12 replies to this topic

[3rd party JKor]

I'm brewing Ken's MLPA tomorrow and getting my recipe sheet together in ProMash. I checked my Mt. Hood and they say 3.9% AA on the package. Is this typically number typically quoted from the time of harvest or the time of packaging? I guess what I really want to know is what AA% I should use, or what numbers to put into the calculator. I've never really bothered with calculating the time loss with my hops.

[3rd party JKor]

If it's the time of harvest, they're probably under 3%. I think I'll supplement with some Magnum if that's the case.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I believe that the AA% would be somewhere in between. I remember reading on HopsDirect last fall that they had sent out lots of certain hops that were harvested to be tested for the AA% so that they could advertise what they were for purchase. I don't think the big hop producers measure the AA% other than whatever they get it certified for after harvest. I would just use that % from the day you recieved them.

[3rd party JKor]

I've only had them for a week, so that wouldn't be much of a loss. I did get them from Hops Direct, though, so maybe they print the current estimated AA on them when they ship.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I think the AA% they give you is whatever the hop is certified for after they harvest. I highly doubt that HD or any hop provider measures the AA% when they ship out a hop, thats too much work. I think they do HPLC to determine the AA%. I have noticed that the AA% range on their website is whereever the % that is listed on the package when I get them as well. The deterioration of AA% from tested to when they ship out an order would be negligable I believe.

[3rd party JKor]

So, I'm probably overthinking this, but what crop year would I be getting if I just received hops from HD? I'd assume '08, but is it possible it's an early '09 crop? I'm not sure when they harvest. If they're '08 crop they're probably at least 7-8 months from harvest, if not more.

[3rd party JKor]

I think the AA% they give you is whatever the hop is certified for after they harvest. I highly doubt that HD or any hop provider measures the AA% when they ship out a hop, thats too much work. I think they do HPLC to determine the AA%. I have noticed that the AA% range on their website is whereever the % that is listed on the package when I get them as well. The deterioration of AA% from tested to when they ship out an order would be negligable I believe.

I wasn't saying they'd measure it when they ship, I meant to say they measure it when they get a new crop in, then use a degradation calculation to estimate the current AA level when they ship. Just as a general note, I find it very interesting that a product that degrades so significantly over time almost never has any information about when it was harvested, packaged, etc. associated with it, despite the fact that it's extremely pertinent information to the end user. I'm sure breweries can get that kind of data for bulk orders, but I would also think there would be some effort to provide that type of information to homebrewers.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I agree with your assessments in your last comment and you are probably right the big boys probably get better information as well. All the hops on sale at HD should be 2008 crop. They harvest in the fall thats why all of us growing hops planted in the spring as well. The only place I heard or know was selling 2007 was NCM and I did buy Simcoe and Warrior from them a few months ago. Looked green and good quality as well.

[3rd party JKor]

I posted a question on the Hops Direct forum asking when they measure the AA for their hops. We'll see what they come back with.For now I'm going to use 8 months @ 30°F for the degradation calculator (I read that they keep their warehouse around 30°F). I'd rather be conservative.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Let me know what they come back and say. It might be like 3 months for a response. I am on that forum and the response time can be very long. Good Luck with the MLPA I just finished my first keg of that last night. It was nice.

[3rd party JKor]

Let me know what they come back and say. It might be like 3 months for a response. I am on that forum and the response time can be very long. Good Luck with the MLPA I just finished my first keg of that last night. It was nice.

Yeah, that forum isn't exactly the most active.

[3rd party JKor]

Got a reply from Hops Direct on the AA testing:

OUR HOPS ARE TESTED TWICE....THE LEAF/BALE SAMPLES ARE RAN WITHIN DAYS OF PICKING (DURING HARVEST) THE W.S.D.A. REQUIRES ALL GROWERS TO HAVE SAMPLES TESTED IN THEIR LAB FOR REGULATION PURPOSES.THEN WE TEST AGAIN AT PELLETIZATION (OCTOBER) WE RUN OUR PELLET SAMPLES THRU THEIR LAB TO GET AN UPDATED ANALYSIS FOR LABELING.HOPS DIRECT

So, it looks like I'll be using October of the harvest year as my starting point.

Edited by JKoravos, 10 June 2009 - 07:17 PM.