Diaperload

Recipes 

So I'm brewing some Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale right now and I forgot to buy a hop sock at the LHBS.

Can I use a regular athletic sock (clean sock of course)?

If I don't use anything and put the hops right in the boil how hard is it to strain it out?

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"I'm not saying let's go kill all the stupid people...I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem sort itself out."

jfrank85

Recipes 

DO NOT use a sock! The detergent from the wash will ruin your beer. It'll be fine without one, it will all coagulate at the bottom of the fermenter with your yeast and break materials. I rarely strain my beers and have had great success doing so. No issues with clarity at all.

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Fermenting:
B's Best Code Brown Ale
Nippy Nipples RIS

ConnorPPrice

Recipes 

I just finished bottling a beer that I used no hop sock for and made no attempt to strain the wort before putting into the fermenter and pitching yeast. I even dry hopped with pellets right into the primary (after fermentation was pretty much done of course.) By bottling time everything had settled out with the yeast cake and all was well. Just toss those hops on in.

Diaperload

Recipes 

I actually had the hops in the sock. After I thought about it I changed my mind, took the hops out and I ended up using the grain bag once the steep was done after I cleaned it out.

It's nice to know I can just leave the hops in and it won't cause ill effect. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

__________________
"I'm not saying let's go kill all the stupid people...I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem sort itself out."

h22lude

Recipes 

I have never used a hop bag and my beers turn out great. Some I filter and others I'm too lazy and pour the whole thing in. Like others have said, the hops, yeast, break material will all settle to the bottom. If you want to make sure it is all down there, cold crash for a few days.

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Primary: Da Yooper's House Ale

Kegged: Oatmeal Stout

Bottled: Nothing

On my list to brew: I have no clue!!

RobWalker

Recipes 

+1, but I chuck the whole thing through a muslin bag when transferring to primary. bits and bobs find their way in, but meh

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Primaries: Toffee Apple Pear Cider,
Kegged: Extract Graff, Zee-Zee Hop Honey Beer
Drunkended: Greene King IPA Clone

william_shakes_beer

Recipes 

My kettle has a valve, so I run the wart through a sanitized stainless steel seive on its way into the fermenter. The hops go right into the kettle, no hop bag.