Another 'use old hops?' thread, I know... but this one is unique enough to have it's own thread (I think). I've got some Magnum hops that have been sitting in my fridge for about 7 months now. They still smell fairly fresh. I want to use 1 oz as the bittering charge at 60 minutes for an IPA I'm brewing this Saturday. Question is: do the alpha acids deteriorate over time? If so, then I'm wondering if I should compensate for the bitterness lost by adding more than just 1 oz at 60 minutes. Perhaps 1.5 oz? I just don't want to go too far under or over my IBU target. Also, since they're just for bittering, I don't have to worry about the flavor/aromas as much. (On a side note, I'm using fresh hops for the late boil additions, flame-out, dry-hop, etc.) Thanks!
Yes they do but if the hops are properly packaged (e.g., in nitrogen flushed mylar bags) and stored cold (freezer temperature) you will not lose too much alpha acid over a period like 7 months. Below is a link to an online calculator to estimate alpha acid loss over time. The tricky part is: do you know how old the hops were when you purchased/received them? Cheers! http://brewerslog.appspot.com/HopAlphaCalc
@Brew_Betty @JackHorzempa there's literally a calculator for everything. I searched for one on google, but couldn't seem to find anything. Thanks! I'll bookmark the link
There is no calculator for determining how vigorously and how long one needs to beat the wort with a huge whisk in order to achieve proper oxygenation.
So these hops are at least 13 - 14 months old (usually harvested in Aug/Sep) unless they are from 2013 crop, then add another 12 months. This is what you enter into the calculator.
