Old Hops AA%?

[Spoon]

I know they lose their potency with time, and there's plenty of formulas and online calculators that will do the maths. But are any of them any good?

I'm asking because I had some 2014 Fuggles and E.K.Goldings, which according to one online calculator should have had 0.1% AA. I know it'll be less than the packet says but that seems a little pessimistic, I brewed a bitter with them and the bitterness seemed on a par with expectations, it tasted slightly muted/stale, but not a lack of bitterness.

 

[Dutto]

I don't think the calculators will be terribly out of whack with reality.

The oils within the hops are volatile so it should come as no surprise that they will deteriorate with age and sealing them in vacuum packs and/or freezing them will only delay the degradation.

The bittering elements of the hops are more stable (which is why we have to boil the hops for so long to extract them) so they will therefore stay with the hops for a longer period than the aroma oils.

I would just pick a particular calculator and stay with it. :thumb: :thumb: