HOPS to strain or ferment?

I use extract w/steeping grains. Ive been using hop bags but worry about loss of flavoring. Can I get some pro's/con's opinions on the following
A) use of hop bags
B) free boil hops and strain them out when pouring into primary
C) free boil hops and leave them in primary bucket ( really wonder what flavors good or bad this will lead to)

BrutalBrew said:

I use extract w/steeping grains. Ive been using hop bags but worry about loss of flavoring. Can I get some pro's/con's opinions on the following
A) use of hop bags
B) free boil hops and strain them out when pouring into primary
C) free boil hops and leave them in primary bucket ( really wonder what flavors good or bad this will lead to)

Click to expand...

You will find people either r use hop bags or let them swim free. I let them swim and then filter out when going to primary.

IMO I don't think there is a right or wrong way, it's really preference and what works best for your system/set up.

As for flavors, the hop debris just settles out in the primary with no consequence, some hop debris is beneficial for the yeast I've been told. Regardless, you'll never prevent 100% from getting in the primary.

I let my hops swim free and eventually they migrate to the bottom.
I secondary and don't use pumps anymore so it works fine for me, I don't even strain wort.

I always did (C) up until a couple of years ago, when I started using a pump and a counter-flow chiller. My CFC clogs if I have any leaf hops floating around, so I have to either bag them or put them in a "hops spider" so they can't go through and mess up my pump and chiller.

I haven't noticed any difference in straining them out vs. leaving them in there.

If you want to bag them, just make sure they are in the bag very loose, using more than one bag if need be so that the wort can flow easily through the hops, as if they were loose. Cramming them in tightly will impact the hops utilization. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if they are bagged/strained/left in.

Thank you Yooper , you always seem to know what I'm truly asking and give great advise with real answers. You have been very helpful several times.. Really appreciate all the help from everyone.

I use one of my BIAB Bags so they swim free in the Wort then at the end of the boil I just take the bag out (and give it a squeeze for extra hop goodness).

I made my bags out of window netting so they cost less than £2 each and they have been used for years.

I say chuck it in and strain it out! No fuss, no drama.

I'm not to worried (at this point) how hard it is to strain them/clean the primary out. But if there's no difference in quality then the easy clean up is the way to go. I was thinking maybe leaving them in the primary might help with flavoring, especially the last hop drop in last 10-5 mins of boils. I would think hops boiling for 60 mins would leave a more bad bittering of the brew left in primary. But Yooper stated shes not noticed a difference and I'm thinking if they settle to bottom quickly and the yeast covers the top of settled hops then that makes total sense they don't do much extra flavoring.