Hop additions: To bag, or not to bag?

On my first brewing day, I decided to go with the bag option to try to keep as much particulate stuff out of the wort as possible.....

But, I'm starting to think maybe this was a bad call. When I tasted the wort after the hydrometer reading, it was super sweet with almost no 'bitter' flavor at all. How much did I stifle the bitterness by containing all that matter in the bag?


I'm thinking maybe for my next brew session, I'll put the full boil hops in the bag, and maybe the 30-45 minute addition in the bag, but the 10 minute and flame out hops are getting tossed right in the kettle.


What do you do?

I used bags at first then ran out and just tossed em in the pot...lot of gunk but I use a big sanitized grain bag over the top of my fermenting buckets and pour everything through that...very little gunk in the fermentor PLUS very well aeriated.

it all compacts down with the trub anyways, leaving you with a pretty clean product. Dry hopping is a different story though.

When you tasted the wort you have to remember that none of the sugars have been converted into alcohol yet, so it is a lot sweeter than it will be when your beer is finished

I just bagged my last two beers. I personally prefer it now... its so much easier when its time for me to rack my beer into the carboy. So much less stuff to filter out. I feel beer knowing that stuff is not in the primary fermenter. Sure, it probably doesn't hurt, but it just makes me feel like it'll clear better knowin all that crap is not in there.

I'm not sure the difference in taste though, I've yet to try one where I've done this. I really can't imagine it would cut the bitterness down though. Like someone mentioned your drinking the wort when its at its highest sweetness level, so ofcourse its going to taste super sweet.

If you use a relatively small hop bag your hop utilization can decrease. I'm about 50/50 using a 5 gallon paint strainer bag or just throwing them in the wort. If it's a small hop bill I just throw them in as they settle out in the fermenter and I just rack right off and the beer is clear.

you say there is no bitterness, but then you say you will still be bagging the bittering hops. and only throwing the aroma hops in without bag?

I toss them sumbitches right in the wort. After cooling I strain multiple times with a fine chinois. No hops to speak of in the fermentor.
As mentioned above, dry hopping is another matter. I have been bagging them but since i have not weighed down the bag, it floats and when i disturb it to rack off, the whole batch gets cloudy with hop particels.

robertvrabel said:

I feel beer knowing that stuff is not in the primary fermenter..

Click to expand...

Best typo ever!!!

I always use a bag when i add my hops in the brewpot. It hurts utilisation no doubt but it is less messy. Also, I tend to harvest my yeast. I don't know if all the hop junk will affect the spent yeast and also subsequent batches.

Anyone with experience want to share his/her experience?

I use bags, just make sure you leave the grain or hops room to expand and float around inside the bag before you knot it.

I've used a paint strainer bag for hops my last few brews.

However, I think there is something to be said for letting the hops move around freely in the boiling wort. I think I'm going to do the chore boy on the pickup for a filter when I use whole hop cones, and only bag my pellets.

The bag comes in handy too, if you're like me and have pump troubles. You can remove the bag of hops from the wort, but still boil without adding bitterness to the beer.