Whole hops and muslin bags

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Jobe5217

Jobe5217

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I am going over my checklist for my next brew day (my second brew ever), an IPA recipe named Simtra I got from my LHBS and I was wondering about using whole hops and muslin bags.

I opted not to buy a strainer yet so when boiling the wort I am going to add the hops (Simco and Citra) at each stage in its own muslin bag. For the dry hopping I was going to add the two hops again combined in a single bag.

Could the muslin bags inhibit the release of the bitterness or aromas in any way? I know I should just buy a strainer but SWMBO requires beer be budget as possible for now. All ingredients and muslin bags were sold to me by my LHBS so I am somewhat confident but it is always nice to have a second opinion.
 
they can inhibit if they are really packed full, then there's not much circulation through the bag. since the hops will swell up in the boil don't pack the bags anything near full. if they are compressed or plug whole hops they will expand like a dry sponge, if they are loose whole hops they will soak up wort and expand a little. you want to be able to feel them flopping around in the bag once they are completely hydrated, not clumped together like a sausage. if in doubt use more bags.
i then let the bags drain at least 10 minutes above the wort after cooling and during knockout, before giving them a firm but gentle squeeze between two well sanitized steel spoons. they will still hold onto a lot of wort, that's just how greedy they are, you can incorporate the wort lost to hops into your future recipes.
 
dinnerstick said:
they can inhibit if they are really packed full, then there's not much circulation through the bag. since the hops will swell up in the boil don't pack the bags anything near full. if they are compressed or plug whole hops they will expand like a dry sponge, if they are loose whole hops they will soak up wort and expand a little. you want to be able to feel them flopping around in the bag once they are completely hydrated, not clumped together like a sausage. if in doubt use more bags.
i then let the bags drain at least 10 minutes above the wort after cooling and during knockout, before giving them a firm but gentle squeeze between two well sanitized steel spoons. they will still hold onto a lot of wort, that's just how greedy they are, you can incorporate the wort lost to hops into your future recipes.
Click to expand...

Thank you, that sounds like good advice.
 

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