[69franx]

I was already sitting on about 8# of random hops

Yeah, I didn't count my smaller amounts (the new ones I haven't tested out yet) in my total. That's probably another 4+ lbs.

Yeah I may have understated my stock. Just took a look and found several others on another shelf. I am sitting on 25#+. Good gravy, who am I ?

[mchrispen]

Well I just bought 10# of fresh staple hops... it is a sickness I think. I better brew a ton of belgian and british styles this coming year.

[HoosierBrew]

Well I just bought 10# of fresh staple hops... it is a sickness I think. I better brew a ton of belgian and british styles this coming year.

Yeah, I need to be hitting the German and American styles pretty hard next year, too !

[coolman26]

Hi, my name is Jeff too.  I was a bought to call the addiction hot line for some help.  Then I came here and realize I'm totally normal.  Normal as long as I stay right here.

I too have had good luck with pellets from YVH.  I have I know 10+ pounds.  Now because of everyone here in therapy, I have to buy Meridian. Thanks guys

Also the extended life is what made me leave the whole cone only camp.  Less oxidation, and I've never had any trouble with them in my system.  I made major changes after fighting a Hopslam clone.  Off to the I drink too much forum. 

[Stevie]

Reading how many pounds some have, makes me feel a bit better. Currently I am at about 5.5 lbs, but 1 lb is earmarked for an IPA. I also have about 14 hop shots (70ml) worth of hop resin.

[JT]

Ok so now I feel like I'm doing something wrong!  I'm buying 1oz packs, mostly as needed though I have an assortment of packs in the freezer (about a pound and a half, all 1 oz packages).  I've only ever bought hops from my LHBS, are the savings that good to buy in bulk online?  Any other benefits?  I'd likely want to get a vacuum sealer if I went that route, another expense!

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[69franx]

JT, I started with that LHBS and still get malt there, but have not tried to buy bulk hops there.  The places I and everyone else are talking about can put you into the sub $1/Oz range and if you compare that to $2-$3/ oz, the savings are significant!

[Stevie]

It really depends on the hop. Many shops sell common hops and popular hops around the same price. If I commit to a pound, the savings is still pretty high with popular hops. $1.50-1.75/oz vs $3.00 at my lhbs.

[S. cerevisiae]

I started buying from the West Coast when Mark Garetz opened HopTech (He sold the business years ago).  The difference between what Mark sold and what was available in the general home brew trade at that point in time was like the difference between night and day.  Even though things have improved, the home brew trade is at the bottom of the hop totem pole.  Not only are 1oz packages expensive, they are at the bottom of the bottom of the hop totem pole.   Plus, I prefer to purchase as close as possible to the grower.

[HoosierBrew]

Any other benefits?  I'd likely want to get a vacuum sealer if I went that route, another expense!

Yeah, aside from the cheaper bulk price - as said, $1.30-$1.50/oz as opposed to well over $2/oz @ my LHBS - the difference in quality is staggering IMO. As I posted, my LHBS keeps jars stored cold but has to open them dozens of times/day to weigh out an oz at a time, ie., lots of O2 contact. The hops I get from suppliers like YVH come in vacuum sealed Mylar bags. The difference in freshness, aroma and flavor is absolutely huge.

[braufessor]

Ha....... ok  - I may or may not have this addiction you speak of.   I know I have 20 quart mason jars vacuum sealed in my freezer and I know I have 10-15 unopened 1lb bags.  Considering a mason jar holds a pound...... yeah..... I may or may not have 30lbs of hops in my freezer

But, I am chipping away at it.... I used 1.5 ounces of Hallertau in a Helles today - So, I will probably be out in no time.  Better take advantage of some Black Friday deals and order more

About 10 pounds of it is Citra..... and I use 12 ounces at a time in my house IPA, so, I burn through that pretty fast.... the same with Mosaic and Galaxy as well as a few others that I use in APA's and IPA's.  It is the german and british hops that I still buy by the pound (because they are cheap) but I only use 1-3 ounces at a time.  Those are the ones that it is hard to get through.

[tommymorris]

Even though things have improved, the home brew trade is at the bottom of the hop totem pole.  Not only are 1oz packages expensive, they are at the bottom of the bottom of the hop totem pole.   Plus, I prefer to purchase as close as possible to the grower.

But, what about Hop Union and BSG Handcraft? Are the bulk hops you guys buy higher quality than these brands available to home brewers?

Regarding home brewers getting the bottom of the barrel (so to speak), shouldn't Hop Union and BSG Handcraft have similar buying power to a craft brewery and more buying power than a single home brewer buying bulk?

Edit: I am not trying to be argumentative. I prefer to keep using the more expensive per ounce hops unless they are inferior in quality. I have stopped buying bulk. I prefer to let the home brew store hold the inventory in hopes that I get fresh ingredients for each batch.

[JT]

Any other benefits?  I'd likely want to get a vacuum sealer if I went that route, another expense!

Yeah, aside from the cheaper bulk price - as said, $1.30-$1.50/oz as opposed to well over $2/oz @ my LHBS - the difference in quality is staggering IMO. As I posted, my LHBS keeps jars stored cold but has to open them dozens of times/day to weigh out an oz at a time, ie., lots of O2 contact. The hops I get from suppliers like YVH come in vacuum sealed Mylar bags. The difference in freshness, aroma and flavor is absolutely huge.

I can't say I've really monitored the price of the hops before, but I looked tonight since I was just there today.  Willamette @ $1.90 per oz, Liberty @ $1.70 per oz.  Plus I get a 10% discount.  These aren't coming from a jar, they're in sealed 1oz bags from Hopunion.  I don't know how that impacts quality, but I'm assuming it's better than the jar.  That's actually what kept me from buying bulk.  I figured the sealed mylar was better. 

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[braufessor]

I get most of mine in the 1lb Nitrogen flushed HopUnion bags and Been very happy.  I think Hoosierbrew was speaking toward some homebrew shops buying bulk, then opening that bulk package and repackaging them...... that process of storing open hops by a home-brew store may not be the best.  I have seen that too.  A small home-brew store buys 1 lb bags, opens them, repackages them, exposes them to oxygen, lets them sit out at room temp, and they are compromised.

I would rather take care of my hops myself.  As soon as I open a 1lb bag, the remainder is vacuum sealed in a 1 quart mason jar and into the freezer.

As far as buying hops.... I have no problem buying a sealed 1lb Hop Union bag that is a year old.

[HoosierBrew]

Re: S. cerevisiae's and Hoosierbrew's comments about bulk hop quality:

But, what about Hop Union and BSG Handcraft? Are the bulk hops you guys buy higher quality than these brands available to home brewers?

Aside from the obvious price savings, if you buy hops from your LHBS in only sealed vendor bags, then the difference in quality is zero. But a lot of LHBS (like mine) don't have many sealed bags of hops to buy, so they open up jars repeatedly to weigh out hops, introducing a lot of O2 in the process. So compared to the latter, buying fresh, vacuum sealed hops is vastly superior.