Straining hops.

Yesterday I made my first batch of ale in a long time (over 10 years). It was great to come home and my IPA is happily bubbling away in it's bucket and the faint aroma of Saas hops.

It was a tiring day. In addition to racking 18 gallons of cider into secondaries, this my first full 5 gallon boil and use of a wort chiller (I bought the parts in the 90s and never put them together). While I was sanitizing I discovered that the new better bottle I bought leaks at the port. Fortunately I had a clean bucket standing by.

In the years since I last made a batch of ale I forgot how hard it is to strain the hops out of the wort. I'm sure there is a better way to filter hops out of the wort than using the filter that came with my funnel. Suggestions?

How do you transfer from your boiling vessel to the fermenter? If you use a siphon/racking cane, stirring the wort into a whirlpool (stir fast!) will collect most of the hops and break material together into a cone shape in the center after it's settled. Just put the cane away from pile 'o stuff in the center, and transfer to the fermenter.

For leaf hops, if you are using a racking cane, stick a sanitized stainless steel scrubbie on the end of the cane as a filter. Should work well. For pellets it can be tough. I think some folks on here have had luck with the really fine mesh nylon bags to contain the pellets during the boil. I will be trying this next brew (this Saturday), so maybe I will be able to give you direct feedback on that method.

If I'm making something with a ton of hops, I use a sanitized spaghetti strainer over my bucket. I usually siphon the first half of the wort, since I'm a weakling and can't pour 5.5 gallons of wort. The hops sludge will all settle to the bottom anyway. In a Better Bottle, though, those are only 6 gallons to begin with, so I'd probably strain more carefully, to give you more "room" for fermentation.

The HBS sells nylon nets (like a shower cap) that you place over the top of the bucket. I use 6 clothes pins to hold it in place after the weight of the water and hops are poured in. You need to use your spoon as a scraper to get the water to pass through faster. Then sparge the hops with water...

I set a stainless steel mesh kitchen strainer over my bucket and pour the wort through it. Strains out all the hops, even pellets, and helps with aeration, too.

Just buy yourself a hop bag. I have no idea how I ever went without one!

Answering several questions at once.

I was using pellets, not leaves.

I didn't rack, I used a 2 quart measuring cup to transfer the first 3 gallons and poured the rest. I'm sure that stirred everything up good.

I did use a strainer and a colander, and they did strain out a lot, but the fine mesh strainer in the funnel would clog up every quart or two.

Next time I think I'm going to try the hops bag, stir to get whatever comes out of the bag to settle in the center and then siphon from the edge. Thanks everyone.

I just racked from my secondary (dry-hopped) to bottling bucket with a siphon but I put a hop bag over the end of the siphon and used a rubber band to hold it on. I barely got a single piece of hop residue in my bucket. As far as from the kettle to the fermenter, I just bought a SS strainer form Target that should sit on top the bucket. We'll see how that works this weekend.....

Saturday I did my first batch using only the stainless steel scrubbie (Placed under the dip tube). I had 2.5 ounces of whole leaf hops and the scrubbie worked perfectly. I didn't get any hops into my fermenter, they do soak up a fair bit of beer though.

I normally use a suspended hop bag (PVC Ring and 5 gallon paint strainer bag) plus the scrubbie, but thought I'd give it a chance by itself and it works great!

conpewter said:

Saturday I did my first batch using only the stainless steel scrubbie (Placed under the dip tube). I had 2.5 ounces of whole leaf hops and the scrubbie worked perfectly. I didn't get any hops into my fermenter, they do soak up a fair bit of beer though.

I normally use a suspended hop bag (PVC Ring and 5 gallon paint strainer bag) plus the scrubbie, but thought I'd give it a chance by itself and it works great!

Click to expand...

I brewed an IPA this weekend and used one of the fine mesh paint strainers that fits over the bucket with an elastic. Worked like a charm.

I have tried different things with whole hops. Pouring through a nylon mesh bag after the boil, or boiling in a nylon bag.

conpewter said:

Saturday I did my first batch using only the stainless steel scrubbie (Placed under the dip tube). I had 2.5 ounces of whole leaf hops and the scrubbie worked perfectly. I didn't get any hops into my fermenter, they do soak up a fair bit of beer though.

I normally use a suspended hop bag (PVC Ring and 5 gallon paint strainer bag) plus the scrubbie, but thought I'd give it a chance by itself and it works great!

Click to expand...

Where do you get these "scrubbies"? And would on fit over a bulkhead? I just used leaf hops for the first time and what a nightmare! I can just crack the ball valve on my kettle and pellet hops will just fly on out.

I bought mine at Wal-mart (Chorboy brand?)

Search for "Pot Scrubbers" on Bar Products, Bar Supplies, Kitchen Equipment, Wine Accessories and lots more. (Which also has a heck of a deal on a dip tray)


/hotlinked for her pleasure