Hop Bag around chiller "inflating"

**ResumeMan** · 02-05-2012, 02:32 AM

I tried a new technique today, which was based on some things I've read here. It didn't go quite as planned, and I wonder if anyone has any thoughts.

So, I was thinking that I want to switch from whole to pellet hops, so as to have less wort lost to absorption, have hops that keep better, and hopefully improve utilization. But I drain thru a valve on the side of the keggle, and I don't want all that crap in my fermenter.

I considered making a hop spider. I use an immersion chiller, and I figured that pulling the spider out when I put the chiller in and then putting the spider back would be kind of a pain. Not the end of the world, but I was looking for another option.

So I basically tried making a spider using the IC itself. I know I've seen a picture of this on the board, but for the life of me I couldn't find it. But in a nutshell, what I did was I stuck the IC into a 5-gal paint strainer, and used binder clips to clip it on. I then put the IC, in the bag, into the kettle for the whole boil. Idea being to just dump the hops into the bag, and figure that there's plenty of room in there to get good agitation.

The IC fit in the bag with plenty of room to spare, and in fact when the top of the bag was clipped to the top of the coil, it dangled down a bit.

What ended up happening is that as the wort boiled, the vapors would seem to get trapped within the bottom of the hop bag, which would "inflate" like a balloon. The vapors would then hiss through the bag. I mean, the boil was still happening, but I wasn't sure if it was still agitating things. I tried sticking a short hunk of brass in the bag but it didn't help.

What I found is that if I lifted the IC mostly out of the wort and dropped it back in, it would go back to normal for awhile. But then it'd inflate again.

This is kinda hard to explain so I attached a couple of pictures. They aren't the greatest but hopefully give an idea of what I'm trying to describe.

Has anyone ever tried something like this? If so did you have the same experience? Any suggestions? Perhaps I should just go w/the spider after all...

kh54s10 · 02-05-2012, 02:41 AM

I just use 1 gallon paint strainer bags. I put a couple of marbles and the hops it tie it shut with a string and drop them in. I tie the string to the handles to make it easy to take them out after the boil. EASY as pie!

SankePankey · 02-05-2012, 09:26 AM

Hehe... not much to say except that you're not the only one. It happens to every guy once in a while..

I use a stainless whisk and keep it in the bag to weigh it down, which you are pretty much doing. Maybe put something else in there. The object being to make your bag pointy and not flat bottomed.

Or, don't have a ridiculous roiling boil. Just make it easy as she goes. That helps too.

Now I use biodiesel filter bags (filterbags.com) and they are pointy at the bottom (with a reservoir tip....). It helped that problem. You can also put a little viagra in the boil. er.. eh hem. Ok enough wiener jokes.

**FSR402** · 02-06-2012, 02:22 PM

The bag is getting clogged and the wort is not flowing through. I stopped using paint strainer bags because of this. I went to courser bags and doubled up on them. I do get some hops thru but nothing bad enough to plug my plate chiller.