How Quick do Hops lose their flavour?

[mancer62]

I was reading that hops start losing their flavour basically from day one. On the other hand we are always being told that beers improve with age (bottle conditioned). So which is it?
For example is there any point in me making 3 x Extract IPA'S (with dry hops) for xmas? Or will the hop effect be lost by the time the third batch is being drank?
Is there a recommended timescale or shelf life before a home made IPA should be drunk?

 

[fury_tea]

I was reading that hops start losing their flavour basically from day one. On the other hand we are always being told that beers improve with age (bottle conditioned). So which is it?
For example is there any point in me making 3 x Extract IPA'S (with dry hops) for xmas? Or will the hop effect be lost by the time the third batch is being drank?
Is there a recommended timescale or shelf life before a home made IPA should be drunk?

It's a bit of a how long is a piece of string question.

If you are brewing something like an NEIPA you want to drink that young. The malt profile will be quite light so there's not a whole lot of conditioning to be done. The hop profile is brighter and zestier n the first couple of months, after that it still tastes great but it will be a bit more mellow.

On the other hand if you are brewing something like an imperial stout you want to gave that a good few months before you even sample it.

Brewing a regular IPA now for Christmas is a great idea I think. It might lose a little of the freshest hop flavours but it will still taste great (depending on your recipe of course). Giving it time will improve the malt flavour and round off the profile.

So in closing I say go for it.

 

[MrRook]

For example is there any point in me making 3 x Extract IPA'S (with dry hops) for xmas? Or will the hop effect be lost by the time the third batch is being drank?
Is there a recommended timescale or shelf life before a home made IPA should be drunk?

Are you brewing all three at the same time? If so, the one being consumed second should be hoppier than the one being consumed first and the one being consumed last hoppier still.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I was reading that hops start losing their flavour basically from day one. On the other hand we are always being told that beers improve with age (bottle conditioned). So which is it?
For example is there any point in me making 3 x Extract IPA'S (with dry hops) for xmas? Or will the hop effect be lost by the time the third batch is being drank?
Is there a recommended timescale or shelf life before a home made IPA should be drunk?

Over night if you put them on the bedpost.

 

[mancer62]

OK Cheshire...lol...ask and simple question...
I have 3 Coopers IPA's...
I have 100g citra..100g summit...100g simcoe...
Any suggestions ?

 

[fury_tea]

OK Cheshire...lol...ask and simple question...
I have 3 Coopers IPA's...
I have 100g citra..100g summit...100g simcoe...
Any suggestions ?

Nice, what are you putting in the other 2?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

OK Cheshire...lol...ask and simple question...
I have 3 Coopers IPA's...
I have 100g citra..100g summit...100g simcoe...
Any suggestions ?

I would make two brews by using a kit and a half with 1 kg brewing sugar, DME, or enhancer. I would then use the hops as Citra + Summit and another with Simcoe + Summit. Cheers.

 

[user 43495]

Hard to say definitively. I bought a 5kg pocket of Pilgrim ooh, must be 4, possibly 5 years ago now. I keep them in the foil pocket in the cellar where they are out of sunlight and kept cool. I brewed using them just about a month ago and can't say anything struck me regarding any material deterioration. I am now roughly 2/3 through them. They are still beautifully green in colour, smell perfect and have plenty of their oils left! Paying 6 quid or so for just 3.5 oz is, in my view, an expensive way to buy hops.