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cadarnell · 04-26-2011, 05:27 PM

I've been reading on here where it's OK to put a hop sack on the end of the racking cane when racking beer to the bottling bucket, to help filter out hops after dry hopping ... I tried this on my last IPA and it just became clogged up, with the beer only about 1/3 racked over ... and the beer moved ever soooo slow ... would it be OK to put the sack on the end of the siphon hose in the bottling bucket ?? .. or would that be introducing too much oxygen ..

ThePearsonFam · 04-26-2011, 05:31 PM

It shouldn't introduce ANY O2 if you submerge the outlet end. Only the first little bit will not be submerged. Just slow the initial siphon and then let it go once you have enough to get the end below beer.

How slow was slow on the last one? One consideration is to siphon MOST of it w/out the sack and then tie it on toward the end... Just hold your cane in the middle of the beer, between the yeast/trub and hop floaties.

**NordeastBrewer77** · 04-26-2011, 05:31 PM

I use a bucket filter at the bucket end of my siphon, put the end at the bottom of the bucket and do my best not to agitate the beer. I know they say not to, but it's worked so far and I've dry hopped the majority of the batches I've brewed so far.

cadarnell · 04-26-2011, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePearsonFam

It shouldn't introduce ANY O2 if you submerge the outlet end. Only the first little bit will not be submerged. Just slow the initial siphon and then let it go once you have enough to get the end below beer.

How slow was slow on the last one? One consideration is to siphon MOST of it w/out the sack and then tie it on toward the end... Just hold your cane in the middle of the beer, between the yeast/trub and hop floaties.

it got painfully slow with the beer only about 1/3 racked over, so I just took the sack off and did the best I could without it ... never thought about starting without the hop sack and putting it on later ... good info ... I think I'll try putting the sack on the hose this time and see how it goes ... I can hardly wait for this one ... it taste like freakin heaven just at 10 days in the primary

.. beer is good !!!

cadarnell · 04-26-2011, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NordeastBrewer77

I use a bucket filter at the bucket end of my siphon, put the end at the bottom of the bucket and do my best not to agitate the beer. I know they say not to, but it's worked so far and I've dry hopped the majority of the batches I've brewed so far.

yea ... I do a few little things right now that I was told weren't too good to do ... I guess until I ruin a batch I'll probably continue to bend a few rules ... thanks !!

**unionrdr** · 04-26-2011, 05:46 PM

Glad it's coming along well,but this is precisely why I dry hop with sacks. Cheap & easy way to avoid extra hassle later,imho. They don't cost more than 75c or less,so I just do it that way. They can be dumped out,rinsed,& dunked in small pot of simmering water for a couple of mins to clean. Ring out,hang'em high,& just walk away...

**heferly** · 04-26-2011, 05:53 PM

last time i dry hopped with whole leaf, i sanitized a slotted spoon, and spooned out as many hops as i could before racking

if pellets, i would think all of the above are viable options...i would try to rack below the scum, above the trub, and worry about stuck siphons towards the end

cadarnell · 04-26-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unionrdr

Glad it's coming along well,but this is precisely why I dry hop with sacks. Cheap & easy way to avoid extra hassle later,imho. They don't cost more than 75c or less,so I just do it that way. They can be dumped out,rinsed,& dunked in small pot of simmering water for a couple of mins to clean. Ring out,hang'em high,& just walk away...

do you find you get just as good of results, as far as aroma goes, using the sacks? I think I've read on here it works better to just toss them in and deal with the hop residue later ... thoughts?

**unionrdr** · 04-26-2011, 06:23 PM

Well,there's the school of thought that sacking gives less effective surface area during dry hopping. But,I've seen vids where craft brewers do it too. Just leave the hops in there till you get the aroma/flavor level you're looking for. I think sacks are just as effective,since it's the same principle as making sun tea. Ever watch the convection while sun tea is brewing out on the porch,top of the car,etc? Seems to me it's the same thing at ale temps. The "tea" colored water flows down & out of the tea bags,into the water making the jug into liquid tea. So,by that reasoning,the hop "liquid" should flow down & away from the floating hop sack into the brew to mix with it. Just make sure the yeast is well settled after reaching FG to do so.
Otherwise,the hop oils cling to the settling yeast,& are lost on the bottom.

cadarnell · 04-26-2011, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unionrdr

Well,there's the school of thought that sacking gives less effective surface area during dry hopping. But,I've seen vids where craft brewers do it too. Just leave the hops in there till you get the aroma/flavor level you're looking for. I think sacks are just as effective,since it's the same principle as making sun tea. Ever watch the convection while sun tea is brewing out on the porch,top of the car,etc? Seems to me it's the same thing at ale temps. The "tea" colored water flows down & out of the tea bags,into the water making the jug into liquid tea. So,by that reasoning,the hop "liquid" should flow down & away from the floating hop sack into the brew to mix with it. Just make sure the yeast is well settled after reaching FG to do so.
Otherwise,the hop oils cling to the settling yeast,& are lost on the bottom.

all great info ... if Ive learned one thing so far on here, it's that there are several different ways to do things ... I'll see how easy/hard and or effective/ineffective this time is and I might change next ... cheers !!