What are the differences between fresh hops and pellets?
Nothing, since pellets are the freshest form of hop. Whole hop cones are sometimes called fresh hops but this is a misnomer. Oxygen is the sworn enemy of hop constituents and because of the surface area of the loose or cone hops they have more of an opportunity to stale. The pellets on the other hand are macerated under nitrogen and compacted so as to limit the surface area and thus their exposure to evil oxygen. Some say there is a slight loss of aromatics in pelletization and thus prefer cone hops for dry hopping. You get to decide.
