water minerals, hops

[Fred Scheer]

Does anyone on this forum calculate for water
minerals absorbing water during storage; meaning open packages;
the same with hop pellets and whole hops (loss of aroma and alpha acids)??
Fred

[GarySped]

Hi Fred,

I am not sure about the calculations you would use but a drying and analytical balance weight would be the best way to go to look at moisture in hops and grains, assuming you have an initial value and then monitor over time. On alpha acids the quickest (though not likely desirable method in the brewery) is to do a toulene extraction on known weight of ground hops and uv spectral readings. We do this and obtain alpha, beta and the Hop Storage index value which can relate to storability. Be interesting to see how others might calculate these gains (moisture) or losses of the acids.

[Moonlight]

I have trouble believing that hops could take on enough moisture to affect their weight...that is not so much that you wouldn't notice their appearance looking different and reject them because of it. A pellet picking up moisture swells and loosens, yet I have no idea how much moisture that takes. Try steaming up some hops and see how different they appear and feel after some moisture contact.
As for minerals, I think your only concern could be CaCl2, and that is really an obvious mess if it picks up moisture.
I like your train of thought...things we take for granted that maybe we shouldn't!