Aged AA%?

[Monkeybrew]

Hi

I've got an unopened foil vacpak of 2012 Nelson Sauvin Whole hops with a 12.3%AA that have been stored in my freezer for the last couple of years.

I want to use them in an all NS American Style Wheat Beer, so would like to hear opinions on what their aged AA% is now.

Cheers

MB

[Dennis King]

I would have thought stored in unopened vacpack in a freezer they would still be in pristine condition.

[Monkeybrew]

I would have thought stored in unopened vacpack in a freezer they would still be in pristine condition.

Thanks Dennis

I'm going to be using such a small amount for bittering, that if their AA% has dropped a bit, it won't massively affect the IBU of the beer I suppose.

Cheers

MB

[alexlark]

I've been thinking the exact thing lately with the hops I've got. I recently saw a recipe on here where they accounted for AA losses, I've never done that though and stuck to the original AA. It certainly hasn't affected the bitterness.

[Sadfield]

As stated above, shouldn't have a massive reduction if stored well.

[Monkeybrew]

Thanks for the feedback.

I think that I will take an average and go for 11.4%AA.

Cheers

MB

[deanrpwaacs]

Why waste nelson on bittering ? Better to use some magnum and save the Nelson if you ask me .

[McMullan]

I haven't noticed any change even when stored tightly wrapped (open) in the freezer for 18 months plus. What were they to begin with anyway

[Kev888]

If in the deep freezer there seems only a small change in bittering (in my perception) within four or five years of the harvest (or a few years in a fridge, although the aroma seems to fall off a little more). So I'd only adjust/increase the quantity by a small amount for bittering.

At one time I adjusted quantities significantly after even just a year or two, I forget exactly how much but I'm pretty sure the rate came from one of the major UK hop producers/retailers. However the bitterness was then excessive to my taste. Its a complex area for one with such limited chemistry as myself, but alpha acids aren't the whole story; it seems that oxidation plays a roll and so do beta acids - and IIRC the alpha acids transform rather than magically vanish.

EDIT: just done a bit of poking around; the (for the love of) hops book suggests most of the alpha acids remain after five years when frozen, online calculators vary but some reckon its down to less than 4% so there seems very little agreement. Pretty much all of their predictions are gloomy at room temperature though.

[Dennis King]

Do we worry about it to much? When I first started brewing I bought hops from a brewing shop in London. They stored the hops in cardboard containers and weighed out whatever you wanted at time of purchase. With only one harvest a year some of those hops would have been at least a year old but still made decent beers.