Whole Hop Sparging?

I'm going to use whole hops for the first time soon (I feel so nervous). Should I sparge them or squeeze them after removing them from the wort? Seems like their going to sponge up a lot of wort and I'd hate to lose it all.

Cheesefood said:

I'm going to use whole hops for the first time soon (I feel so nervous). Should I sparge them or squeeze them after removing them from the wort? Seems like their going to sponge up a lot of wort and I'd hate to lose it all.

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I don't. I adjust the recipe for hop absorption--I don't want to fuss with the added risk of contamination after my wort is cooled. I doubt you'd lose much more than a few pints--and it just isn't worth it in my eyes.

If you are using a false bottom in your brew kettle as a strainer, the hops act to further filter the hot break. Sparging or squeezing the hops bed would release this back to the wort which you are collecting. I imagine this would also hold true even if you were siphoning from the kettle.

I use a nylon net on my primary bucket and sparge with the cold water from the freezer. I also squeeze the water from the net.

I know it's wrong, but it works for me.

I just let the bag drain naturally as I lift it. I've always been concerned that squeezing the hops excessively could extract tannins or other unwanted flavors from the hops, but I don't really have a factual basis for that. If it works for hb_99 it must be fine.

If I ever get a valve in my kettle I'll probably just toss 'em in loose and let 'em absorb whatever they want.

My former brewing partner always squeezed the hop bags, until we stopped using bags. Even in our IPAs, it didn't make much difference in volume or flavor. When hops are dehydrated, they lose 80% of their weight. At 100% re-hydration, that would mean 4 oz. of wort per oz. of hops, max. Now, I just let the kettle drain and try to remember to clean the chiller before the hops etch it!

ORRELSE said:

I don't. I adjust the recipe for hop absorption--I don't want to fuss with the added risk of contamination after my wort is cooled. I doubt you'd lose much more than a few pints--and it just isn't worth it in my eyes.

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What is the formula to adjust for hop absorption, please? TIA

I was thinking of jjust catching them in a (sanitary) strainer, then pouring some (sanitary) sparge water over them prior to cooling the wort.

You can do it but it will just dilute your wort. It's up to you but I don't. Just strain them out or leave them in the kettle.

El Pistolero said:

What is the formula to adjust for hop absorption, please? TIA

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You trying to be funny?

ORRELSE said:

You trying to be funny?

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No, you said above that you just adjust for the amount of water absorbed by the hops...I'm fixing to do a full boil for the first time, and I'd like to know about how much water I'll lose per ounce of hops.

When I use whole hops, I usually squeeze the excess wort out of the bag. I've never noticed undesirable flavors from it.

But that doesn't make it right...

if youre doing a full boil you don't really need to worry about hop absorption, however if you need to top it off you might as well 'sparge' them with chilled preboiled water. if your not doing a fulll boil, and have to add water anyways, you should 'sparge' the hops in a strainer, it won't dilute the wort because your adding water already, just gets more hoppy goodness out of it. i place a strainer over my fermenter and collect the hops in there, then rinse them. i usually give it a slight squeeze, and i don't think it does anything to harm it. i don't know of anything in the hops you don't want in there ya know. i even do this when using pellets, whatever gets collected in the strainer gets 'sparged'.

El Pistolero said:

No, you said above that you just adjust for the amount of water absorbed by the hops...I'm fixing to do a full boil for the first time, and I'd like to know about how much water I'll lose per ounce of hops.

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LOL...I thought you were messing with me!
....every pot is different. I use a keg to boil in with the hop stopper, and I lose about 4 pints in every boil, so in Promash I adjust that amount so I can be sure to get close to 5.5-6 gallons finished product. I didn't know what to adjust for until I actually did a real boil with it. Now I have the approximate right amount to add into promash.

ORRELSE said:

LOL...I thought you were messing with me!
....every pot is different. I use a keg to boil in with the hop stopper, and I lose about 4 pints in every boil, so in Promash I adjust that amount so I can be sure to get close to 5.5-6 gallons finished product. I didn't know what to adjust for until I actually did a real boil with it. Now I have the approximate right amount to add into promash.

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Thanks, I knew you were using a keg w/ hop stopper, and I just ordered a keggle, and am gonna order a hop stopper as soon as Dennis get back to me, so I figured you'd have the answer. So about 1/2 gallon loss for hops and trub. Thanks again.