Hop bags?

[amartin]

Hey All,

Do you use hop bags in the boil? I do, but I'm thinking I may not need to. I boil in a keggle with a dip tube and no counterflow chiller, and usually use pellets. Whole cones will clog up the dip tube, but I don't think pellets would. Is there any other reason I should keep bagging?

Thanks
Andrew

[jacinthebox]

i use pellet hops, and a copper coil to cool...I don't use bags.

I do use them in the fall when I harvest and brew with my homegrown whole hops

[LeafMan66_67]

Hey All,

Do you use hop bags in the boil? I do, but I'm thinking I may not need to. I boil in a keggle with a dip tube and no counterflow chiller, and usually use pellets. Whole cones will clog up the dip tube, but I don't think pellets would. Is there any other reason I should keep bagging?

Thanks
Andrew

I have a 1/2" Stainless dip tube and have never clogged it with pellets. I can recirc IPA's and whirlpool at full capacity of the chugger through the Chillzilla without an issue with pellets.

[jason.loxton]

I don't have a dip tube or recirc, and have switched to bags for pellets after a couple of clogs. Whole hops not only never clogged, but provided a great filtration bed for trub.

[GuingesRock]

Didn't get any clogging here andrew:

http://www.brewnosers.org/forums/viewto ... ent#p90514" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.brewnosers.org/forums/viewto ... ent#p90514" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.brewnosers.org/forums/viewto ... ent#p90503" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[amartin]

Awesome, you guys are quick.

I have an American IPA planned for the weekend after next, maybe I'll try it without the bags.

[Maritimer]

I use bags for my late addition as I have a 3/8" CFC and it will clog even with a 1 oz flameout addition.
If I could add a question, do you see any benefit to tossing the late addition (flameout) bags into the fermenter with the cooled wort?

[GuingesRock]

I use bags for my late addition as I have a 3/8" CFC and it will clog even with a 1 oz flameout addition.
If I could add a question, do you see any benefit to tossing the late addition (flameout) bags into the fermenter with the cooled wort?

That's dry hopping, and they recommend you wait until active fermentation is over, 3-4 days maybe for an ale, because otherwise you lose the volatile aroma compounds, they escape along with the CO2. Or are you talking about throwing the hop bags in the fermentor after they have been already used as a flameout addition? If it is the latter, there may be a theoretical benefit as many aromatic compounds can only be extracted from hops by alcohol, and that's only present once fermentation starts. I ferment in the kettle and all the hop additions remain in there, loose, during the primary ferment for about a week. I think it's better but I have no proof.

[Maritimer]

Or are you talking about throwing the hop bags in the fermentor after they have been already used as a flameout addition? If it is the latter, there may be a theoretical benefit as many aromatic compounds can only be extracted from hops by alcohol, and that's only present once fermentation starts. I ferment in the kettle and all the hop additions remain in there, loose, during the primary ferment for about a week. I think it's better but I have no proof.

Thats exactly what I'm referring to, rather than throw out the late addition hops I have been tossing them in the fermenter. Without a hop bag that's where they would end up anyway. Just wondering if anyone did the same.

[Jimmy]

Brian (Liverdance) has done the opposite of this - used hops that had previously been used as dry hops for his bittering hops.

I believe he froze them after being used as dry hops and then used as per normal for bittering.

[LiverDance]

a lot of my late hops go into my fermentor and like Jimmy referenced above, I served a beer at hoptoberfest a few years back that was make completely from "used" dry hops. After i was done dry hopping with them I would put them in freezer bags and freeze them. collected enough to make a 5gal batch and used them through out the boil, not just for bittering.

[GuingesRock]

I served a beer at hoptoberfest a few years back that was make completely from "used" dry hops. After i was done dry hopping with them I would put them in freezer bags and freeze them. collected enough to make a 5gal batch and used them through out the boil, not just for bittering.

I had some of that beer, that Hoptoberfest, and it was really good.