Hop Dates

[stuarts]

I have been given vaccum packed hops that are dated end of 2019 . Can they still be used

 

[chrisb8]

Yes if they are still sealed they should still be fresh and fine to use. I often find that the hops available are from the previous-previous year's harvest.

 

[An Ankoù]

I've got hops from 2016 in my fridge. Saving them for a special occasion.

 

[Slid]

I have been given vaccum packed hops that are dated end of 2019 . Can they still be used

Oh, yes! What variety or varieties?

 

[stuarts]

Dozens packs all different varieties came with a grainnfather i bought for 200 probably about 30 packs

 

[Slid]

OK - so:
If you want to do Old English Beers, the low-ish Alpha hops will do fine, as you over-hop the boil (100g - 150g) and it gives a great mouth-feel, best described as "lush" after 6mths or so. Used some fairly shagged out hops on this style with no ill effects, in fact, the opposite! (Search "Durden Park" Simonds Bitter #7).
Anything will do as a Bittering hop.
If you have any US "C" hops - Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo or such, do them first. Pale ale with US 05 or similar.
Euro type stuff (including English) will make a super basic, but strangely magnificent "Patersbier", the beer that the Monks and their guests would have drunk during the Middle Ages (from circa 500 AD, around the gradual collapse of the Western Roman Empire, to just about now). The GH recipe is quite popular on the Forum and for the great reason that it is cheap and good.

 

[stuarts]

Mostly American hops so will need to use then quickly much to wifes annoyance more brewing

 

[NPi]

Keep them in an airtight container, ideally I your freezer and they will keep for a long while. Feel free to share that information with your wife, or not...

And £200 plus ingredients for a grain father sounds a cracking deal. Definitely share that information with the wife!

 

[stuarts]

I hit lucky Grainfather, 3 cornies, gas cylinder, regulator bottles buckets plus lot more still sorting it out . Whats a pulcino rover 10 does anyone know

 

[fury_tea]

I hit lucky Grainfather, 3 cornies, gas cylinder, regulator bottles buckets plus lot more still sorting it out . Whats a pulcino rover 10 does anyone know

All that for 200? Is it nicked???

Pulcino rover 10 looks to be some kind of wine filter

 

[stuarts]

Right place right time the guy was emigrating and need his garage cleared only been used a few times as he was into wine more so it probably is a wine filter.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I have been given vaccum packed hops that are dated end of 2019 . Can they still be used

The enemies of hops are oxygen and warmth - storage in a garage is not ideal but up your way they shouldn't have got too warm, and unbroken vacuum packs is a big plus. The other thing to watch out for is that some varieties degrade much more quickly than others - Cascade and Saaz are notoriously bad storers, so they would be the first to use if I was you, but in general you should be fine. See this thread for more discussion - and follow the Janish link to see why a bit of oxidation can be a good thing :

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/brewing-with-old-grains-hops.87014/#post-903342
If you really want to get into the nitty gritty then see this article, which also has a useful list of the Hop Storage Index for different varieties. Don't sweat the maths though :
https://www.morebeer.com/articles/storing_hops_properly