sanitizing hop cones

I harvested some wild hops some time ago and made a beer with it. It's not as bitter as I wanted it to be (I underestimated those claims on forums that wild hops contain 1 - 2 %AA)... Anyway I used 6 oz for 5 gal and got a nice aroma and it will definitely be a good beer.

Now, since I want to dry hop with these hops, I am worried I could infect the beer. I know that beer in this stage contains enough alcohol to repel any bacteria etc.... but since I picked them and they were near the ground, quite dirty environment... I still have these thoughts that it might infect the beer.

I had an idea of spreading them on a sterile cheesecloth (or similar) on top of the bowl, and then spray some vodka over them using a spray bottle. I'd let them drain and toss them in my beer....

What do you think? Some vodka definitely wouldn't harm the beer, I suppose....

from what ive gathered, though i have never used whole hops, if you rinse them off you should be ok. Hops are naturally antibacterial!

Someone wanna give some +++ to that? Or prove me wrong mebbe?

Are these 'wet' hops or dried like normal hops?

ian-atx said:

Are these 'wet' hops or dried like normal hops?

Click to expand...

they are dried and stored in a ziplock bag, whole cones....

oh. i thought they were wet. if they are dried you could probably just shake them off a bit if they are dirty. your guess is as good as mine if they are dirty...

pwndabear said:

oh. i thought they were wet. if they are dried you could probably just shake them off a bit if they are dirty. your guess is as good as mine if they are dirty...

Click to expand...

when I say "dirty" I mean more like "contaminated".....

they were growing on the ground, and theoretically speaking they might have been pissed by dogs or drunk mates from the local pub....

I just want to spray them with some vodka, this wouldn't harm them... that's my guess.....and I'm asking to be sure...

If they have been urinated on, spritzing them with vodka isn't going to remove the urine residue. I would trash them and just buy hops.

i assume the dog urine is a big if... I assumed dirty meant "dirt on them."

Really though, if you have any doubts to the extent of the possible damage, if may be better off to scratch them and buy new ones.

But if you want to take the risk, i would soak in vodka instead of spritzing, then discarding the vodka (make sure you have taps playing as you dump the vodka down the drain).

...not like dog piss or human piss.... and are not visibly dirty, go for it.

You've already used them in the wort without any ill effects.

Things is, he used them in a boil in the past. This time he wants to dry hop.

hey people, please, when I mentioned dog urine I said "theoretically speaking"

You dont need to sanitize them I dry hop in the keg all the time and have never had an issue . Btw whats so different about the enviroment of wild hops and hops you buy they are both grown outdoors where anything can pee on them.

Pat

lehr said:

You dont need to sanitize them I dry hop in the keg all the time and have never had an issue . Btw whats so different about the enviroment of wild hops and hops you buy they are both grown outdoors where anything can pee on them.

Pat

Click to expand...

you're right, I had the same thoughts. I just wanted to be sure. I thought that maybe hops that we buy commercially are treated somehow or something....

thanks anyway, I'll just toss them in secondary and see what happens

Commercially grown hops are suspended up by a trellis/rope system. They do not touch the ground. A dog would have to be a contortionist too pee on them. The OP said these were lying on the ground.

Urine is sterile, you're good to go. =)

As far as I know commercial hops aren't treated aside from being dried (in a kiln) and then packaged or made into pellets.

finley said:

Urine is sterile, you're good to go. =)

Click to expand...

urine is sterile when it first comes out.

I really think you would be ok using these. do the spritz or soak or whatever to be sure and make yourself feel better.
:rockin:rock over london, rock on chicago

Vic_Sinclair said:

Commercially grown hops are suspended up by a trellis/rope system. They do not touch the ground. A dog would have to be a contortionist too pee on them. The OP said these were lying on the ground.

Click to expand...

My hops are on a trellis 80 feet long and 20 feet high and I trim the bottom but the hops still grow pretty low I have a hugh 125lb dog that could easily pee on them but he never has.

Birds defecate aerially all over whatever gravity takes it to... not like Rover is going to make things any worse than they might already have been. And unless you've got Brittny Spears for a neighbor, I wouldn't worry about someone's pee, either.

Beer was just a way to preserve the grain crop. Hops wasn't used until people wanted their beer to last longer; hops is a terrific anti-microbial. IPA came to be when they needed to make sure the beer survived a longer trip than it would normally be subjected to. Funny, though -- once upon a time, prisoners in New England were punished by being fed a "disgusting crustacean" called "lobster." Today, good luck paying less than $20 for a tail at even cheap restaurants. Likewise, once-upon-a-time, people didn't like the bitterness that hops gave to their beer but they tolerated it because they could enjoy the beer for more than 3 or 4 months after it was made; today, as regards beer, it's ALL about the hops!

People are so wierd....

400d, a suggestion would be to take up a rhizome or two of the wild hops and bring them back to your place (if you have room or permission to grow them) and train them up any sort of trellis. Then you'll have a much better idea who or what's been peeing in your beer... indirectly, of course!