Best method to siphon dry hops

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BStewie

Active Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Location
Dallas
I am planning on kegging an Imperial IPA (that tastes bad ass) this weekend. I dry hopped with no socks, bags or anything. I just dumped 1.5 or close to 1.75 oz of pellet hops into my primary. What would be the best method based on experience to siphon the beer into my keg with the least amount of material getting into the keg?
 
Cold crash if you can for sure. I've never used panty hose, but I do pull a fine mesh nylon bag over the siphon and it works great. Just soak it in sanitizer of course. No hop particles in my kegs.
 
I dont have room in my fridge to cold crash... What if I use a cooler and fill with ice water for about 24 to 36 hours?
 
I've never cold crashed. I put a sanitized paint strainer around my siphon and I've never had issue with hops in my keg of beer when serving.

Cheers.

BSD
 
Since you are kegging, I would just siphon as best as possible. If you suck up a little hop debris, it will settle in the keg. I used to use a 1G paint strainer on the end of my autosiphon. Now, I just be careful and let any debris/trub settle in the keg and come out with the first pint.
 
The cooler method to cold crash should work and is worthwhile if you don't have fridge access, IMO. After cold crashing, move to your bench or table and let settle for a half hour or so Or set the cooler on the table to begin with so you won't have to move and disturb the cake/sediment. Prop up one side of the carboy on an inch block or so to get all that IPA goodness into your keg. Then siphon or use a racking cane positioned to the low end, opposite of the block, but above the trub, and let it rip. If you're careful you won't need a mesh bag or anything if you cold crashed the beer. Even still, I'll often boil a hop bag to sanitize and then tie that around the tube end that goes into the keg to catch any bits that make it through your siphoning setup.
 
I cut off a piece from my nylon paint strainer bag, just enough to cover the end of the racking can with about 2 inches to spare. I soak that piece of nylon along with some kitchen twine in star san and use that as filter. It works well. They also sell racking cane filters, if you were so inclined.
 
I found the pellet hops will just settle to the bottom. I racked an ipa off 3oz of pellet dry hops and didn't get any floaties in any bottles. I just let the carboy settle for an hour or so after I moved it.
 
Back
Top