Preserving fresh hops

[Cwrw666]

OK I know they're normally dried but has anyone tried freezing them fresh without drying? Or will this ruin them?

 

[Gobaloon]

Not sure. I would think they would be ok but only to wet hop. Wonder if there is a life span on them in the freezer since they are made up of 80% water.

I just picked al load of wild hops yesterday and wet hopped a beer I had just kegged.

Also have 6 hops plants in the back garden not ready to harvest yet but maybe next weekend. This is my first real harvest and not planned on how I store properly. I was going to buy a food dehydrator. Found one for £24.95. And then freeze them.

Cheers

Ciaran

 

[Cwrw666]

So, I've frozen most of them. I was thinking I would be able to chuck them in unthawed for the boil as they'll go mushy if thawed out. Kept back a bowlful to do a green hop IPA today.

Somehow this didn't look quite as big when it was still in the garden...

 

[John S]

I have been looking for the same info with regards to freezing fresh hops and have come up with conflicting views. Some say it just don't work and then theres others that say it works fine and they keep theirs for 12 months in the freezer.
I have just picked a load of fresh fuggles this week and did a brew with them as never done a wet hop brew before and then picked another load and have vacuum sealed them and stuck them in the freezer. We'll see how they go..!

 

[peebee]

... have vacuum sealed them and stuck them in the freezer. We'll see how they go..!

Vacuum sealing them seems like a good policy. Don't know about hops, but freezing is bad for coffee because the flavour oils will "evaporate" (sublime) in the cold. I keep dried hops in the freezer too (preferably well sealed).

 

[Keats]

I've just been offered some fresh hops, Fuggles and Goldings, by someone on my allotment. If I want to dry them before freezing, what is the best way to do this? Low oven? Hang them up in a warm room?

 

[Gobaloon]

Last week I put a load in a card board box and used a dart to punch lots of holes in it. To let air in and out. Then I got a fridge shelf and put it on a heat pad. Put box on the shelf on its side Then kept turning the box every so often. Seem to work and dried them out. No sure if this is ideal for the heat pad. Was going to get hairdryer but never did in the end. Then I bagged them and filled the bags with co2 and squeezed the oxygen out. Then put in freezer. We will see if they are ok in a few weeks.

 

[Keats]

I have been looking for the same info with regards to freezing fresh hops and have come up with conflicting views. Some say it just don't work and then theres others that say it works fine and they keep theirs for 12 months in the freezer.
I have just picked a load of fresh fuggles this week and did a brew with them as never done a wet hop brew before and then picked another load and have vacuum sealed them and stuck them in the freezer. We'll see how they go..!

How much hops did you use? I've just picked about a kilo of Fuggles and Goldings today.

 

[Gobaloon]

I tried using a food dehydrator. Turned out ok. Not great. It was a tiered tower-6 shelves-bottom shelf hottest and top shelf cold. Froze some of these after putting co2 in the bag and squeezing out o2.

 

[Keats]

I just found out there is a freeze drier at work so going to see if I can use that.