Hop Plugs...

dropping them in whole works just fine. after a short while they'll "dissolve" and flavor your wort.

next time you might try whole hops, if you can get them fresh, just so you can feel the sticky resins. i find that it helps understand the ingredients better if i see/feel/taste them in their original form. whole hops aren't necessarily better, they're just differerent. fresh hop pellets/plugs are better than stale whole hops. happy trails, dan

Ditto. I agree with snowmannishboy . Pellets/plugs are easier to use, but fresh whole hops really start to shine in the aroma department.

The better suppliers use a metalized polyester envelope and vacuum pack the pellets and whole hops. Freeze them (fresh or pellet) to preserve them. The color should be similar to evergreen shrubs for pellets - olive drab pellets are old pellets - still OK for bittering but forget aroma. Lighter color is acceptable for whole hops. (and whole hops are harder to judge)

Most commercial beer has no hop aroma. "Dry" or "cold" hopping gives the best hop aroma.

Grow your own if you're serious about hops. They are easy to grow and tolerate a wide climate range. Rhizomes (roots) are available during the early spring.