Cheap(er) Hops

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by PortLargo, Mar 11, 2017.

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  1. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,737) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Yakima Valley* has some of the lowest prices I've seen for Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Mosaic, Simcoe . . . plus you can get 8 or 16 oz packets. For IPA-brewers this is your call to arms. My larder is full.

    *not affiliated
     
  2. Larry82052

    Larry82052 Initiate (0) Feb 17, 2017 Texas

    Will have to check them out,I can see buying a little larger volumes,just as long as your brewing regularly so your Yeast doesn't die in the pkg,Larry
    http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/
     
  3. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    Hops sit nice in the freezer for a year or two. Coincidentally, that's about the shelf life for dry yeast packs.
     
  4. redgorillabreath

    redgorillabreath Zealot (511) Mar 29, 2015 Pennsylvania

    Thanks for the heads-up. There's a 10 gal batch of Pliny the Elder in my not too distant future.
     
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  5. 1beerbaron

    1beerbaron Initiate (0) Mar 24, 2009 Ohio


    I buy most of my hops in bulk (have a couple varieties I really like) and my yeast (use liquid) as I need them (use different strains depending on what I'm brewing).
     
  6. CarolusP

    CarolusP Zealot (566) Oct 22, 2015 Minnesota

    Thanks. I should figure out what brews I plan to do this summer and get some orders in. The weather is still cold enough that I wouldn't be too concerned about shipping temperatures.
     
  7. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    Consider that, unless you're using southern hemisphere varieties, there's only one harvest per year. It makes sense, then, to buy a year's supply once a year, right after the harvest. You can save a butt load of money and, as long as you store them properly, you're not sacrificing freshness.
     
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  8. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Except that prices often go down months after the harvest and that most hop purveyors store their hops at least as well as most homebrewers.
     
  9. 1beerbaron

    1beerbaron Initiate (0) Mar 24, 2009 Ohio

    But if you're buying by the pound, it's usually much cheaper per ounce.
     
  10. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Huh? ...I would still buy by the lb most of the time...just not necessarily as soon as the harvest is in.
     
  11. 1beerbaron

    1beerbaron Initiate (0) Mar 24, 2009 Ohio

    Oh then, yeah, you have a very valid point.
     
  12. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    You're right, but it's a rare year that I use more than a lb of a single variety of hops, so there's no good way for me to exploit that. I want the hops as fresh as possible, so I tend to buy them as soon as they're released. If I wait three months, for example, I'm using last year's crop during those three months. Obviously, YMMV.
     
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  13. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    I'm a sucker for whole cone Simcoe for my HopRocket and Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, and El Dorado in any form as long as my freezer has room and the price is right :slight_smile:.
     
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  14. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The storage facilities I have been in while at YCH were at about 30F. That is above most home freezer temps, 0F or below.
     
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  15. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    You did tell them they should be storing at absolute zero, right? :slight_smile:
     
  16. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I could say I gave them the idea for the cryohops.

    But it was not me.
     
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