hops that are past their prime for brewing is
Response by Ashton Lewis.