Muslin bags

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dmbnpj

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So a friend and I have just started brewing. So far, we have done 4 batches. Our method has been steeping grains with extract brewing. We have found that using muslin bags really helps with filtering the hops in addition to filtering the grains. Sometimes recipes call for 2 different types of hops, at beginning and then near end of boil. So, you can use up to 3 muslin bags per batch. At $1 each at the local brew store I can see that adding up very quickly. Been searching online for a deal on muslin bags to no avail. Was wondering if there are other/better methods of straining instead of muslin bags? I have seen such things as false bottoms but not really sure how those work and if they would help with this. Thanks for any help.
 
I have one nylon bag i use formash/steeping.Then i just throw the hops in the boil,and filter the wort through it later.Works fine for me:tank:
 
I've seen those nylon bags. Would a good way of cleaning them to be in the washing machine with some bleach?
 
I haven't tried that, but I would think that a dishwasher or bleach would probably destroy them. The two together would probably disintegrate the poor thing. I just clean it out under the sink, stretching it a bit to free the miscellaneous particles, then soak it in PBW for a few minutes.
 
I've seen those nylon bags. Would a good way of cleaning them to be in the washing machine with some bleach?

Honestly just turning them inside out and washing them with the rest of my brew stuff (stir spoon, thermometer, ETC) in the sink works fine.

Plus if its a little dirty from last time, thats more flavor!:mug:
 
Well, it's not like they have to be 100% super clean and sterile. Clean is good, but I don't go overboard. It's just going to get tossed right back into boiling water.
 
Weve been using one step cleaner. I might just try using that and washing in the sink. Thanks.

About the one step cleaner now, we have just been using that to clean everything pre-bottling. We havent noticed any ill effects of using just that, but I have seen sanitizers in addition to cleaners. Is there really a need for two steps of cleaning and sanatizing?
 
Some people use one step and will swear by it. Then again, some people eat Vegemite and will swear by that. I've been told multiple times that one step is a cleaner and not a sanitizer.

That being said, I used one step once, and only once, on my first batch. No infection to speak of. Just to be on the safe side, I switched to PBW for cleaning and Star San for sanitizing, and never looked back.

Edited: On the other side of the fence, I remember hearing a Basic Brewing podcast from a year or so ago. They talked about some brewers that never use sanitizer, and never have a problem. There comes a point where if you clean vigorously enough, you remove enough bacteria for your tools to be effectively sanitized. That just sounds like work to me.
 
I buy large sheets of muslin, which I then cut to size, for my cooking and recently my brewing at a local haberdashers store in Dublin.
When I've used them I then take the sheet of muslin and boil it with an oxyplus cleaner and then put it through a normal wash, sanitise it before next use and then use it again, I don't see the problem with reuse.
 
Cool. Thanks for the help. Guy at the local brew store was leaning me toward the starsan also. Might have to check it out.

Hope its alright to keep going in this thread about a couple beginner questions I have before starting a new thread....

I have also seen people talking about a secondary fermentation? So far, our method has been the boil into our 6.5 gallon ferm. bucket and leave that for 7-10 days. After that, we transfer to our bottling bucket and bottle then. Then, we leave in the bottles for another 7-10 days. So far, everything has tasted great. Should we start doing a secondary fermentation before bottling?
 
Racking your beer to secondary is not necessary, and many people here don't do it at all. If you find that you want more clarity in your beer, secondary will help with this.

7-10 days in primary might not really be enough depending on what you're brewing. You'll probably find that you get better results waiting 3-4 weeks in primary to let the yeast and their waste products drop out of the beer and into the trub. 3 weeks is the general rule of thumb for bottle time.
 
Our trub has been pretty thick at the bottom of our buckets so far. The first couple batches we tried came with a kit and directions. Our directions told us only 7-10 days. Could that be because we are using extract instead of all grain? Also, I thought that the air lock and bubbles in it were a good indicator of when the ferment is complete enough. After those 7-10 days there was barely any bubbing in the air lock, maybe once a minute. Is the air lock not a good method to check?
 
The kits will generally tell you 7-10 days because they know that the new brewer wants his beer fast. If your beer tastes good after 7 days, I imagine it will probably taste great after 3-4 weeks.

Taking advice about fermentation from your airlock is like taking stock tips from a 3 year old. It's cute, and it's fun to listen to, but it really has no idea what the **** it's talking about. Do yourself and your beer a favor, and get a hydrometer and a thief or turkey baster. When your specific gravity is constant for 3 days straight, it's ready to bottle. Keep in mind that just because it's ready to bottle, doesn't mean that it won't benefit from a little aging.

Young beer is like that gangly redhead girl with the freckles you knew in grade school. She's nothing now, but with proper aging, she will rock your world.
 
haha.

We do have a hydrometer and have been using that to determine 2 days in a row of the same readings. They have been the same after a week or so but I understand about letting it age longer. It just makes sense.
 
I buy my strainer bags at a hardware store. Look for paint strainer bags. I think I paid $2.99 for 2 or 3 last time I bought them. Try to find the ones with a string closure, not elastic.

B
 
Young beer is like that gangly redhead girl with the freckles you knew in grade school. She's nothing now, but with proper aging, she will rock your world.

:off: My quote of the day. Thank you for making me laugh.

Back on topic: There's TON of debates over secondaries, but I like to stick to this simple-ish rule: The simpler the beer, the simpler the process. If you have a basic beer, nothing too special besides amazing taste, let it set in the primary an extra week and bottle normally. If you have a complicated beer (hi-grav, fruit, dry-hop, adding finings) use a secondary.
 
I have been using the nylon bags for all my hop additions. I rinse them out when I am done and then toss them in the dishwasher, It doesn't seem to hurt them at all.
 
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