Contracting

Hops are an agricultural product.

Farmers do their best to meet customer needs, but sometimes Mother Nature has different plans.
Typically, contracted customers have their needs met first and the remainder goes to the spot market.

Do you need it? Contract for it. Don't want to commit?

See if the spot market can fulfill your needs.

Your contract translates to farms undertaking real costs to deliver you a product.
This risk is carried by them and the merchant. If you are unsure of your needs, it may be better to pursue other channels, such as the spot market. Remember, contracts are legally binding commitments.

There is no one way to contract hops, but essentially, there will be a multi-year commitment with a merchant to guarantee supply and lock in a price.

Discuss brewing volumes and projections with merchants to see what is recommended and makes you feel comfortable.
Typically, you’ll work out what is needed in the coming year, and projections for the next few years—locking in a de-escalating percentage to be scaled back up and locked in each year.

Pro Tips

Really love a particular hop? Look for more of the same harvest lot from your merchant. With oxygen-free storage and pellets packaged in mylar, using those lots lends more consistency than seeking out the newest year’s harvest.

Schedule strategically. If you have hops that you don’t want to re-seal or lose any pungency, consider brewing two different recipes back-to-back that utilize the hop you are trying to get the most out of.

Provided the right conditions, pelletized hops can last for years.

But every time they are opened and exposed to oxygen their quality and lifespan are reduced. Whole cone hops stored in bales have a shorter shelf life due to the bale’s permeable barrier.

Longevity of hop quality per product:

Best quality within 3 years of harvest, 4-5 years acceptable

Fresh for one year

10 years

How low can you go?

*Best temperature range to preserve product life and optimal quality. Some brewers go as high as between 30° to 40° F if the cost of ideal cold storage is too high for them. Keep in mind, quality and life of product degrade faster in these higher temperatures.

Keep hops in cold storage Ideal temps*: 26º to 28º F, -3.3º to -2.2º C.

Re-seal hops not used right away. Flush out oxygen with nitrogen and seal the package.

If you buy from a reseller, ask for storing conditions and if hops have been repackaged.

Buying Hops